Coop in an old corn crib

Larrickchick

In the Brooder
6 Years
Apr 14, 2013
23
1
24
We just moved to an old farm and I am raising my first batch of chicks who will be layers. There is an old corn crib that was used as a coop by previous owners. My intention was to use it for one as well. I went in to check it out last night and now I'm questioning it. My worries are over the space between the wall slats or boards. If you know what corn cribs look like it's vertically placed boards with over 1/4" of space in between them. I live in Virginia so we don't have frigid winters but still I expect it can get pretty cold and drafty in there. Do you think I can put up some type of paneling on the inside and if I do should I run it the height of the building? It's pretty tall, maybe 12 feet?
Anyone else using a coop like this? I would really like to use what I have so the best case scenario is to make this work but still ensure that my girls are safe and sound!!
 
We have ours in an old corn crib. As long as it is storm and predator proof your chickens should be just fine. Ventilation is very nice when housing chickens- especially in the warm months. As for winter, I live in upstate NY where the winters can get kind of harsh for chickens, I’m not familiar with your weather… but if you experience cold snaps, you might want to consider creating a large doghouse style space in one of the corners where the chickens can go if they want to get out of the drafty winter cold. You could even hang a heat lamp, if needed. I was thinking of doing this in mine… last winter the subfreezing temps were a little too cold and one of my roosters got frost bite on his comb. Otherwise I have found chickens to be surprisingly adaptable to the weather and smart enough to know how to keep themselves comfortable. Hope I was of some help. : )
 

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