Little shed into a coop - My summer project.

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SleepyOwl

SleepyOwl

Songster
7 Years
Apr 15, 2012
820
65
176
MN
Here is what my chicks are living in now.



It's big enough as a grow pen, but only big enough for 2-3 adult birds. I have 8. I thought about making a bigger tractor, but I got such a good deal on this shed, that I couldn't pass it up. I spend $80 including gas money for my neighbor for getting it here for me.

It is 5'x6'.


It needs a door, so that is the first thing I am going to do. I am trying to decide if I want to make a barn type door like this...
http://www.barntoolbox.com/barn-door-construction.htm

Or get some siding and make a shed type door..
http://www.waterloostructures.net/images/Shed_Pictures_060-600x450.jpg

I like the dutch door idea, but not sure yet. I was also thinking of making a "screen door" (with hardware cloth) as an inner door, but since the shed is so small, I don't know how well that will work.

Any suggestions?

Once I get the door on, I am going to cut some windows. ventilaton holes and the pop door, insulate, and then start on the run.
The run is going to be 6'x10', and 6' tall sloping down to 5'.
I am hoping to spend around $150. I already have 3'x25' of hardware cloth, and a bit of insulation.

I would appreciate any suggestions!
smile.png
 
Hi and congrats on the good deal on the new hen house. The only suggestion I have is to look into building pop-out nest boxes in order to maximize the inside space for your birds. I can't comment on the best type door, we just used a house door with a handle. Tacky but it works and was free lol.
 
Hazelrah said:
Hi and congrats on the good deal on the new hen house. The only suggestion I have is to look into building pop-out nest boxes in order to maximize the inside space for your birds. I can't comment on the best type door, we just used a house door with a handle. Tacky but it works and was free lol.
Click to expand...
Second the above. Pop-out nest boxes (if properly secured and insulated) will save you space. And while I followed the 4 square foot per bird rule for the coop, I wish I had 8.

I can't advise you on what door will be best to you, but I also converted a shed (though mine was junk yours looks square and nice) and the door was the hardest part, I think dh still has nightmares about getting it up. Our main issue was reverse fitting a door and a frame (which didn't come together and the hinges didn't line up) so that it swung out. I'm really glad I chose to have it swing out rather than in.

Also, the run can get expensive fast. If you're using wood, pressure treated wood isn't cheap. It sounds like you're going to cover the run also, as you talk about the slope? I covered mine and am SO glad I did (I'm in there with them several hours each day, rain or shine) but it ended up being more expensive than I had initially planned. Craigslist can be your friend, but plywood and pressure treated wood (and hardware cloth that you already mentioned you had) are things you just aren't likely to find, and they are all expensive. Best of luck though, have fun!
 
Thank for the suggestions!

I haven't done anything with the shed yet, but I did pick up some free old paneling to use over the insulation on the inside of the shed. I also picked up two free shed doors. I will only need one, and will have to cute it down a few inches. I actually think I am going to cut in in half to make a dutch style door. Not sure what I am going to do with the other door. I thought about using it as the run door, but it seems a bit to heavy for that.




I really need to start working on it though, as now I am up to 9 chickens. (I got rid of one rooster, and picked up two pullets. I still have a roo and pullet/roo? that I need to get rid of.)

For the run I plan to get treated wood just for the bottom boards, and will cover those boards with untreated. I am going to use deck sealer on the untreated wood. (I picked up a gallon for $5.)

So far I have spent $5 in the deck sealer, $20 in the hardware cloth, and about $10 in gas picking up free stuff.

I am planning on covering the run. I can get some free tin roofing from my folks, or I might just suck it up and buy some plastic roofing (will cost me about $60 if I do.)
 
