Polycarbonate shed retrofit for coop

[Kendc0]

Hi everyone!

I think I got SUPER lucky the other day when the storms brew through GA. The wind picked up and blew away one of Home Depot's model sheds and I was the first to pick it clean (with permission of course). I was able to salvage all of the polycarbonate panels, roof tiles, two fully in tact doors and several aluminum rails. I immediately thought "wow, this is a whole chicken coop right here!"

Here's the listing for the shed: https://www.homedepot.com/p/CANOPIA...kv0VNONtn_8aArDFEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#overlay

So I've been doing my research on the best way to build this and what could go wrong. My biggest concern will be the greenhouse effect. The panels are darker and the listing for the shed states it's UV resistant but I definitely don't want to cook my chickens or eggs. Has anyone else built with these types of panels before? They are semi transparent and let in a good deal of light. I want to make a medium sized coop, enough for about 6-8 chickens with an attached run. Here's the general look and functionality I'm looking to achieve: https://www.greenwillowhomestead.co...6bHNaVXhUaUhYMFVCRmRkWjlVZyZ0PUFBQUFBR0xMV0xF

I was thinking perhaps I could even paint the outside of the panels with reflective roof coating. I live in GA about an hour south of the foot hills so our summers get pretty hot and muggy (I live right off a Lake Lanier). I want to leave the bottom of the coop open with just some wire fencing as the floor to allow droppings to fall through but in the winter, I plan on putting one of these poly panels down to keep the air warmer and I figure the corrugated nature of the panels will make for some ok insulation.

Id love y'all's thoughts on this! If you know of any examples of someone building with similar materials, please feel free to link them~

 

[aart]

Feral house cats~

Domestic sized cats are not likely to attack full sized standard chickens.

 

[3KillerBs]

Score!

Welcome to BYC. from the NC Sandhills.

I'm not familiar with those sheds, but this article might be of some help to you: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/

Are there any structural supports for the panels or do they lock together and support themselves?

Ventilation is going to be the big thing for this -- for any coop here in the Steamy Southeast, really.

Here is my article on hot climate chickenkeeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

And my article on ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

My first inclination would be to hybridize these panels with some additional structure to serve as the sheltered end of an Open Air coop -- but anyone here could tell you that I always recommend an Open Air coop in a hot climate build.

 

[3KillerBs]

Can I get your opinion on this design's ventilation? This model still has a way to go but I'm using it so I don't make these mistakes in the large scale (model is exactly 1:8th scale of all of the materials I plan on using or have on hand, the standee is exactly my height in 1:8th scale as well- 5'5")

It might be hard to tell and I plan on putting this together more tonight but instead of a solid wall, I step the roof tiles out a bit so it is capable of catching a bit of air and keeping the drafts above their heads. There's going to be a wire floor and open front in the summer to keep it more of an open air concept with a removable front wall for winter.

I'm not a fan of A-Frames, because you lose the usefulness of the narrow space at the top and the low spaces on the sides of the bottom, but that looks like it should be well-ventilated and have the vents well-sheltered.

What do you mean by wire floor? Wire on the ground as an anti-dig measure or an elevated wire floor?

Anti-dig predator protection is better provided by using an apron around the outside, because the hens will try to dig on the wire and could hurt their feet as well as having their natural behavior disrupted.

Raised wire floors are drafty:

People often install them in hope that the poop will drop down into a handy place for easy removal. This works with chicks and 1/2" hardware cloth but fails with adults because the poop can be up to the size of an egg and thus any wire mesh large enough to let the poop through will let weasels, snakes, and rats in.

 

[Kendc0]

I'm not a fan of A-Frames, because you lose the usefulness of the narrow space at the top and the low spaces on the sides of the bottom, but that looks like it should be well-ventilated and have the vents well-sheltered.

What do you mean by wire floor? Wire on the ground as an anti-dig measure or an elevated wire floor?

Anti-dig predator protection is better provided by using an apron around the outside, because the hens will try to dig on the wire and could hurt their feet as well as having their natural behavior disrupted.

