Converting Tree fort to chicken coop...

[logansgranny]

Please don't laugh me off of the forum! We are backyard chicken farmers ... I have gone from 3 chickens to 11...and I LOVE my girls! (Just in case you wonder, 4 barred rocks, 3 easter eggers, 1 cherry egger, 2 wellsummers, 1 black australorp) Initially my husband took the space under our tree fort, and used it for the chicken run, with a cute little red barn type chicken house to sleep in/lay in. As I introduced more chickens over the years, he added on a run so the girls have plenty of room. Well, the tree fort isn't being used, so we are thinking about converting the actual tree fort )about 5 feet off the ground, into their new home...with roosting bars upstairs as well as downstairs and removing the little red house. We will of course enclose it well. As for their entrance, I was thinking of a hole in the floor with a ladder. I know they will climb the ladder to get into the house, but will they walk down, or will they fly? First question...will this be too high? Second...your thoughts on the entrance.

 

[cavemanrich]

I give you the GREEN LITE to go ahead with your project. I repurpose things all the time. As to the height question, here is my suggestion. Make the area below into 2 level landing pads. EXPLANATION.. Chickens walk or jump 2 feet or so to first level, then they proceed to next level. This way they are not dropping down if they decide to fly down an unfavorable height. This multilevel approach actually adds to chicken run space area.
Ask anything else you are not sure of.. WISHING YOU BEST..

 

[sirrobyn0]

I agree with cavemanrich's suggestions, and I will also say a huge GREEN LIGHT from me. So let me tell you about my coop since it was repurposed. My original coop was a small narrow building that used repurposed pallets for walls. Honestly it was an awful coop to clean out because it was to narrow to turn a full length shovel around in and it was to low to stand up in. It had a flat roof and I had to chase leaks in it constantly, but the chickens didn't seem to care. we used it for several years, before I added onto it, width wise in one area, but eventually the flock out grew it.

Many years ago before I had birds I had pigs. We had an old pig building that had been unused for many years so I converted that into a chicken coop. The fences were long gone, so I had to entirely build an outdoor run. I cut a hole in one wall so I could add nesting boxes in, and I enclosed another previously open wall, and built a human door into that. Next I built the chicken door into the new run, and cut another opening for an other human door. Finally the roof had been leaking for a few years, so I tore that off replaced several sheets of rotted out plywood and then reroofed it. I left the existing concrete floor as is, other than to cut off a couple metal brackets that had been used to hold pig troughs in place. Yes it was quite a project for me, but it was less work, and cheaper than it had been had I decided to build something new from scratch.

And then I repurposed newer wider part of the old pallet building into feed storage. The older narrower part I haven't been using because it is so narrow, and when I get around to it I'll tear that portion down. So, I definitely vote for repurposing the tree house!

 

[User395221]

but will they walk down, or will they fly? First question...will this be too high? Second...your thoughts on the entrance.

My big girls live in a child's cubby house that is maybe 3-4 feet to the verandah. There are stairs and they do go up them. When they first moved in, I built them a ramp , but they use the people stairs (which are quite steep). I'm not really sure how they get down - I think they jump. As Cavemanrich said, if they've got landings, they'll jump down.

How will you get up there to clean and fetch eggs and that?

 

[logansgranny]

My big girls live in a child's cubby house that is maybe 3-4 feet to the verandah. There are stairs and they do go up them. When they first moved in, I built them a ramp , but they use the people stairs (which are quite steep). I'm not really sure how they get down - I think they jump. As Cavemanrich said, if they've got landings, they'll jump down.

How will you get up there to clean and fetch eggs and that?

 

[logansgranny]

We have a substantial and well built people ladder to get into the area, and I think we will do a trap door so that I can drop the shavings/poop out, and then easily clean up from below. This is all theory, nothing is in place. I agree with you, they will probably just fly down to the ground. Thanks for your reply!

 

[logansgranny]

I give you the GREEN LITE to go ahead with your project. I repurpose things all the time. As to the height question, here is my suggestion. Make the area below into 2 level landing pads. EXPLANATION.. Chickens walk or jump 2 feet or so to first level, then they proceed to next level. This way they are not dropping down if they decide to fly down an unfavorable height. This multilevel approach actually adds to chicken run space area.
Ask anything else you are not sure of.. WISHING YOU BEST..

 

[logansgranny]

I like your idea of a landing! My daughter has an amazing chicken house that my husband built for her, the ceiling is about 12 feet high, with open rafters. Roosting bars installed 3-4 feet off the ground. Guess where the hens roost at night? Yep! BUT, sometimes her girls get bumble feet, which she believes is caused by jumping on hard ground...a thick layer of shavings on the ground seems to have cured the problem. It appears that the girls will find a way, and not necessarily what we plan for them!

 

[User395221]

I It appears that the girls will find a way, and not necessarily what we plan for them!

Absolutely, they'll probably end up using your people ladder and you'll have to dodge them when you're trying to use it, the way I do on my 3 steps up to my coop.

 

[aart]

You know how they say location, location, location for retail success?
With chickens, for me, it's access, access, access!!
I would not want to have to climb a ladder to get to the coop to feed, water, grab birds off the roost at night for exams, or gather eggs.
What is your climate/location...do you have snow?

How big is the tree fort?
Just because it's already there, does not mean it would be the best coop.
Might it be better to disassemble the fort and use the materials to build comfy, roomy, walk in coop on the ground next to your run?
Don't get rid of that tiny coop, keep it for an isolation, broody, grow-out coop.