2nd coop, but need advice on construction

[ABCFarmkids]

We have a small 15-20 chicken chicken coop we built at the back side of my dad’s shed. Raised off the ground, run enclosed, nestboxes under an enclosed leanto overhang. It worked out really well, but we are expanding the flock (actually getting flock 2.0).

We have an old concrete 20x30 building that was a chicken coop in the 1950s when my relatives lived on the farm. It has been a wood shop since 1980. No insulation, cinder block walls, concrete floor, no ceiling, open through rafters to roof basically! The building has nothing but ventilation it seems but I am still worried about heat and humidity (easily vented with some gable fans).

Our plan is to partition the building down the middle, make a large run for 50 birds or so on one side with nestboxes and a large brooder on the other side. The old building Dad says allowed chickens to roost up in the rafters (poo everywhere it looks like). We are going to fence off the area above the rafters to keep them on their own sides.

Question: We are trying to figure out if we should line the roof and possibly the floor of the rafter space (attic area) with insulation (probably rigid foam) also to help keep heat out in summer and vent or just leave it open. Building has openings under eave space to inside but we will have to probably add gable vents to help regardless. Dad thought it might be a good idea to even put some rigid foam and plywood on the walls to help out a bit more even. Located in central Illinois, so summers are hot and winters can be cold.

My brother and I gutted it completely so now is the right time to do it right if given the opportunity. Just not sure what a large building like that really should be setup for as a layer house.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[DobieLover]

We have a small 15-20 chicken chicken coop we built at the back side of my dad’s shed. Raised off the ground, run enclosed, nestboxes under an enclosed leanto overhang. It worked out really well, but we are expanding the flock (actually getting flock 2.0).

We have an old concrete 20x30 building that was a chicken coop in the 1950s when my relatives lived on the farm. It has been a wood shop since 1980. No insulation, cinder block walls, concrete floor, no ceiling, open through rafters to roof basically! The building has nothing but ventilation it seems but I am still worried about heat and humidity (easily vented with some gable fans).

Our plan is to partition the building down the middle, make a large run for 50 birds or so on one side with nestboxes and a large brooder on the other side. The old building Dad says allowed chickens to roost up in the rafters (poo everywhere it looks like). We are going to fence off the area above the rafters to keep them on their own sides.

Question: We are trying to figure out if we should line the roof and possibly the floor of the rafter space (attic area) with insulation (probably rigid foam) also to help keep heat out in summer and vent or just leave it open. Building has openings under eave space to inside but we will have to probably add gable vents to help regardless. Dad thought it might be a good idea to even put some rigid foam and plywood on the walls to help out a bit more even. Located in central Illinois, so summers are hot and winters can be cold.

My brother and I gutted it completely so now is the right time to do it right if given the opportunity. Just not sure what a large building like that really should be setup for as a layer house.

Thanks for any advice.

I would not add insulation and I would not put in a ceiling. I do agree with covering the rafters, probably with chicken wire, to keep them from flying up there. You don't want chickens flying down off of rafters onto a concrete floor even if it is thickly bedded. That's just too high and a recipe for injured feet.
Can you post pictures of this building?
Are they going to have an outdoor run?

 

[aart]

We have an old concrete 20x30 building that was a chicken coop in the 1950s

Oooo, sounds like an incredible place to start!

Building has openings under eave space to inside but we will have to probably add gable vents to help regardless.

Yes, leave open but cover with HC to keep preds out.
Looking forward to pics of eaves inside and out.
Here's how I did mine.
More pics here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/

Located in central Illinois

Welcome to BYC! @ABCFarmkids
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[ABCFarmkids]

I would not add insulation and I would not put in a ceiling. I do agree with covering the rafters, probably with chicken wire, to keep them from flying up there. You don't want chickens flying down off of rafters onto a concrete floor even if it is thickly bedded. That's just too high and a recipe for injured feet.
Can you post pictures of this building?
Are they going to have an outdoor run?

We will get some pictures. Dad had mentioned that if anything putting some radiant barrier or foil foam on under side of roof might help some in summer. The shed was used a a wood shop for many years and we still have some long rough cut timbers to remove before I can get good picturea.

The old building has a pop door that opened out to a bull pasture and orchard. It got row cropped in the late 90s, so we are working to put it back the way it was, slow process!

 

[aart]

Dad had mentioned that if anything putting some radiant barrier or foil foam on under side of roof might help some in summer

I tried it, doesn't help much in full sun.
Not worth the trouble, IMO.

 

[paintedChix]

OOOO, can't wait to see it as you go along!!

I'm not familiar with building in your type of location, sounds wonderful.



Happy Holidays!

 

[ABCFarmkids]

Been a while, apologies, winter was really fun around here. When it hit, it hit us fast and hard.

We worked on the new “Hen House” off and on all winter and got it finished up last weekend.

We can easily keep about 50 birds in it with an option to expand if needed. We planned long term on maybe housing up to about 90-100 birds.

Roll away nest boxes were built with access from the rear so we could all collect eggs without getting our shoes dirty!

Dimensions ended up being about 10ft wide by about 28ft long. Bedding right now is about 4” of pine shavings but we want to try industrial hemp, so who knows. What will work best in the long run. Concrete floor and netting on/in the rafters to prevent birds from escaping or roosting in rafters (that is how they used to do it back in the 30s and 40s when this building was first built.

We still have to finish the nesting box trays (laying should begin about May/June). We have a long term plan for a Water line fed by some large 30 gallon water drums and a few feeders placed in various places (winter will be planned to be inside more than outside just to be safe). We are converting a corner of the field back to pasture (it was an orchard years ago that held a bull but he is long gone). Still have to do fencing and seeding before they can go out and see the world. We have a little grass area for recreation but I don’t think it will be enough for permanent daily activity. New hole in the roof, so have to get up and patch that this weekend. All part of the fun I guess.

Anyway, here are the pictures we took along the way. Sorry there are a bunch but we tried to keep track as we went along.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
-ABC