Raised wire floors are drafty:

View attachment 3190899

People often install them in hope that the poop will drop down into a handy place for easy removal. This works with chicks and 1/2" hardware cloth but fails with adults because the poop can be up to the size of an egg and thus any wire mesh large enough to let the poop through will let weasels, snakes, and rats in.

Gotcha! Unfortunately, I think I'm tied to the A-frame design with my current material being those large panels.

I'll go back to the drawing board with a more complete model using your suggestions :3 thank you!

 

[aart]

Can I get your opinion on this design's ventilation?

The ventilation you have mocked up might work OK.
BUt...
I have to agree that Aframes are not a good design for chickens.

I think I'm tied to the A-frame design with my current material being those large panels

Might be time to rethink the whole thing.
Those panels could be good sheet material to attach to a standard framed structure.

for winter.

Maybe I missed it in earlier posts, but....
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[aart]

I certainly don't mind going back to the drawing board for a solid coop that will last a long while. The only things I really require are the following:
Mobile/tractor style
Simple to intermediate in difficulty to build
10-12 hen capacity (though we only plan on having 6)

If y'all have some ideas or links to some plans, I'd love to see them!

Pretty hard to make a tractor for that many birds and still be able to move it.
Might consider building on a large trailer and move with a ATV or garden tractor.
Will you free range?
Have you browsed these articles?:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/tractor-coops.17/

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm pretty sure I've given this information to you before, but just to make sure because I lose track of who has asked what questions before.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

6 hens

• 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
• 6 feet of roost
• 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
• 6 square feet of ventilation.
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

12 hens

• 48 square feet in the coop. 6'x8' is more practical than 4'x12' since a long, skinny coop like that would be difficult to work inside.
• 12 feet of roost
• 120 square feet in the run. 10'x12' or 8'x15' -- 8'x16' means fewer odd cuts than either of those. 6'x20' is possible, especially if your run is an open-topped, fenced area instead of fully-enclosed with a solid and/or wire roof but risks social problems because subordinate hens need to be able to pass the dominant hens at a respectful distance.
• 12 square feet of ventilation.
• 3 nest boxes.

That said ...,

Are you planning on using your tractor as a mobile coop where the chickens either get out to free range or have a portable pen? Or are you planning on the tractor being their only home?

If the former, 6x8 isn't *too* horribly huge for a tractor IF you put it on good wheels and have something to tow it with. Though you need to understand that the larger the tractor the more need to have a very smooth yard to put it on without having gaps underneath the sides where they contact the ground.

If the tractor is their only home, moved to fresh grass regularly but they don't get out you'll want more than the 4 square feet each.

People who want a mobile setup with layers sometimes build a coop on a trailer then use electric poultry netting for portable pens. I've got electric net and I love it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Oh goodness, thank you so much for this wealth of knowledge! This is exactly the kind of stuff I want to know before building my coop and run. I too reside in the steamy south and man, it's been steamy these past few weeks.

I'll get to building a design using the elements you showed in your ventilation guide and definitely post it for critique before moving on to the build! Thank you so much!

How many chickens are you planning on?

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

 

[3KillerBs]

12 hens

• 48 square feet in the coop. 6'x8' is more practical than 4'x12' since a long, skinny coop like that would be difficult to work inside.
• 12 feet of roost
• 120 square feet in the run. 10'x12' or 8'x15' -- 8'x16' means fewer odd cuts than either of those. 6'x20' is possible, especially if your run is an open-topped, fenced area instead of fully-enclosed with a solid and/or wire roof but risks social problems because subordinate hens need to be able to pass the dominant hens at a respectful distance.
• 12 square feet of ventilation.
• 3 nest boxes.

What we did with our coop was to build the frame solidly, enclose the entire thing with wire, then use inexpensive fence boards to make the shelter. (I think DH is genetically incapable of failing to over-engineer anything).

For winter I ziptied a tarp to part of the 4th wall because our storms can come from any direction.

I don't have a coop page yet, but this is my build thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/large-open-air-coop-in-central-nc.1443812/#post-23969601

And these are my birds in the snow last winter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/open-air-coop-in-the-snow.1508695/#post-25324962