coop assistance needed

[hipmarye]

We don't have a fancy coop like some of the ones I've seen on this site. I'm not handy with tools and my DH doesn't have much free time. We are living in a rental house and so we have just tried to make due with what we have on hand. Right now we have 3 big girls that are around 6-7 month and 7 little girls that are all about a month or so.
Anyway I'm posting these pictures for y'all to get an idea of our set up and offer some suggestions for adding the little girls and dealing with the winter months.

This first picture is a view from the out side of the shed. As you can see there is about a 5 foot opening/door. I think the door is on the west side.

If your looking inside the door you can see the coop.
It is basically a wire mesh box.

Here is a shot taken from the inside of the shed. There is a "tunnel" leading outside and a "hatch" so that we can access the nesting boxes.

As you can see there is space on all sides of the coop. The shed is cheap ply-board and had dry rot around the ground. The roof is tin and there is a 3-4 inch opening between the wall and roof.

We are thinking we need to:
1) insulate the walls,
2)patch the dry rot and
3)maybe hang a tarp over the opening to keep the wind out.

Any opinions and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[McGoo]

hipmarye,
Your coop looks good. My DH is building us a new coop (actually for the chooks

) and if he wasn't, I'd be in big trouble 'cause I wouldn't know where to start.

We're using 2 inch thick styrofoam and then covering it so they don't peck at it....and they will if we don't.

As for the door to keep in the heat in wintertime, I'm sure others will offer advice, but what about those flaps that they use at the feed store.... the heavy plastic strips (they overlap a bit). I am thinking about training my gals to use them. If I put up one little strip each week and then overlap them I think it might do the trick. If chickens can be trained to do obstacle courses, then I think the plastic flap could work. I'll keep you posted later in the fall.

Colleen

 

[AtRendeAcres]

I have my 7 week old, 1 & 3 week old in the coop with my 4 - 5 month old ((who just started laying))

I don't know if you can do that but, it is good if they get used to each other without touching (and you know you can put them together until they are the same size)
This is my home-school project run a muck!

It is really hard to tell from pictures but here are a few tips that might help!

Straw is cheaper then hay & it is great insulation! ((just stack them in-front of your opening to make it smaller & then hang tarp))

The gap that is by the roof - Is there any way you can get bales of straw up there? (later you can use for litter)


free pallets stuffed with straw (against walls or on cielings)

(at home depot they have thick black boards for insulation $8 - I am going to get one and nail it up outside on my north wall)

also black roofing paper cuts wind (you can just staple it up on walls)

 

[jkm]

looks a alot better than mine!!!!
am jealous!!!! great coop, wish I had it... enjoy the space!!!!
really is great!!!!
if you have racoons, put smaller mesh up.
cover run if it rains!
home depot has some plastic, semi hard stuff that is green that works well.
straw covered with pine shavings works well in run for flooring after the top is covered. .
my girls move under it , we had bad storms all week, the straw is just keeping them dry,,,,
straw bales stacked on the wind side of the run work great, as does tarp.

cheers from oregon the sopping wet