Introduction
After 12 years my old budget chicken coop was falling apart and the rotted OSB siding riddled with holes was becoming a security risk. So in late 2021 I made the decision to move my chicken flock from their old coop to the barn next door originally built to house goats and sheep.
The barn previously housed goats and sheep
I moved the chickens into the barn while two of my elderly sheep were still living there with the intention of turning it into a full-fledged chicken coop after my sheep passed on. After a sad goodbye to my last sheep in 2024 the coopification process began.
The chickens with their sheep roommates in 2023
The coop portion
The barn (built in 2009) has seen better days, but it is still functional
Coop specs*:
We had a local carpenter build the main structure for us. It has a window on three sides and a door on two sides.
The structure is built on concrete blocks on a gravel base. Over the years we have found that, with the clay soils and steep hills in this area, drainage is a real issue and we could have done better to mitigate the water and frost heaving problems. A french drain would have been ideal, but the addition of a gutter and water collection system on the back has helped a little as well as some trenches to direct the water away from the building and run.
The previous owners of the property ran underground power to the area so it was easy to have an outlet and light installed. The outlet is especially convenient to have in the wintertime for the heater and heated waterers. It's also helpful when I need to use power tools around the barn.
I divided the inside area into sections. There is a chicken wire wall that divides the coop roughly down the middle and a smaller mobile isolation pen. Having multiple sections has been very useful for when I need to separate birds, such as new chicks or bullies, and each side has a pop door so I can also let birds outside separately. When I don't need to separate birds, I can leave the divider doors open and the chickens can wander into each section freely.
A wall down the middle divides the coop into two sections
The isolation pen has a hinged screen lid and a small door to access the rest of the coop
Roosts
For three years my chickens lived with my sheep in a temporary setup and during that time I could get an idea of what was working and what was not. Something that was working and was not in my original plan was the placement of the main roosts. I found that on some windy winter days snow could blow off the hill behind the coop upward through the soffit vents on the lower side and settle down inside the coop. So I decided to keep the main roosting area on the side with the high southwest wall.
I like to place roosting bars at around table height. Lower roosts like this make it super easy to examine and catch birds, which is best done at night when they are roosting. It also helps to reduce foot and leg injuries related to the chickens jumping down from the roosts and allows larger and older birds easier access.
The main roosting area
Smaller roost in a separate section
Pop Doors
I went with a large guillotine-style pop door on the southeast wall that leads into the run. The plywood door slides up and down in wooden tracks and is held open or closed with a single wooden turn button. This simple design is predator proof as it cannot be pushed open and there is nothing to grab on the outside with which to slide it open. Something I didn't consider when installing this pop door is the height of the bedding.
This is your reminder to place your pop doors several inches above the floor to clear the bedding!
All-wood guillotine-style pop door
The other pop door, which is cut into one of the human-sized doors, is smaller and has a more typical door with hinges and a barrel bolt latch. While it was easier to build than the guillotine-style door, it has its drawbacks, one being I have to move all birds that are standing just inside the door in order to close or open it.
Smaller second pop door
Both pop doors were made of scrap wood so cost me very little. I later covered the outside of each with curtain flaps made from an old shower curtain liner to deter wild animals from entering and keep most of the rain and snow out. My birds quickly learned on their own how to get through them.
Freya demonstrating how she goes through the door flaps
Nesting Boxes
I repurposed an old dresser to use as nesting boxes. There are four nests in total. You can learn more about it here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/dilapidated-dresser-to-nifty-nesting-boxes.78018/
Nesting boxes made out of a dresser
The northeast wall with nesting boxes on the left and the main feed and water station
Ventilation
I have my mom to thank for designing this building with ventilation in mind. Ventilation not only allows heat, ammonia, and smells to escape, it also removes the moisture from the birds' breath and manure, decreasing the risk of respiratory illnesses and frostbite in the winter. In addition to two open soffits I leave some windows at least partially open year round. The soffit vents are well above the roosts to protect the birds from cold winter drafts. All vents and windows are covered in hardware cloth to keep unwelcome critters out.
