Coop Feedback Please (PICS) - Newbie

[TheBirdHerder]

If anyone could put an experienced eye to our plans and pictures, I'd greatly appreciate being rerouted if we're about to take some missteps.

We're converting our 8x12 garden shed into a coop for my 8 chick(en)s. We're insulating and getting ready to cover the inside over with OSB. I've gone back and forth on putting a window in for air flow but decided against it 1) because I'm hoping we will have enough airflow and 2) because we're not wizards at the carpentry aspect (yet). If this is a bad decision, there's still time at this point to reverse course.

The south wall is to the left in the pictures. The chicken run/door will be off that side. There are 2 skylights (sealed) that give lots of light in the south part of the roof. There is a power vent fan in the roof on the north side (hopefully to be solar powered in the next year or two but now powered with regular AC).

The back 8x8 of the shed will be for the chickens. The front 4 feet will be sectioned off with a wall & door that will be covered with poultry wire or hardware cloth. The front doors to the shed can be kept open when needed. We have a gable vent or similar to put in one of the front doors so air can be pulled through when the doors are closed.

The back (west) wall would be the easiest to put a window or another vent in but that wall will take the brunt of both the sun/heat load in the summer afternoons and cold wind in the winter, so I'm wanting to have that fully insulated and sealed.

Please let me know what you think.

Cayce
Kalamazoo, MI

 

[hcammack]

looks great my chickens live in a much less luxuriouse chicken tractor I love you coop I am sure if they saw this picture they would want to come live with you

.

Henry

 

[paisleycj]

Since you can leave the doors open safely, and you have the roof vents, you should be fine. If the chickens start panting in the heat, maybe a fan near the door would help. You may need a light in there to brighten it up for laying hens. Looks like a fine coop!

 

[rdranch]

Looks like a great start to a great coop! I wish I had a shed like that for all my garden stuff. Definately put in a gable vent and if you can give them a good sized pop door to the run to allow air in from the foor level.

You have electricity so putting in a light is a must not to mention power for a heater for water in the winter or maybe a radio, for you and the chickens.

Seeing that you are insulating put up a vapor barrier before you put on the OSB. It will keep things proper. You should not need a heat lamp in winter since you are insulating. Here in eastern Colorado our are in a metal barn that is draft free and they did just fine with below zero temps.

I would suggest that you put a droppings board under the roost to cut down on the mess, also it makes it easier to clean and compost the manure.

The larger the run the better. Depending on your predator situation cover the top if you can with poultry netting and make the sides strong and deep using hardware cloth and sturdy wood. The more you over engineer it now the easier things will be in the future. Give it all you got!!! Looks great!!!!

 

[TheBirdHerder]

Thank you, everyone, for the feedback! I had read something about a vapor barrier and then forgot about it. I'll get back on track with that.

We do have plenty of predators in the area. Not sure how many will venture in but I will assume they will.

I've not gotten it real clear in my head exactly how you bury the hardware cloth or poultry wire into the ground. I know you're supposed to kind of wrap it under, toward the run. But do you lay this in before you have it attached to framing? And how much of a trench do I have to dig to accomplish this?

I had originally planned on a chicken tractor ... but then got more chicks than I thought I would. I still want to get them on fresh grass regularly and don't feel safe free ranging them. And I understand they will completely "ungrass" their ground in the attached run. So now I'm trying to design something like a jetway from the run that will be attached to the shed to another run that I can move around the yard. That one won't be able to be as secure, but won't be in use year-round, either.

Cayce