Chicken Coop / Sheds For Canadian Winter

[Countrymanfowl]

OP said "I currently have a plastic DIY shed that is 10' by 12'." in post 1.

Later in post 7+ he says two sheds, probably the same size?

Sorry yes I do have two sheds of the same size. Only one has been used for a coop and the other is used for storage. I took the pictures of the second because it is not insulated.

 

[Countrymanfowl]

Hmmm...just tossing out some ideas that may be too crazy to work but then again....

I'd remove the inside tarps. Plastic is easy to clean. Then for cold weather I'd buy a bunch of straw bales and pile them up against the outside of the coop. This will create an insulating wind break, act as support against winds, and come spring you have garden mulch. Fresh bales each year might be needed, not sure.
The roof. Hmmm. Strap it down with ratchet type straps? Maybe attach plywood covering it and long enough to create a protective overhang? Cut holes at the very top of the walls and cover thouroughly with hardware cloth for ventilation? Replace the whole thing with a wood one that includes ventilation and protective overhang?
Good luck!

On to another point of discussion for you...did you say 50 chickens? Is this coop 200sqft or basically 10X20?
50 birds will need that for the 4sqft/bird minimum indoors area not including nesting area. Nests can be hung on the wall about 18 inches above the floor to maximize floor space.
And your run (even if you free range them you might need to use a run for emergencies) needs to be 10sqft/bird so 500sqft for your 50, basically 10X50.
These dimensions are the minimums. Crowding will cause fighting, injuries, death, and often cannibalism.
Maybe hire some boy scouts looking to earn their Eagle badge to help build. There are loads of excellent information on here about the best ways to set up a good coop. Pallets can be used for the framing and they are often free.
Good luck!

When you say remove the tarps you mean the insulation too? And then just place straw bales around it as insulation? How would I keep them from falling over?


And currently the coop is 10' by 12'. I realize I can't house 50 large birds in this coop. I am currently in talks of having a larger coop built. Maybe not for 50. But 20-40 depending on how much I can afford for an actual coop to be built. I'm looking at 10' by 16' at the moment.

 

[Countrymanfowl]

@Cryss those "tarps" are insulation panels. Agree should go!

Would you agree with the straw bale idea? As a replacement for the tarps?

 

[Countrymanfowl]

And the whole idea of raising the roof, with the way the shed is built would seem to be impossible to do. At least in my hands.

 

[Alaskan]

Nice catch! Together that could work really well! Maybe side by side, lift the facing roof panels to form one roof, and fill in the space by covering with hardware cloth for ventilation of both coops.
I'm betting everyone has more good ideas for this.

I think insulation in a coop is great....

Especially insulation in the roof, since that helps to keep the warmth in.

However.... it isn't clear to me how you would ventilate that coop....

The only thought that comes to mind.. build a porch onto the coop. Make the porch have a roof, two side walls, and have the front of the porch all strong hardware cloth. Keep the plastic coop fully open to the porch at all times, make sure the porch is securely attached and predator proof.

That would give you the ventilation that you need, plus a little extra room.

 

[Countrymanfowl]

I think insulation in a coop is great....

Especially insulation in the roof, since that helps to keep the warmth in.

However.... it isn't clear to me how you would ventilate that coop....

The only thought that comes to mind.. build a porch onto the coop. Make the porch have a roof, two side walls, and have the front of the porch all strong hardware cloth. Keep the plastic coop fully open to the porch at all times, make sure the porch is securely attached and predator proof.

That would give you the ventilation that you need, plus a little extra room.

Yeah I have no idea how I would ventilate what I have now either. That porch idea is interesting though. I would assume I would have to still insulate the shed itself though. Somehow.

 

[Alaskan]

Yeah I have no idea how I would ventilate what I have now either. That porch idea is interesting though. I would assume I would have to still insulate the shed itself though. Somehow.

What are your extended lows?

 

[Countrymanfowl]

What are your extended lows?

Extended lows? You mean weather?

 

[Alaskan]

Extended lows? You mean weather?

Yep, weather.

But not the short dips to super cold... but the normal lows over a week.

 

[Countrymanfowl]

Yep, weather.

But not the short dips to super cold... but the normal lows over a week.

Yep, weather.

But not the short dips to super cold... but the normal lows over a week.

Maybe -15C? Give or take.