Soffit vents predator-proofed with hardware cloth
The southwest-facing door has been converted into a dutch door with an inner screen door to provide extra light and ventilation during warmer days.
The dutch door is left open most of the year
Winterization
All windows near the roosts are covered with repurposed plexiglass or other plastic panels during the colder months. I simply secure the plexiglass panels in place with offset mirror clips in the winter and remove them in the spring. The northwest window is usually left partially open for extra ventilation, but I can slide the plexiglass panel on the offset clips to close it on very cold days.
Three offset clips allow this plexiglass storm window to slide open and closed
An infrared radiant panel heater mounted on the wall provides warmth for my non-cold-hardy birds in the winter and doubles as a brooder plate for when I raise chicks.
Infrared radiant panel heater
Hinged brackets allow the heater to be raised and lowered as needed
The run portion
Run specs*:
In my time as a chicken keeper I've tested several different chicken runs and, in my opinion, the cattle panel hoop run is superior in many ways. For a relatively low cost and with relatively little effort, you get a large, strong, secure, walk-in run that can be light enough to move if you so wish (I moved mine in sections multiple times). There are several great articles on BYC on how to build a cattle panel hoop structure so I won't go into too much detail here.
Many of the materials I used to build this run were salvaged from previous chicken runs and other projects. That is the beauty of designing something to be easily disassembled. While many use fence staples to secure the cattle panels to the wooden base, I used stainless steel cable clamps for the ease of installation and removal. They have worked wonderfully so far and I also used them to attach the roofing to the cattle panels. Screws and washers - not staples - were used to attach the fencing to the wooden base. And wire of various gauges - some from old tomato cages - was used to attach the cattle panels together and attach the fencing to the cattle panels.
Cattle panel hoops are attached to the run base with cable clamps
I made sure to reinforce my run with extra posts and beams to support the weight of the snow and ice we get here in the Northeast. The run is also not attached to the coop and this was on purpose. This is to allow the coop and run to move independently with the frost heaves.
The roof is supported by posts and beams
Since my run is situated inside a larger fenced-in pasture, I opted to wrap it in chicken wire to save money. I am aware of the risks of using chicken wire instead of 1/2" hardware cloth - it is predator-resistant not predator-proof. However, it does provide some protection and my chickens will retreat to the run on their own to escape an aerial predator or bad weather or just to hang out. I also occasionally use it as an outdoor separation pen. If I didn't have the extra layer of fencing and electric polywires and I were more concerned about predators getting in I would make the run more secure. My chickens are already at risk of predation anyway, since most of the time they are not confined to the run and are practically free-range in the pasture. So far, though, I have not lost a bird to a predator in this setup.
A bird's eye view of the pasture that surrounds the run
One thing I wish I had done was to set the wooden base frame on top of a level concrete block foundation. Without it the wood sits directly on the ground and rots quickly despite being pressure-treated. Concrete blocks around the perimeter would also add some security and deter the chickens from digging out of the run. That might be a project for future me, but what I have now will do in the meantime.
Run Accessories
Inside the run my chickens have a few things with which they can keep themselves entertained. The grazing frame lets them eat the tops off of plants (grass, sunflower spouts, etc.) without killing the plants, so even if they are confined to the run they have a small but steady supply of greens in the warmer months.
The grazing frame
A kiddie pool filled with soil provides a dust bathing area and a couple 2x4s, a tree limb, and a wooden wire spool provide places to perch outside.
Inside the run
*Measurements are for inspiration only and may not be exact
After 12 years my old budget chicken coop was falling apart and the rotted OSB siding riddled with holes was becoming a security risk. So in late 2021 I made the decision to move my chicken flock from their old coop to the barn next door originally built to house goats and sheep.
The barn previously housed goats and sheep
I moved the chickens into the barn while two of my elderly sheep were still living there with the intention of turning it into a full-fledged chicken coop after my sheep passed on. After a sad goodbye to my last sheep in 2024 the coopification process began.
