Coop Reconstruction All suggestions and help welcome (IMAGE HEAVY)

[Sweetened]

*NEW* Update page 9 - #87
Update on page 8 -- #72
Update on Page 4

I braved the cold weather this morning, as plague ridden as I am, to take pictures of the coop that's been left to fall apart on the acreage we just moved to. I plan on having this coop ready to go for early spring, so I need all the advice and help I can get! Here are the Before pictures before we continue.

This is the back-side exterior of the coop.

Front side exterior

This is the view from the door that can be seen in picture number one. What a mess!

Back area from the picture above that's hidden in shadow. I'm still not quire sure what this was for. It has an additional concrete footing and the remains of whatever bedding they have is about 4 inches higher than the rest of the bedding in the coop. The wood 'rafter'-type thing... any idea what this was?

This is to the left of the above picture. Looks like an old feed chute perhaps, but there's no link to the outside.

This is 2 of the 3 sets of roosts/nesting boxes that are still there. DH says a little cleaning and these could be kept. He's as inexperienced as I am, however I'm not certain I'm interested in keeping these around...

Last set of roosting/nesting boxes and the window as seen in picture number two.

Here's what I'd like to do:
I would like to split this coop in 2 at the raised foundation that is seen in picture four. The purpose of the split would be to have a smaller section for broiler birds and a larger one for laying hens. I would like to keep them seperated for 2 reasons: so I can keep a rooster with them to produce our own feathered friends as well as to keep them pure bred, as I'm interested in raising a birds listed on Rare Breeds Canada.

Also, I plan to fence off a series of 4 runs around the coop due to the high number of coyotes in the area. I will be electrifying the fence as well as adding some additional shrubs and small garden in each one for additional grazing.

Here's what I have on my Must-be-done-before-you-can-put-chickens-in-there list (in relative order):

1. Remove all debris laying about including ceiling board, insulation (spelling, sorry) and any left over wiring from the electrical that has been removed from the premesis (long ago)
2. Remove dirt and bedding down to base of footing -- compost
3. Remove roosts and nest boxes, followed by any wall paneling that has water damage. Remove all insulation.
4. Replace and tin roof, ensure it is water tight and replace any framing beams that have been damaged beyond restoration.
5. Sanitize all remaining wood and footings -- allow to dry.
6. Replace insulation in walls, cover and seal (depending on material used, any suggestions?) Determine if ceiling will be flat or peaked... again, suggestions? Pros/cons?
***EDIT 6b. Install Ventilation
7. Build wall to divide coop.
8. Cut out and install windows in new side. Install entry door.
9. Install nesting boxes and roosts.
10. Hang waterers
11. Build/install feeder(s)
12. Place Plexiglass or re-claimed glass into existing windows. Seal.
13. Replace existing door with (preferably) reclaimed steel door.
14. Lay down layer of straw followed by sand, followed by straw, etc. ending with thick layer of sand.
15. Paint exterior.
16. Install fencing with electrified perimeter -- see if you get get reclaimed fences
17. Add chickens!

I'm new to all this, and I just know I've got to have missed some very obvious and extremely important step along the way.

I look forward to everyones suggestions and will try to get back to anyone who contributes! Thanks again! Progress pics will follow.

 

[ladydoc1992]

Oh WOW! You sure do have your work cut out for you! But luckily, you have the basics already in place, so that's a start!
I would definitly keep those nest boxes..they look in pretty good shape.
Starting my own new chicken house tomorrow, but from the ground up. You've got a head start with the already existing building!
Good luck!

 

[Sweetened]

Quote:
They are pretty solid, except for the perches, I was more-so worried about sanitation, and not being able to remove the mould growth caused by water damage. I wasn't sure they were large enough inside either? They're about 9x9x10 or so, and a couple of my books suggest 1sq ft. in each nexting box. I suppose with a little paint they could be cute!

Are you going to be posting pictures of your coop progress? I'd love you to share a link if/when you get the thread going! Good luck!

 

[lauriruth]

Let me just say....ENVY!!!!!! I'm stuck in suburbia with room for 3 chicks in my backyard...I now have 8...

