Coop Reconstruction All suggestions and help welcome (IMAGE HEAVY)

[peterlund]

Well the previous owners sure did believe in deep litter method!!! Inside it is all good, and a good cleaning (not too much fun) and a direct spraying of bleach will kill off anything that you want to be rid of.... This coop is the envy of 99% of the viewers on BYC ...... And PLEASE do not complain about the cost of acreage up there.... We are about 70,000 an acre here for farmland..... with restrictions on everything. A simple building lot is 150K (light bulb goes on)...... Am I nuts living here???

 

[Cheekie]

You have a big project in store for yourself. I've been using an old chicken coop for the past 20 yrs & it was old when I moved here. I'm debating reconstruction or a completely new coop & have been reading all the coop posts on BYC. Here are some things I have learned that you might want to consider.

1. I have a dirt floor in my old coop and mice can be a real and dirty problem. A lot of folks don't recommend concrete because it can be cold but it does eliminate rodent problems and can be bedded and cleaned thoroughly. It's an option I'm considering.
2. I've never really used the deep litter method but I don't clean the coop more than once, at most, in the winter (I'm in Montana here). I have 20 hens in a 12 x 20 coop with a large run. I used to use straw. I prefer wood shavings(not cedar). They smell good, are absorbant and MUCH easier to clean out than straw. Straw mats and gets really heavy to fork out.
3. My coop had wood nest boxes that couldn't be removed. They were almost impossible to clean & sanitize if an egg broke. And of course there's always an old biddy that has to sleep in one... I finally took them out and spent the money on aluminum boxes with removable (& replaceable) plastic bottoms. My nest boxes are always nice and clean now. As long as you're able to keep them clean, dry and mite free I guess it doesn't matter what they're made of.
4. I like tin roofs & if your siding needs replacing I'd consider tin for that as well. More longevity, no painting.
5. My coop has a slant roof (not peaked), with south exposure. Make sure you have good drainage where the roof drains off so it doesn't seep into the coop. I had to do a little grading on mine. Good drainage all the way around if you get a lot of rain & snow.
6. I like the idea of splitting it for layers & broilers. I have another uninsulated shed I can use for my broilers in the summer. I do keep them separate because they need a different diet than layers.

Overall sound like you've got a solid plan laid out for yourself. Good luck with it and keep us updated as you progress.

 

[zzGypsy]

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oooo that's a good point... I've got a kennel building that is rapidly developing a permanent moat from the roof runoff...

 

[Sweetened]

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Without getting into the disaster that is the house that I own (not where I'm living now), I will say the house had foundation issues and then the flooding in the area exacerbated the condition to the point that an engineer let us know we'll lose the west foundation wall during this springs melt off if it's anything above a normal year (which is the long and short of how I ended up where I am, blessings come in all colours I suppose). Anyway, I say that to say this: The drainage around that place also worsened with the sinking foundation and subsequently sinking ground line. I couldn't afford (and it's not worth it) to have someone come out, grade, dig the foundation, put in new weeping tile and so on, so I had the idea to make ground level weeping troughs to ease the pain.

Don't get me wrong, these didn't cure the issue, but they sure helped with the erosion! I dug down about 3 inches and laid down those polished pebbles you can buy bags of for plants and water gardens, kids that like rocks or dogs that like to put their paw on flat, shiny, slippy things that they can run on (just sayin...). I just laid them in there all messy like because the person who I bought the crap shoot from left BUCKETS of the darn things. Though water still drained down through the gaping chasms of my foundation, it moved most of the water along the path I dug out into the garden and kept one corner of it very well watered. Water will always follow the path of least resistance, and the rocks create natural flow, grade or no grade.

It's the cheap, non-latex bandaid that'll help the wound from getting infected, if you get my terrible, morbid analogy.

 

[Sweetened]

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I definitely will. Everyone who has subscribed is probably so tired of my replies they're unsubscribing because I'm not making much progress! LOL.