The chickens with their sheep roommates in 2023
The Stinky Acres Farm Chicken Barn
The coop portion
Coop specs*:
- Total length: 12'
- Total width: 10'
- Ceiling height: 6' - 8.3'
- Siding: 1x6 pine shiplap stained with solid stain
- Flooring: Pressure-treated plywood
- Roofing: 3-tab asphalt shingles
- Roosting bars: 2x4s installed wide side up; 17.5' total length; 28" - 30" off the floor; at least 11" from the wall
- Pop doors: 14"W x 14"H and 12"W x 11.5"H
- Nesting boxes: 13"W x 14"D x 16"H
- Windows: Covered with 1/2" 19-gauge galvanized hardware cloth and removable plastic panels
- Soffit vents: 21.75'W x 5.5"H; covered with 1/2" 19-gauge galvanized hardware cloth
We had a local carpenter build the main structure for us. It has a window on three sides and a door on two sides.
The structure is built on concrete blocks on a gravel base. Over the years we have found that, with the clay soils and steep hills in this area, drainage is a real issue and we could have done better to mitigate the water and frost heaving problems. A french drain would have been ideal, but the addition of a gutter and water collection system on the back has helped a little as well as some trenches to direct the water away from the building and run.
The previous owners of the property ran underground power to the area so it was easy to have an outlet and light installed. The outlet is especially convenient to have in the wintertime for the heater and heated waterers. It's also helpful when I need to use power tools around the barn.
I divided the inside area into sections. There is a chicken wire wall that divides the coop roughly down the middle and a smaller mobile isolation pen. Having multiple sections has been very useful for when I need to separate birds, such as new chicks or bullies, and each side has a pop door so I can also let birds outside separately. When I don't need to separate birds, I can leave the divider doors open and the chickens can wander into each section freely.
A wall down the middle divides the coop into two sections
The isolation pen has a hinged screen lid and a small door to access the rest of the coop
Roosts
For three years my chickens lived with my sheep in a temporary setup and during that time I could get an idea of what was working and what was not. Something that was working and was not in my original plan was the placement of the main roosts. I found that on some windy winter days snow could blow off the hill behind the coop upward through the soffit vents on the lower side and settle down inside the coop. So I decided to keep the main roosting area on the side with the high southwest wall.
I like to place roosting bars at around table height. Lower roosts like this make it super easy to examine and catch birds, which is best done at night when they are roosting. It also helps to reduce foot and leg injuries related to the chickens jumping down from the roosts and allows larger and older birds easier access.
The main roosting area
Smaller roost in a separate section
Pop Doors
I went with a large guillotine-style pop door on the southeast wall that leads into the run. The plywood door slides up and down in wooden tracks and is held open or closed with a single wooden turn button. This simple design is predator proof as it cannot be pushed open and there is nothing to grab on the outside with which to slide it open. Something I didn't consider when installing this pop door is the height of the bedding.
All-wood guillotine-style pop door
The other pop door, which is cut into one of the human-sized doors, is smaller and has a more typical door with hinges and a barrel bolt latch. While it was easier to build than the guillotine-style door, it has its drawbacks, one being I have to move all birds that are standing just inside the door in order to close or open it.
Smaller second pop door
Both pop doors were made of scrap wood so cost me very little. I later covered the outside of each with curtain flaps made from an old shower curtain liner to deter wild animals from entering and keep most of the rain and snow out. My birds quickly learned on their own how to get through them.
Freya demonstrating how she goes through the door flaps
Nesting Boxes
I repurposed an old dresser to use as nesting boxes. There are four nests in total. You can learn more about it here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/dilapidated-dresser-to-nifty-nesting-boxes.78018/
Nesting boxes made out of a dresser
The northeast wall with nesting boxes on the left and the main feed and water station
Ventilation
I have my mom to thank for designing this building with ventilation in mind. Ventilation not only allows heat, ammonia, and smells to escape, it also removes the moisture from the birds' breath and manure, decreasing the risk of respiratory illnesses and frostbite in the winter. In addition to two open soffits I leave some windows at least partially open year round. The soffit vents are well above the roosts to protect the birds from cold winter drafts. All vents and windows are covered in hardware cloth to keep unwelcome critters out.
