Coop Rehab

[Newburgh91]

Hi all,

I have two chicken coops that I am working on cleaning out that have not been used for chickens for a few years now. There are two coops, each roughly 100 square feet. These have been used for many years without much being done to them at all. I am seeking the general opinion of everyone here on whether or not it would be worth it for me to pull down the plywood interior walls and replace them with either new wood or drywall or sheetmetal. I wouldn't say that we had an all out infestation of bugs, but an outhouse used for storage for a couple of years after housing chickens does seem to invite bugs. I am not entirely sure what I will find if I pull down this wood.

I will attach a few pictures below, as it does look to me as there might be moisture building up in here without chickens, so I can only imagine what it will be like when we start using these again. That's why I was thinking of replacing the wood with a different material that would hold as much moisture and would be easier to wipe clean or wash with a hose even. What do you do for your chicken coop (that happens to be built much more like a shed)?

Thank you!

 

[chfite]

That building could use more ventilation. That will keep moisture problems to a minimum.

If the building has been unused as a coop for a couple of years, all the bad things are probably dead by now. If the interior walls appear structurally sound, they will likely be fine for a coop.

From the pictures, it looks fine to me.

Rework the landscaping around the building to be sure that water flows away from the building. I would hose the building out, turn fans on it and let it dry. Then inspect it.

On first blush, I would not gut it. I would clean it, prime, and paint the interior to improve the light for your use and to facilitate cleaning it.

You could spray it for bugs in general, but outdoor buildings will probably have them most of the time anyway. After the chickens move in, they will eat a lot of the bugs anyway. I find that diatomaceous earth keeps most of the bugs at bay in my garage and shop.

Chris

 

[Newburgh91]

Thanks for the info. I am in agreement on more airflow. There are two small chicken sized doors for them to run out, plus two small windows on the east and west walls. I suppose the best way to increase airflow would be to put in larger windows. There is full electric run to both buildings as well.

I was hesitant to hose down the unpainted wood walls but I will definitely clean them somehow and get some paint on there. I have been considering how costly/difficult it would be to put in a skylight to help with light. I will, of course, be putting in laying nests and roosts as well. They got gifted away when we got rid of chickens the last time.

Thanks for the tips, I will definitely be doing at least those upgrades after the massive cleaning.

Edit: I just priced out the cost of mold resistant Sheetrock and it came out to about $300 for each chicken house. I am really thinking that isn't worth the cost. Looks like I'll be just cleaning and painting these rooms. I'd rather spend the money on increased ventilation considering the high cost.