Considering part of my house for a coop?? (PIX ADDED NOW)

[Hobbit Hole]

Hi everyone,
Glad I found this forum! We are considering locations for a coop for maybe 6 to 8 hens (no roosters). We are in the northeast with very cold winters. Our house is of the "big house, little house, back house, barn" variety -- the old connected farm houses of New England. The "barn" part of the house has the master bedroom on the second floor, and the very back part of the 1st floor is unheated utility space (maybe 10' x 15'). I am considering finishing the utility room with plywood, linoleum, etc on all sides and cutting in windows and vents, and a chicken door to an outside run. This is the north and west corner of the house.

On that part of the house, the master bedroom has a skylight on the roof on the west side, and a double hung window on the north side that is sealed off with a window air conditioner in the summer. That part of the house is really tall, too.

So is this a bad idea? If I sealed the ceiling and walls up tight, and put in adequate venting to the outside might the smell still permeate up to the bedroom?

Any thoughts on having a coop inside a house would be so appreciated!!

Thanks,
Amy

ETA: I added pix to one of my posts below if that helps

 

[sara]

Someone on here has a coop in their garage I believe. For the life of me I can't think who. It's in a north eastern state I think.

 

[ravenfeathers]

i'm of two minds on this question. firstly, i'm willing to bet that in the warm summer months, no amount of sealing and ventilation is going to keep the waft of chicken out of your master bedroom. if it was under an unused or seldom used part of your house, that would be different. you've also got to consider things like flies. in a good husbandry program, your fly problem will be minimal, but do you want even a minimal fly problem right under your bedroom?

conversely, i happen to have a friend who built her house especially so that she could keep her two horses and two pet sheep on the lower level, with the upper level for herself. she loves it, especially in winter at chore time, and i've never heard her make any complaints.

much as i love my own critters, i don't think i'd want to live above or below them. maybe just a little to one side.

 

[Solsken Farm]

I asked the same question a week or two ago. I ultimately decided against it, but here's the thread. (Depending on what this winter is like, how successful my hatch is, and how many chickens we end up with, I might do this next year...)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=63132

Good luck, Welcome and keep us posted. Or ask more questions.

 

[raven880]

I have had my exotic bird room in my lower level (walkout basement where family room and kennel is) for about 18 yrs. Exotic birds poop doesn't smell so it wasn't an issue. I got my first chickens in Feb. and at first, while they were all small and pooping constantly, the smell bothered me. I was told to use a lot of pine wood chips for bedding and that seemed to do the trick. I am currently "babysitting" some extra chickens as well so I have more than I'd planned. There are 7 roos and 7 hens in there along with my parrots and finches. I don't notice the odor upstairs....probably because I smell the dogs more!!! and I do keep deodorizers around from time to time. And I don't find the smell to be a problem in the birdroom unless it's time for me to clean it out. I try to clean out the chips completely every 2 or 3 wks. The main problem is the dust. I mean dust you can plant in all the time. I had this to a degree before the chickens because I have large hair dogs who come in and shake and drop hair and dust all over and parrots do contribute some dust. But I think it's the pine chips that are making it worse but I haven't found a better way to cover the floor and keep the smell down.
I would think that if you have a finished ceiling and walls in the chicken area you would be ok using wood chips.
Here is a photo of my "coop". My birds, the hens especially , love cooling off on the fan even tho the room has a/c. <g>

The young cochins checking out the new Key West and Polish babies

Lucy, the bantam cochin hen, has befriended my Macaw, Major Minor. An odd duo since Major rarely puts up with other birds.

 

[Bossroo]

I see a few problems with pets in your house much less the chickens. Four legged Pets urinate on the floor and that urine seeps into the floor and the smell remains there and often requires the replacement of the floor. When you add wood shavings onto the floor, that will absorb much of that moisture, but not all. Eventually it will seep into the floor material as well as the wall that eventually you will have to replace as the smell will remain there for a very long time. Then too the shavings are great hiding places for all kinds of creepy crawlers (maggots,cockroaches, earwigs, centepeds, sowbugs, termites,fleas, bedbugs, etc.) that not only inhabit the shavings but make their way into your floors and walls. Not CHEEP to exterminate them and replace the damaged floor and walls. The extra dust from the shavings, poop, feathers will eventually cause allergies / asthma to you or others. Then you have the matter of the health department that may not look too kindly of the situation when they get a whiff of the situation... among other things.

 

[Riparian]

Quote:
Are you serious? My four legged pet piddled once on the floor her entire life and that was when she had a bladder infection, she couldnt help it.

chickens cant be trained to control their bowels. its just in their nature.

 

[Solsken Farm]

Quote:
I can see your point of view, but many dogs and cats DO NOT elminate in the house.

In addition, I am guessing you are not from New England. The original poster and myself both live in long, sprawling farmhouses with barns and/or sheds attached. This Big House, Little House Back House Barn style has been in existence for hundereds of years, due to the harshness of the winters in New England. There are many folks that house animals very close to their living quarters and maintained properly, are not the helath hazard one might think. Certainly we are all entitled to our choice of lifestyles.

I for one like living with my pets, although I did opt to keep my chickens in a shed some distance from our Maine house.

 

[ravenfeathers]

Quote:
hm, my four-leggers don't pee on the floor. i think my kids did a time or two in the dark days of diapers, but i guess i won't keep them in the shed.

anyway, this isn't about dogs and cats, which most people do keep in their homes without stench or undue particulate. keeping a flock of chickens inside is quite different to a couple cats so i'm unsure why that comparison was made.

even though i personally wouldn't keep "livestock" in the house, i'm certain it can be done without bringing down the wrath of the health department.

 

[Hobbit Hole]

Quote:
Thanks horsegirl! Your house is beautiful and your horses are adorable, btw