Advice/help requested - 8x8 shed to coop conversion

[aart]

Could I possibly do some sort of solar converter with the heater?

You need to have a substantial solar setup, pretty large panels and storage batteries, to generate/store enough power to run a heater. I don't know the exact details, but have read about it enough.

 

[chickachickayea]

I take warm water out 2x a day, I water in rubber bowls and buckets, no heater required, just some vigorous bashing of ice.

I'd like to do that, but we had a blizzard last winter (1st winter with chickens) and got buried with about 3 ft of snow
I just made a 5 gal bucket waterer with horizontal nipples, that I'll be keeping inside the coop.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We get buried too in snow, multiple time, but I get out there anyways, I grew up on a farm doing farm chores no matter the weather. Thought I just mention it.

 

[Mama Runner]

Runt and Sneezy say it needs an indoor swimming pool
You should put gutters up if your worried about the rain.
I'm jelous I want to eventually build a coop like that.

 

[chickachickayea]

We get buried too in snow, multiple time, but I get out there anyways, I grew up on a farm doing farm chores no matter the weather. Thought I just mention it.

Haha oh you better believe I trudged out there to shovel out a path and around where their water was! I'm pretty sure that is when I took my avatar photo, because they didn't want to step out into the scary white stuff
I am also trying to plan ahead for times when I won't be home, like during holidays to visit family, because I don't like to depend on my fiancée's parents to care for the chickens (although his dad would happily do so).
Thank you for your input!

 

[chickachickayea]

Runt and Sneezy say it needs an indoor swimming pool
You should put gutters up if your worried about the rain.
I'm jelous I want to eventually build a coop like that.

A chicken spa!
I thought about gutters - if I find some cheap, I may do it.
I worked my butt off last year and decided to do something for me and my chickens and I'm really happy that I did it!

 

[chickachickayea]

Okay here's my progress so far...

Might not look like much, but whew! I do feel accomplished. Still have quite a bit to go yet.

Walls are just uprighted for photos and visualization purposes. I may add brace/support bars to them. The nest box still needs finished, that's tomorrow's goal. It fits pretty snugly in the left side partition wall (seen in 2nd pic). Vertical studs will be added when I get to the door.

I underestimate how quickly I can work and how much I can get done in one day This is my first time building anything substantial like this, so I'm trying to take my time to avoid mistakes! But I am honestly pretty pleased with what I have so far

 

[chickachickayea]

Ack I messed up my post!

I got the door underway! It's 2x6, which is juuust me-sized! The door hardware is just there for photos. I am planning on stapling and sandwiching poultry wire between two identical frames. I'm hoping that will be secure enough considering this will be inside closed shed? I need to go back and get more lumber for the other two 6' pieces, and some support bars. I knew I should've bought more than I thought I needed!

I also bought this:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Stanley-Na...n-Door-and-Storm-Door-Hardware-Kit/1000183835
It also has hooks included. Which turned out to be better cost-wise than buying all the individual parts (which would've been about twice the amount) Unless of course I'll have to buy replacement parts because I was trying to be cheap!

I haven't finished the nest box yet because I'm trying to wrap my brain around attaching small pieces to the back of where the accessible opening will be and routing grooves, so it can slide up and latch to the "wall" above, rather than put it on a hinge, to try to save some space. If that makes sense?

I attempted making a "no-waste" feeder today, but the plastic started cracking as I cut so I have to take it slower than I thought. Might try to use the dremel on that. Might continue later on tonight!

Yesterday, my fiancee and his dad set the posts for the run. I don't remember how big it is, but it is HUGE. They joked that now I need to get 5 more hens, for egg selling purposes. I'm trying to work my charm and convince them to add a roof to the run. Nothing crazy, just something simple. You know, for the happiness of the chickens!

 

[PetesChicks]

With it inside your secured shed, chicken wire is fine. Just make sure the outside door is secure.

One other thing, not sure if someone already mentioned it. You're going to want to put a board across the bottom of the wall & door, to help keep their litter in their side. I used a 1x8 for it in my shed coop, it helps a lot.

What kind of feeder were you making? I did mine out of PVC, Home Depot had 3' sections on sale so no cutting was needed.

 

[chickachickayea]

With it inside your secured shed, chicken wire is fine. Just make sure the outside door is secure.

One other thing, not sure if someone already mentioned it. You're going to want to put a board across the bottom of the wall & door, to help keep their litter in their side. I used a 1x8 for it in my shed coop, it helps a lot.

What kind of feeder were you making? I did mine out of PVC, Home Depot had 3' sections on sale so no cutting was needed.

Ah yes, I had thought of that, but forgot to mention it!

I will be locking the outside door once the chickens are all moved in.

I started making a feeder similar to this one (but using a nice compact 29 qt - 12hx17wx13d)

This will be raised up on blocks and kept inside the shed. I like that it's clear so I can see the feed level.

But part of the plastic buckled and cracked when I tried to cut through the first hole. A hole cutter at Lowe's/HD is about $20, and honestly not something I'm willing to pay for knowing I'll most likely use it once. Instead I predrilled "dots" around the traced circle and used a utility knife, but I have a Dremel tool that I think could maybe do the job.