To touch on a couple things you've said:

Interestingly, though there's signs rodents were in there, they appear to have gone through old wood above a crumbled part of foundation. I also found "rodentcide" packets at the bottom of the dirt. I hesitated to use the dirt at that point, but I've pressed on and (though I may be wrong), I have a feeling its dispated into the earth over the years and become inert (if you know better, tell me what to do!). The 30 some-odd barn cats I inherited with the property keep the rodent population at minimum... I'm more worried about the family of jack rabbits they seem to co-hort with!

It's highly probably I'll not be salvaging the wooden hutches. They would need to be almost entirely rebuilt, as the nesting floors are rotten underneath the caked nests/feces/feathers/bones

. They're also very slender, and aren't deep enough for anything that's an average sized chicken (about 8.5 inches deep); from what I've read, a foot deep is important.

The siding is Tin, but that colour has gooooot to go, so it will be painted. The reason I was thinking shingles, is I can get half-packs and one offs for super cheap from an in-law family connection.

Saskatchewan is the land of living skies AND the land of faulted foundations. The earth moves here and eats basement structures for breakfast. This property is a steady slope downward, so water naturally runs down past the house and outbuildings, into the fields in front (part of which I'll end up with) and then splays out into the awaiting crops. Its a rare blessing that has left the foundation crack free for 50 years! Wheres wood! *knock knock knock*.

If you start a reconstruction, I'd like a link so I can follow yours!

 

[3forfree]

sounds like both hands are full, sorry to hear. My daughter had foundation issues at a forclosed home she bought, and we graded around the house directing rain water away from the foundation and also using splash blocks under the downspouts, and window wells, she had water everytime it rained, but the end of summer the basement was dry for the first time since she bought it. Maybe you need to take a step back and focus on the house instead of the shed. Chickens can always be raised at a later date. GL

 

[Sweetened]

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I think I made this a slight mis-understanding. The home I'm in now is not the home I was referring to with the foundation problems. We found the acreage because my Disaster claim (from the exacerbation by the flooding in the town I lived in... which was declared a provincial disaster area) led to a structural engineer coming out and telling me it wasn't safe to live there anymore. I was put on a displacement list and, on a whim, put an ad out on a local Craigs list with details and a request for land to rent/lease. It just so happened our now landlords were moving out of a house on a section of land to another house that could accomodate their growing family. Their initial plan was to abandon this house I'm in, but they decided what the hell! We are so lucky for that.

That other house is a tragedy for another forum, on another thread, on another day, or on facebook LOL.

(by the way, your bullies are beautiful, I have one of my own!)

 

[3forfree]

Thanks for clearing things up. My bullies are the biggest babies alive. The small one, that pic was from last spring weighs 80lbs, just back from the vet after chewing up and swallowing an indestructable toy, and lodged in his bowel, tore up his intestines, almost lost him. He's home now, just got the stitches out. I ran a pitbull rescue but had to give it up, no one would help me out. Good Luck with your project.

 

[Sweetened]

They are treasures. DH's big guy is a Neo Mastiff/Amer Bull Dog cross. We owned 2 pitties when we moved to the province and were able to get them great homes. The youngest needed a stay-at-home person to help her recover from an abusive past and solidify the removal of her fear aggression. She is doing WONDERFULLY and is as social as ever, loves her kids. The other was dog selective, and was starting to take on our big male (you know how that is). We found her an only dog home with someone who was experienced with pits and an excellent handler; she is also excelling. Doofus (named Bull) has me curious as to how he will act around chickens (/cows/goats/sheep). He loves small things, but has no idea how large he is or that he has a body beyond his head.

He has been a great help in the coop! Good digger, but short attention span. Our work yesterday evening was cut short when he dug up a rock and accidently flicked it out the (invisble) window. OI!

 

[Time-Out]

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According to the book, as long as the bedding is at least 4" deep, the cold doesn't come through. I'm hoping that true, as mine are on concrete.