. I built a coop 2 yrs. ago that takes up 1/8th of my back yard and i'm sitting here thinking about how i can add on.

I would love to have property and old structure to re-do!!! I'm planning to live vicariously through you, so make sure you post up-dates!!!

lonely in San Antonio.

 

[Sweetened]

Quote:
It was an amazing blessing for DH and I to find this place. We moved out to the prairies trying to run from the black cloud thats followed us our whole lives and managed to tuck ourselves under another one

. As soon as I moved to where we bought our house, they passed a bylaw banning ownership of anything they considered livestock, which ended up including rabbits, chickens and bees. Without going into it, my house inspection had been falsified and I moved into a property where the basement was falling out from under it. We had flooding 2 years in a row and were declared a Provincial Disaster area and the home is now vacant, in a claim with the Provincial Disaster Assistance program, and we have been told by a structural engineer that we'll lose the back retaining wall of the basement next spring during the melt off.

DH said I was wasting my time, but I posted an ad detailing our circumstance with a -looking to rent with opportunity to buy- title on a local classified site (like kijiji and craigslist, but local). 3 weeks later, I got a hit and wound up on 15 acres, in an older 1950s home, heated shop and seperate 2 car garage

Plus the coop! We have a year or so to wait for our claim to go through to see what our settlement is, then the place is ours for $50,000! Come hell or high water, I will own this place.

I will update! And you, too, will get here soon.

 

[FarmerGrant011]

Ooooh, This is going to be very interesting *Subscribing*

 

[beach livin']

what an undertaking, but i look forward to following your page. we are all here to help by offering any info we can. $50,000

, i cant believe it. You cant buy a 1/2acre here for that. you have been placed where God wants you

. what a blessing!!!

 

[Wildside]

First of all, good luck with your project! I have one concern and that is that you did not mention anywhere in your plans to add ventilation. I don't see where the old coop had any, either, except for the windows, but that's not the kind of ventilation I'm talking about. I'm talking about something near the top, so ammonia fumes and humidity can escape. Also, I don't know how many chickens you plan to have in there, but in my limited experience, all of my girls have always used the same nest box. Granted, I have only ever had 4 at a time laying, but I think this is one of the biggest jokes of pre-made coops we see around here - too much space given to nest boxes which are probably never used! Also, I'm not sure why you want to layer sand and straw like that for the flooring. It seems to me the chickens will just dig it all up and mix it anyway, making it hard to clean. They love to dig holes in anything loose!

 

[Life is Good!]

Not sure of your budget (and what else has to be done to make 'home' yours.....whew!), but you might look into a steel/tin roofing - add gutters and have rainbarrels collecting the water to help offset watering chores. (Two 'pens' inside = 2 gutters, one feeding each 'pen').

Add as much ventilation as you can - for summer humidity as well as winter ammonia build-up.

Please know that meat birds make a HUGE amount of poo and stink. If you're planning on keeping the coop open on interior (i.e. hardware cloth) - be aware of just how much it'll stink. Really.

You'll know a lot more once you start opening up the structure as to what water damage has occurred, what needs to be replaced and what can be salvaged. I'd start by removing sections of the panelling to determine it's future viability - especially at the corners and near the door/chute/window areas....that's where you're most likely to see rot. Carefully (wearing heavy-duty dust masks and safety glasses) remove the panelling and chuck it out the door! Last place to look for rot would be on the rafter ends sticking out from under the roofing material. It appears you've got at least two roofs on that structure - rent a dumpster and pack it well to haul off as much as you can. That's a LOT of work. Start at the bottom and then the top.

Good luck! Wonderful opportunity. We've nicknamed our life-long project "Money pit", we're 15yrs into it....and we might be 'done' by the time our kids move us into a retirement facility!

(purchased it when we were late 20's...and now we're REPLACING things that we did right off the bat - a furnance, kitchen appliances, 1/2 of our flat roof. Time flies!).

If you're in a heavy snowbelt area - I'd keep the slight peak on the roof...it'll make snowfall a heck of a lot easier to take loads on the structure.

 

[cmom]

I like it.

It will be a lot of work but has a lot of great potential!!! Good luck and have fun...