Big metal shed to chicken coop...?

[Pippin quail]

I am new to chicken keeping. I hatched my first 15 chicks 3 weeks ago! All are healthy and GROWING! And surprise, surprise, my husband and I are those people who hatched the chicks and thought we would have plenty of time to build a coop. But with the extreme lumber prices right now my dream wood coop is so far looking like it will cost $2700 not including any insulation or the hardware cloth and run! That's just the lumber for framing, flooring and roofing. Hubby is not going for that....

So we have a couple options. One is buy a plastic Costco shed, still a bit pricey as we would need to add ventilation, windows, insulation, etc and then I don't think it would be quite as big as I'm hoping for. (Most are 8x8 or 7x9) I currently have 15 chicks (about 3-5 I think are going to be roosters based on my amateur feather sexing, so I could be wrong) But of course want to leave room for chicken math!

Our next option is a big metal shed we that was on the property when we bought it... The issues with this are:
1) the floor is rotting out in some places and will need to be ripped out. It's on top of some big steel pipes to keep it off the ground. But I'm trying to figure out if we should try and replace the floor or block off the gap around the edge with wood and hardware cloth and have a dirt floor. I'm hoping to do deep litter so I like the idea of the dirt floor. But wondering thoughts on how the might work in metal and with the raised situation.
2) We live in AB, Canada where it gets cold in the winter. It doesn't usually stay there for long, but we definitely have cold snaps where it gets down to -40°. How would you suggest is the best way to insulate a metal coop? Would I need heat or would adequate insulation and ventilation be enough? Would the roof need insulating as well? I'm not too worried about summer heat as the shed is in a treed/shady area and I also plan on adding windows and a full sliding glass patio door to the side. I'm hoping that will also help heat the coop in the winter when the leaves are gone.

3) The shed is 24x8 feet. So it is definitely big enough for chicken math, separating part of it for feed storage, eventually adding ducks to one side, etc... Lots of options. I'm just wondering, for the time being with what will likely be 12 ish chickens by winter, will a coop that big stay warm enough with that few chickens?
The picture of the shed shows how big it is and it clearly needs a lot of work. It has a few dead mice in it which instantly gives me the heeby jeebies.
And as you can see, my chicks are fast outgrowing their brooder. I made them a temporary outdoor chicken tractor that I bring them out to on nice days. But on rainy days like it has been all week, they all fly out every time I open the brooder and then they explore the room and poop all over the floor Needless to say, we really need to convert or build a coop ASAP.

 

[MissE]

Don't bother with insulation. I am in a similar climate, and ventilation counteracts any insulation you have. Good ventilation when its -40 helps prevent frostbite. They wont need heat in the winter anyway, just a draft free, dry coop.

I can't tell from the picture, but you likely don't have much of an overhang. You can add ventilation up high, but may need to make awnings to keep the wind and rain out.

On the plus side, you have lots of room to work with.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

I can't contribute much to this because I'm in a hot climate where "replace one wall with wire" is the appropriate solution for metal shed conversion, but here is the link to BYC's best article on cold-weather chickeneering.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

 

[Sally PB]

Welcome!

I'm not an expert, so please read whatever articles/threads you can find that are pertinent to your locale. And ask lots of questions. The knowledge here on BYC is vast!

Here's what I think, FWIW.

Use your shed. You have lots of room to work with and grow your flock. (Teensy bit jealous, here.) Take out the rotting floor, and salvage whatever wood you can.

Do you have electricity in the shed, or can you add it? It's helpful in cold weather, to keep their water from freezing.

The big thing you need to do/add is lots of ventilation. Luckily, there is a lot of vertical space. Ammonia rises, and so does their warm breath in the winter. You want the ventilation above the chickens' heads when they are roosting. That will help minimize frostbite possibilities. Figure at least 1 square foot of ventilation per bird, open 24/7/365. (Open meaning covered with hardware cloth to keep out predators.)

Can you put in a ridge vent? Or is there one there? Awnings over openings help keep out direct wind/rain/snow.

 

[WallyG74]

I agree insulation would be a huge waste of money.

 

[Pippin quail]

Don't bother with insulation. I am in a similar climate, and ventilation counteracts any insulation you have. Good ventilation when its -40 helps prevent frostbite. They wont need heat in the winter anyway, just a draft free, dry coop.

I can't tell from the picture, but you likely don't have much of an overhang. You can add ventilation up high, but may need to make awnings to keep the wind and rain out.

On the plus side, you have lots of room to work with.

Oh wow, my husband will be so happy if he doesn't have to worry about insulating. Would you do anything with the inside other than maybe paint with something to protect the metal? It is a bit rusty in some spots, but not too bad. Also we will be cutting out spots for windows and the patio doors, it's just so dark in there. So I guess we would need to put some sort of framing for those...

 

[aart]

So I guess we would need to put some sort of framing for those...

Yes.

AB, Canada

Northern or Central or Southern?
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[RubelliteRose]

I don't think you need to insulate, but depending upon how you install your roosts, you may need something to prevent the chickens from touching the metal wall while sleeping in the winter. A wood plate on the end if attached by a wall, or nothing if the roost is freestanding or far enough away from the wall. Very jealous of the space though We also thought we had plenty of time to build a larger coop and choked at the lumber costs. We ended up refurbishing a wood shed on our property. Hope to finish this weekend, so we can move the 7 week olds out of the house!!

 

[NatJ]

I currently have 15 chicks (about 3-5 I think are going to be roosters based on my amateur feather sexing, so I could be wrong)

Feather sexing does not work on most chickens.

It only works when someone crosses a fast-feathering rooster to slow-feathering hens.
Where did you get the eggs? Did the seller say anything about sexing? If they didn't say, then it's probably not the right kind of cross.

 

[Folly's place]

Your metal shed is a great start, love it! Lots of ventilation, as mentioned, a dirt floor will be fine too. Predator protection! Make sure nobody can dig into it anywhere, and hardware cloth over every opening is essential.
With good ventilation, maybe the roof won't trap moisture, but many metal roofs do best with some kind of insulating board on the underside. Otherwise, it's really difficult to insulate without inviting rodents to colonize the insulated walls. never good if it happens.
Yes, feather sexing is 50% right unless it's planned when choosing the parents of the chicks.
Here we have large openings on the south and east sides of our coop, and add two layers of sheet vinyl over the lower six or seven feet of those areas in winter. Not beautiful, but works great.
Mary