Can I use my Utility Room as a Coop?

[Melmom8]

I am a total newbie. I have six 1 week old straight run chicks and I am hoping for at least 3 hens form them.

I am thinking of using a utility room with electric power that opens from the outside of my house. It is maybe 5 x 4 x 11 feet high.
I would have to put in a screen door for ventilation. The outside door would be open so they would get light and air all day but at night I would close the outside door. Is this enough ventilation? The nest boxes would be maybe 3 feet off the ground. The floor is concrete and so would be covered in several inches of pine wood shavings. I was thinking of building a small outside fenced area for exercise.

Is my idea feasible? Would it work with the ventilation and lighting? I live in NC.

I am totally unhandy so dont think I really could build anything.

Opinions welcome!


Gail

 

[SillyChicken]

They generate a huge amount of dust and dander.... and can smell if you don't keep clean.

but it sounds feasable!

Do you have some picts to post, that would help!

 

[greenpeeps]

I've seen coops attached to the house, but I couldn't do it. I love getting my chicks in the sping and we put them on the enclosed back porch. The upkeep due to the smell is to much for me. The chicks go outside as soon as possible. I hate the idea of a stinky house.

 

[Twitchy]

I'd have to agree. We kept our chicks in the utility room until it was warm enough to put them in the coop, and it was none too soon. They can generate an incredible amount of funk in an enclosed area. Thankfully you really can't smell them once they're outside, but keeping the little poop monsters indoors just wasn't an option for us.

 

[elmo]

As long as you don't have too many chickens in that space (three sounds about right to me) and you do regular, daily cleaning out of the poo, I think your plan would work wonderfully. I also think an outside run would make your life easier and your chickens happier, too.

I would try to make some kind of ventilation that can be left open during the night, though. Chickens do produce a lot of moisture in their respiration and are sensitive to bad air quality.

 

[Spinster_Sister]

I used one of my bathrooms as a brooder room for my 2 chicks/pullets and as long as you clean it daily....scrub down and all, it should be fine. One very important note: If you have an air purifier make sure the filters are clean and use it! Those little featherballs really generate a lot of dust!!

 

[nancypo]

You might think about adding a small exhaust fan, to suck out the dust and smell. Or put a tiny box fan in a window, could get a bit stinky... the more air the better...

 

[Neilette]

Birds create a dander or "dust" that can cause serious respiratory disease when inhaled in significant amounts. It's not even advisable to keep a pet budgie in the bedroom. If you were to house the birds inside, it would be important to block off all ventilation from the rest of the house, if only for health reasons.

 

[nancypo]

I do vaccume my chick room a couple of times a week and air it our daily with fresh air. We're all fine so far