I started converting my shed into a coop

[Rvl Rookie]

I started off making a coop/tractor out of stuff I already had, and got it to where I need welded wire and roofing material to finish it, so it's on hold until I can afford that stuff. (I made a page showing the progress). I don't even have chickens yet, but have already been thinking I'll want more than what the tractor would hold, so I'm already upgrading.

I have an 8'x8' shed, that isn't used for much anyway, so I've started converting it.

Here's a couple pics of the shed from before I started;





The floor was oil stained, so I covered it with some used paneling that a friend gave me. After that, I started making the nesting boxes;



Next I mounted the boxes on the wall;



Then I added a support and a perch;



Then I went outside, mounted some steps (they came off the back of my house, where my SIL put a ramp in for me), and cut a hole for the chicken door;



I cut a hole , so I could add a window for light directly on the roost in the mornings, and started building the window. Morning sun hits this side of the shed. I had a piece of plastic/plexiglass, and built a wood frame for it;





Mounted the new window, between nesting boxes and the roost;





Here's the outside of the door. No lifting mechanism in place yet, but the door itself is done;


I still plan to make an egg-gathering door behind the nests, and need to figure what I'm going to do about adding ventilation. Any thoughts/comments on what I'm doing are welcome, as I'm still very new to all of this.

 

[Christie Rhae]

 

[duckinnut]

I would put gable end vents front and rear to add ventilation or a roof vent. Also if you could maybe get a used window to throw in there as well. The more ventilation the better,natural light keeps the egg factory going.

 

[jamband]

I would put gable end vents front and rear to add ventilation or a roof vent. Also if you could maybe get a used window to throw in there as well. The more ventilation the better,natural light keeps the egg factory going.

x's 2 on that. even a ridge vent would be awesome for that shed. But more ventilation and light would be good..........Also keep an eye on that floor with panels on it...They could mold super fast when wet.

 

[ontimeborzoi]

If it was mine, I would add a LOT more light and ventilation. I would cut out most of the door panels and replace with hardware cloth, and I would cut large windows into the sides. You cannot have too much light or too much air in a coop. Nice shed!

 

[Rvl Rookie]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

It does have that ventilation built in on both sides, right above where I put that little window in. One of the things I don't understand yet is how to add the needed ventilation, without creating the draft that everyone warns about. If I have vents front and back, up high, won't that create a draft across the roost? I had been thinking that I should make ventilation down low, maybe 12" to 16" above the floor. Should I do that and the gable vents, or just the gable vents? I have no problem cutting more out, but I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing before I do it.

(I'll start looking for windows on CL too).

Thanks again for your help. I appreciate getting the insight from the experience of others.

 

[Rvl Rookie]

Unrelated side note; that keg is an old one we were given, and I thought about making something out of it, like a base for the mailbox post. I haven't had a beer since the 1990s, but that probably makes it look like I drink so much that I need storage for it.

 

[OmeletMan]

I'm new to the game but the more natural light and ventilation the better.

If you put in gable vents, you can always block them in the winter to reduce heat loss.

 

[ontimeborzoi]

You are in a very warm climate, so if it was me, would not be worrying one bit about keeping them warm even in the dead of winter. Go read the posts from Alaska and Canada if you have doubts. If you put the biggest vents on the south side you won't have those north winds blowing thru. My coops have the entire south wall made of hardware cloth, and about half the east and west walls. Coops are light inside, and dry/odor free year round even if the chickens have to be cooped up for whatever reason.
I understand the confusion about drafts versus ventilation, but err on the side of too much fresh air and you won't go wrong. You could always make shutters for when terrible weather is on the way.

 

[Heritage Hens]

You could think about putting a sheet of durable linoleum over the plywood floor. I have a similar 8 X 8 shed, then attached a HUGE pole barn onto it, ha ha! That's the fever.
What I love about the linoleum floor in that room is that it is so easy to clean out, nothing sticks to the floor. Then I use deep litter method on top of that.
I love the high pitch of your trusses. You can put 2 X 4's across the top, up high. They will love that. I block the corner of the trusses where they meet the roots with a triangle of chicken wire so they can't roost over feeders or waterers, in your case over the nest boxes.
Just some thoughts.