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I am still working on this. I refuse to work in high heat, so I didn't do much up until the last couple weeks. I made a dutch door out of one of those shed doors. I made a pop door and put in 3 ventilation windows. I insulated the ceiling and two walls. One wall is mostly door, so I didn't insulate that, and the other wall that I didn't insulate is where the run will be, and I plan on wrapping the run in plastic in the winter, so the girls will have more space and stay a bit warmer. (It gets VERY cold here, so hoping this helps a bit.) I got used paneling and used that to cover the insulation on the walls and ceiling. It doesn't look as good as new plywood would have, but it was much cheaper (free), and I like to repurpose things when I can.

My daughters and I started painting yesterday. The inside is almost done, and the outside is started.

My poor chickens have way outgrown their little coop. Only five of them are able to roost on their little roost, three end up spending the night on the coop floor. Their current night time space is 2x4, they aren't going to know what to do with themselves when they get 30 square feet of space all to themselves! Plus the run will be twice as big as their current one. They do get to run around in the yard for a couple hours most evenings, too. I think that helps them not to fight now... but I am guessing once they start laying there might be issues, so finishing their new coop is a priority.
 
Oh goodie, goodie, goodie. This is gonna be good.
hugs.gif
I can't wait to see your progress.
I did an 8x8 shed into a coop earlier this year.... it's still a work in progress.
 
SleepyOwl said:
I am still working on this. I refuse to work in high heat, so I didn't do much up until the last couple weeks. I made a dutch door out of one of those shed doors. I made a pop door and put in 3 ventilation windows. I insulated the ceiling and two walls. One wall is mostly door, so I didn't insulate that, and the other wall that I didn't insulate is where the run will be, and I plan on wrapping the run in plastic in the winter, so the girls will have more space and stay a bit warmer. (It gets VERY cold here, so hoping this helps a bit.) I got used paneling and used that to cover the insulation on the walls and ceiling. It doesn't look as good as new plywood would have, but it was much cheaper (free), and I like to repurpose things when I can.

My daughters and I started painting yesterday. The inside is almost done, and the outside is started.

My poor chickens have way outgrown their little coop. Only five of them are able to roost on their little roost, three end up spending the night on the coop floor. Their current night time space is 2x4, they aren't going to know what to do with themselves when they get 30 square feet of space all to themselves! Plus the run will be twice as big as their current one. They do get to run around in the yard for a couple hours most evenings, too. I think that helps them not to fight now... but I am guessing once they start laying there might be issues, so finishing their new coop is a priority.
Click to expand...

Ahhhh!!! Where are the pictures? :) Can't wait to see what progress you've made.
 
Thanks everyone! I was bad and didn't take any progress pictures, but I finally finished the coop! (Well, enough so that the chickens are moving in tonight.)


My husband wasn't super excited about the color, but I like it. I bought two "oopsie" cans of paint, one bright blue and one bright pink. I mixed them and added some white, and came up with the lighter color. The trim is the first two mixed without white added. You can see the blue color that we used inside.

The big door didn't work out square, but the door itself was goofy, and after futzing with it for so long, I finally declared it "good enough". I added extra boards inside around the edge to keep drafts down. It is just a chicken coop after all.
wink.png


I made the windows out of acrylic. They all prop open for ventalation.





My daughters (7, 4 and 2) helped me paint, and the next day they got to add artwork for the chickens to enjoy.

I went back and forth about putting in linolium, but I just didn't want the extra expense. At the last moment I was blessed to find a $5 oopsie can of very high gloss, oil based protective paint. The pink color even matched our color scheme.
thumbsup.gif


Two coats of that and the floor is super slick and should be very easy to clean. I also added it up the walls a bit for protection against the deep litter I plan to use this winter.




My pop door that took way too long, and is very "jerry rigged" but it works well, and we can open it from the outside.



I didn't add any windows to the north wall. I insulated the celing, and the north and west walls. The south wall will have the run over it, and I plan to put platic around it for a greenhouse type effect. The east wall is all door, so I didn't bother.



3 of my girls


 
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Oh, I have already spent at least $100, so I will be over buget by the time I am done with the run. Oh well.
wink.png
 
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