I'm quite eager to keep a few chickens, and we have an old wooden playhouse that I'm thinking about converting to a coop. Some questions that have come up:
I will need to convert it back if the chickens don't work out or when we move at some point. Will the playhouse even be usable for anything but coop after keeping chickens in it, or will the smell linger on regardless of how I clean it? There will be 3 birds, floor area is 30 sq.ft.
The floor is wood, and only a few inches off the ground. I'm considering laying garden tiles on top, and then wood shavings. This is mainly to keep droppings from seeping into the wood floor which I imagine is difficult to scrub out completely. The tiles I can just take out and wash. Alternatively, buy or build trays to cover the whole floor and fill them with litter. Third option is to build a raised floor, but that's a bit more work and cost.
Nest box: My current plan is to hang a box outside one of the 3 existing windows. I'm guessing North facing is better than West fading to avoid cooking the eggs in the afternoon sun? I'm close to Vancouver BC, where winters and summers are fairly mild, but the yard is sheltered and August can get quite hot.
Winters: Even if I close off windows, the siding is old cedar shingles with lots of little gaps. Could it get too cold in winter?
I will need to convert it back if the chickens don't work out or when we move at some point. Will the playhouse even be usable for anything but coop after keeping chickens in it, or will the smell linger on regardless of how I clean it? There will be 3 birds, floor area is 30 sq.ft.
The floor is wood, and only a few inches off the ground. I'm considering laying garden tiles on top, and then wood shavings. This is mainly to keep droppings from seeping into the wood floor which I imagine is difficult to scrub out completely. The tiles I can just take out and wash. Alternatively, buy or build trays to cover the whole floor and fill them with litter. Third option is to build a raised floor, but that's a bit more work and cost.
Nest box: My current plan is to hang a box outside one of the 3 existing windows. I'm guessing North facing is better than West fading to avoid cooking the eggs in the afternoon sun? I'm close to Vancouver BC, where winters and summers are fairly mild, but the yard is sheltered and August can get quite hot.
Winters: Even if I close off windows, the siding is old cedar shingles with lots of little gaps. Could it get too cold in winter?
