EDIT:
With new chicks coming this spring we decided to up our roost game early. We're going to take out their old roost and build a ladder for them and should be good!
I wanted to convert my old shed into a coop for my chickies. There really wasn't a lot of info out there on turning sheds into coop. Painting the roof white was KEY to keeping it cool. We will have to see how it does during the winter.
We pulled out the wood floor that was in there and laid pavers with gavel in between to help with drainage and topped with sand. We cut out two windows on the sides and framed the door out for hardwire cloth. We also added circle vents around the whole shed at the top. It gets hot in South Texas, so wanted as much ventilation as possible. I do have a fan inside in the corner. We will likely cut out another window next summer on the back side.
I built the roost bars out of 2
limbs from our property and 2x4s. We added a poop hammock and its awesome to catch poop. I used a drop cloth secured to the wall of the coop and then at the bottom of the roost ladder.
My nesting boxes are storage containers that have a hole cut in the front. We put a piece of wood on the front to give them something to grab to hop inside. Nesting pads and fake eggs inside of them ready to go since they will be old enough in a couple of weeks. I have them at a slight incline the front so eggs can roll to the back to TRY to help keep them clean-ish.
The run is from Amazon that we put together. I plan to put siding on it for the winter to help block wind. I like it so far! It comes with chicken wire for the roof so that is why we went with that. The sides are hardwire cloth though. I specifically shopped a run that came with hardwire cloth on the sides because it is the best. So far so good!
Run Link: Quictent Large Metal Chicken Coop Run https://a.co/d/88aRv12
In the run we have a ladder we built out of tree limbs. The water heater drain pain as their kiddie pool has been a hit this summer. I change it out every 2 days or so. Just laid fresh new sand in the run and they were very happy with that too.
With new chicks coming this spring we decided to up our roost game early. We're going to take out their old roost and build a ladder for them and should be good!
I wanted to convert my old shed into a coop for my chickies. There really wasn't a lot of info out there on turning sheds into coop. Painting the roof white was KEY to keeping it cool. We will have to see how it does during the winter.
We pulled out the wood floor that was in there and laid pavers with gavel in between to help with drainage and topped with sand. We cut out two windows on the sides and framed the door out for hardwire cloth. We also added circle vents around the whole shed at the top. It gets hot in South Texas, so wanted as much ventilation as possible. I do have a fan inside in the corner. We will likely cut out another window next summer on the back side.
I built the roost bars out of 2
limbs from our property and 2x4s. We added a poop hammock and its awesome to catch poop. I used a drop cloth secured to the wall of the coop and then at the bottom of the roost ladder.
My nesting boxes are storage containers that have a hole cut in the front. We put a piece of wood on the front to give them something to grab to hop inside. Nesting pads and fake eggs inside of them ready to go since they will be old enough in a couple of weeks. I have them at a slight incline the front so eggs can roll to the back to TRY to help keep them clean-ish.
The run is from Amazon that we put together. I plan to put siding on it for the winter to help block wind. I like it so far! It comes with chicken wire for the roof so that is why we went with that. The sides are hardwire cloth though. I specifically shopped a run that came with hardwire cloth on the sides because it is the best. So far so good!
Run Link: Quictent Large Metal Chicken Coop Run https://a.co/d/88aRv12
In the run we have a ladder we built out of tree limbs. The water heater drain pain as their kiddie pool has been a hit this summer. I change it out every 2 days or so. Just laid fresh new sand in the run and they were very happy with that too.