Soffit vents predator-proofed with hardware cloth
The southwest-facing door has been converted into a dutch door with an inner screen door to provide extra light and ventilation during warmer days.
The dutch door is left open most of the year
Winterization
All windows near the roosts are covered with repurposed plexiglass or other plastic panels during the colder months. I simply secure the plexiglass panels in place with offset mirror clips in the winter and remove them in the spring. The northwest window is usually left partially open for extra ventilation, but I can slide the plexiglass panel on the offset clips to close it on very cold days.
Three offset clips allow this plexiglass storm window to slide open and closed
An infrared radiant panel heater mounted on the wall provides warmth for my non-cold-hardy birds in the winter and doubles as a brooder plate for when I raise chicks.
Infrared radiant panel heater
Hinged brackets allow the heater to be raised and lowered as needed
The run portion
Run specs*:
- Length: 16.6'
- Width: 8'
- Height: 6.25'
- Base frame and door: Pressure-treated pine
- Hoop structure: Four 50" x 16' 4-gauge galvanized cattle panels
- Fencing: 1" 20-gauge galvanized chicken wire
- Roofing: Three 8' 29-gauge galvanized roofing panels
In my time as a chicken keeper I've tested several different chicken runs and, in my opinion, the cattle panel hoop run is superior in many ways. For a relatively low cost and with relatively little effort, you get a large, strong, secure, walk-in run that can be light enough to move if you so wish (I moved mine in sections multiple times). There are several great articles on BYC on how to build a cattle panel hoop structure so I won't go into too much detail here.
Many of the materials I used to build this run were salvaged from previous chicken runs and other projects. That is the beauty of designing something to be easily disassembled. While many use fence staples to secure the cattle panels to the wooden base, I used stainless steel cable clamps for the ease of installation and removal. They have worked wonderfully so far and I also used them to attach the roofing to the cattle panels. Screws and washers - not staples - were used to attach the fencing to the wooden base. And wire of various gauges - some from old tomato cages - was used to attach the cattle panels together and attach the fencing to the cattle panels.
Cattle panel hoops are attached to the run base with cable clamps
I made sure to reinforce my run with extra posts and beams to support the weight of the snow and ice we get here in the Northeast. The run is also not attached to the coop and this was on purpose. This is to allow the coop and run to move independently with the frost heaves.
The roof is supported by posts and beams
Since my run is situated inside a larger fenced-in pasture, I opted to wrap it in chicken wire to save money. I am aware of the risks of using chicken wire instead of 1/2" hardware cloth - it is predator-resistant not predator-proof. However, it does provide some protection and my chickens will retreat to the run on their own to escape an aerial predator or bad weather or just to hang out. I also occasionally use it as an outdoor separation pen. If I didn't have the extra layer of fencing and electric polywires and I were more concerned about predators getting in I would make the run more secure. My chickens are already at risk of predation anyway, since most of the time they are not confined to the run and are practically free-range in the pasture. So far, though, I have not lost a bird to a predator in this setup.
A bird's eye view of the pasture that surrounds the run
One thing I wish I had done was to set the wooden base frame on top of a level concrete block foundation. Without it the wood sits directly on the ground and rots quickly despite being pressure-treated. Concrete blocks around the perimeter would also add some security and deter the chickens from digging out of the run. That might be a project for future me, but what I have now will do in the meantime.
Run Accessories
Inside the run my chickens have a few things with which they can keep themselves entertained. The grazing frame lets them eat the tops off of plants (grass, sunflower spouts, etc.) without killing the plants, so even if they are confined to the run they have a small but steady supply of greens in the warmer months.
The grazing frame
A kiddie pool filled with soil provides a dust bathing area and a couple 2x4s, a tree limb, and a wooden wire spool provide places to perch outside.
Inside the run
*Measurements are for inspiration only and may not be exact
