Converting horse stall to chicken coop

[KcAdair]

I have a decent size newer barn with an attached garage. I currently have miniature goats in one stall and want to use the adjacent stall for a chicken coop. I plan on using hardware cloth to cover barn stall bars and to enclose the top of the stall since the barn is pitched. I plan to use hardware cloth also in the ground on the outside walls to make it so nothing can dig in. The barn is locked up and secure at dusk as the goats come
In and I will bring the chickens in. I also use pest deterrent on the property around the barn. I do have a barn cat but he won’t be able to get into the area where the horse stalls are located. He will be in the garage area.

what do I need to ensure I do? Any suggestions for a Dutch door that I currently have that leads out to an common area the chicks will share with the goats? I’m not sure how to tighten up the small gaps in the door.

Don’t mind the ladder. I also plan on putting down pallets as it is a dirt floor... I plan on hanging the feeder and waterer any other thoughts?

 

[sloanbychoice]

I think it sounds like you're on the right track.

 

[3KillerBs]

I also plan on putting down pallets as it is a dirt floor.

Your plans look good. I presume that since you already have goats that the barn is already very well ventilated? (Chickens need 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation per adult, standard-sized hen).

I wouldn't put pallets down though. It would just give mice and rats a place to live and make it difficult to clean. Chickens do fine on a dirt floor as long as it's dry.

I like the Deep Bedding method so much that I wrote an article about it.

 

[aart]

I also use pest deterrent on the property around the barn.

What exactly does this mean?

chicks will share with the goats?

You're going to want to make sure that the goats cannot get at the chicken feed.
They will gorge on it and it can make them very sick.

 

[blackdog043]

You're going to want to make sure that the goats cannot get at the chicken feed.
They will gorge on it and it can make them very sick.

X2

We officially moved back to PA from NC in Dec, we started in Sept. I've been on here a lot less, not much free time yet. I retired early when we moved and thought I would have free time Not on a 25 acre farm that's been neglected, except for the house. I haven't even officially posted on here yet, that I moved from NC, or posted new coop pics, since I still didn't take any. I finally changed my location on here yesterday though! I'll get pics soon everybody and post them!

Anyway, I did the same thing in a barn. I made rafters above the stall 22 inches apart and attached hardware cloth to them. I made them 22, so I could overlap the HWC and screw it down. For the stall bars, I added a 2 x 4 along the bottoms so I could use 2 Ft HWC. The stall bars were just over 2 Ft high. I attached the HWC to the top wood and the 2 x 4's along the bottom with screws. I didn't do anything about the door gap on the floor, it's smaller than an inch. If yours is bigger, you could attach a piece of thin wood trim on the inside to make it smaller or adjust the door lower.

I left the chicken stall dirt and doing deep litter. I made anti dig aprons like your going to do in the stalls on either side. One is still empty and the other has 2 Nigerian Dwarf Goats. The goat stall floor is covered with Rubber matting and pine shavings on top.

Feeders and waterers for chickens: If the goats can get to where the chicken feed and water is, I would suggest buying or making DIY No waste chicken feeders with 90 degree elbows and making horizontal nipple waterers, your chicken water will stay much cleaner. The goats like to jump on top of everything they can or try to and goats can't get there mouth inside the no waste feeder. I have pics of the waterers and feeders when I used them in NC, so you can see what I'm talking about, if you haven't seen them before.

Links for no waste feeder and heated horizontal nipple waterer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...lon-25-feed-bucket-feeder-for-about-3.834227/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ock-tank-deicer-and-horizontal-nipples.74609/

 

[aart]

I've been on here a lot less, not much free time yet. I retired early when we moved and thought I would have free time Not on a 25 acre farm that's been neglected, except for the house. I haven't even officially posted on here yet, that I moved from NC, or posted new coop pics, since I still didn't take any. I finally changed my location on here yesterday though! I'll get pics soon everybody and post them!

I wondered where you'd been!
Congrats on the retirement, can wait to see your new coop build thread/article.

 

[blackdog043]

I wondered where you'd been!
Congrats on the retirement, can wait to see your new coop build thread/article.

Thank you, it's been great! I don't miss driving a semi at all, doing local p/u & del.
I could write short article on converting a horse stall, not really a coop build, since all I did was add HWC, but It might give others ideas on what to do.

@KcAdair Here's some pics, of what I did to convert a stall. If you have any questions let me know! I made the rafters the same height as the top of the stall, so it would be easier. This left openings at the top of both doors, you should be able to see how I put the wire up, to cover the openings that were left above the top.

The run is under the overhang. Yes that's a cemetery to the right of the barn. We have 2 on the property, they both date back to the 1700's.








Six new chicks added to the six we had.




2 x 4's added to the bottom, so I could run 24" HWC horizontal.


HWC, to close the opening above the inside sliding door.


HWC attached to the outside door, so nothing can come in from the top.






HWC attached to the sliding door. I joined the seam together
with wire, for a cleaner look.




Yes, we have a rabbit in the mix also. It has it's own feed area,
but it drinks from the horizontal nipple waterers.


The Nigerian Dwarf goat stall. There about 14 weeks old.