I'm contemplating adding a wall to my shed and having the back 4' as a chicken coop The shed is 10' wide so there will be enough room for the 4-6 hens we're planning on getting in the spring. I'm a little worried about it because I store my lawnmower and tiller in there as well. I have windows and will be adding some ventilation in the roof if we decide to go down that route but I'm still concerned about any fuel vapors coming off the other equipment in there. What do you think?
If you just store the tiller and mowers in a divided part of the shed, I don't see a problem. I stored field tractor, bobcat, garden tractor, tiller, mower, and gas cans in the same shed as my chickens - separated only by wire and (in winter) plastic. There were no problems at all. What you're discussing is blocking off the chickens and adding separate window and ventilation. That is nearly like having them in a different building (like a garage attached to a house). Now, if you were running/repairing these machines day after day. . . . Love, Linn B (aka Smart Red) Gardening zone 5a - 4b in south-est, central-est Wisconsin
There will be a wall seperating them covered with chicken wire. I figured I was going to be okay and neither the tiller or lawnmower will run inside the shed except maybe a few minutes to park the tiller in there.
I would not be concerned at all, but you can always add some more ventilation to the shed part too. The chickens will create a lot of dust. You might find a pretty good layer of dust on your equipment. You might consider throwing a plastic cover over the equipment to keep the dust off the motors. And check your air filters often.
