Clemente Coop: Currently under construction.

[x1lclem]

Converting a shed into a coop. Looking for feedback/pointers/advice.

It's an 8x8 shed,that was pretty rotted on the bottom. My cousin helped me build a new floor and move the shed up onto it.

We cut away the side and put a nesting box on, as you can see.

I've still got some cleanup items to do.

1. Replace the bottom siding which as you can see, is rotted.
2. Add a ramp.
3. Add electricity.
4. Add chicken wire to the bottom to keep larger animals out.


I'm hoping this 8x8 shed will be big enough to hold the 12 hens and 6 ducks I now have in a brooder inside the house.

 

[TundraRose]

I like the flip up nesting box. Need to add one to my coop. Love that you are rehabbing an old building.

 

[jetdog]

Add something more heavy duty rather than chicken wire, any predators can rip through it like butter, hardware cloth or a welded wire would be your best bet, looks good so far fun to see the progress.

 

[x1lclem]

the wire on the bottom would be more to prevent critters from living under there than trying to get in. Although it's open on all four sides..... maybe I don't need to worry about that...

 

[x1lclem]

Been a few weeks, and I had to work well after dark yesterday, but the major construction pieces are done.

It kinda looks like a chicken coop now.

Things left to do:

1. Hook up the outlets inside. (It's wired!)
2. Make some roosting structures inside and partition the nesting box into sections.
3. Paint the sucker. (will be hard, free time for this project is difficult to find).


Questions: Should I paint the floor? It's OSB wood. I'm gong to use the deep litter method, and I've got no clue.

The chicks/ducks are around 4-6 weeks old now. The ducks are huge, and the chicks are looking like miniature chickens.

Another week or two and out they'll go. Here's video:

 

[jetdog]

Wow big difference looks great, I would definitely paint the floor with something a couple good of coats of paint or I've heard alot about blackjack #57 roof coating, with the ducks their is bound to be an abundance of water.

 

[x1lclem]

More photos, (including a before shot) and a video of the counter-weight system I built for the lid of the nesting box. (the lid turned out to be quite heavy, and my 6 year old could not lift it up).

All it needs now is paint and birds.

I'm thinking red. Sadly, it's supposed to rain most of this week. By the time the birds are too big to be inside the house, (the brooder is pretty ripe, i have to clean it daily), It may not be painted.

Is it bad for the birds if we paint the coop while they're inside?

 

[LaurelC]

You should be fine painting the outside if they're inside the coop. One thing you may want to address is putting something robust around the electrical wiring. Hens love to peck at things, and combined with bedding, that wiring could set the coop on fire.

 

[x1lclem]

Phew. Finally got the floor painted, put some pine chips down, and got some straw for the nesting boxes.

I will be keeping the heat lamp in there for a couple weeks because I'm paranoid about the cold. (It might get into the 30's tonight..... stupid polar vortex.....)

I'll have the wife paint the outside when we get a free weekend, (so maybe never. But hey, we can dream....)

I'll also keep them locked up in there for about a week so their internal compass knows that this is now home base. So about a week from now, I should have a busy lawn.

Which reminds me.... I have to find time to dust off the lawnmower and start it up.

 

[jetdog]

Looks great congratulations, make sure the heat lamp is screwed or double secured, your girls could knock it over when they start flapping around and start a fire in the shavings, after all the work you put in it it would be a shame to lose it all over something so easy to secure.