Creating a Coop - Asking the Experts for Advice!

[risadawn]

Being so new to this, I have read a lot on what a coop needs. Now how to incorporate that into an already existing space. We are renting, so we can't make any permanent alterations, and it's only temporary. We hope to move within 6 months (no more than a year) and at that time I'll probably buy a pre-made coop! This one, though, needs to be as inexpensive as possible. We have 3 chickens right now in a brooder but may get one or two more.

Here it is:


This is our shed. It's pretty well shaded. The lattice door comes all the way across to close the opening.

The lattice door can open just half or all the way. The table inside is about 4 feet high and the floor is somewhere of 25 to 30 square feet.



There is an air vent at the top of the walls on the back and the left.



Right now the floor is covered with gravel and oak leaves - oh and the cardboard. We want to use the deep litter method, so I'm guessing we would put some wood on the inside of the door and pile the pine shavings on the bottom.



The opening on the lattice are about .5 to 1 inch square.

I'm open to any and all advice!! Thanks in advance!!

 

[Jakoda]

ewww I love blank slates Ok I'm "new" to chickens and converted part of shed for mine, there are things I would do different with mine, but here's what I would do with yours.

1. I would make sure you use 1/2 hardware mesh for your run (Unless your free ranging, I can't to many hawks and such)
2. Use wood screws for everything so you can easily remove them when you have to dismantle to move
3. I would put my nesting boxes ground level, straight back , probably two
4. above the nesting boxes I'd use that table top or a piece of plywood to make a poop board (many posts on this here)
5. put my roost above the poop board.

If you have predators, the most important thing is to predator proof the area..
You probably don't need to make a 'floor', just use shavings, but make sure nothing can 'dig under your shed.
Since it looks like your in an area of nice weather most of the time? I'd just open that big door vs putting in a chicken door.

If you click on my name and view my posts, you'll find pics of my shed/run somewhere..

Shouldn't cost much since the space looks great as it is, you just need to add a couple things
Good luck
Diane

 

[risadawn]

Thanks for the tips! Yeah, it's not too bad here. In the winter it's 50's & 60's; summer is 70's, 80's and sometimes low 90's. So a not a lot of extremes.

 

[risadawn]

Any other suggestions??

 

[risadawn]

SCORE! Found two people on craigslist today giving away free wood! If my FIL has the tools we need we should be able to go ahead and build a coop from scratch! I'll probably build it so that it will fit in the shed for added protection at night, and it's a shady spot, (take out the table), but that means NO permanent damage to the already existing shed, and when we move the chickens will still have their familiar coop! Way excited!

 

[Stumpy]

Fantastic find! I hope you will share photos of your progress.

 

[rambunctious]

I'm jealous! All the 'free wood' around here is barely useable for burn wood!

 

[risadawn]

I'm jealous! All the 'free wood' around here is barely useable for burn wood!

Bummer!

It was just random that I even looked AND that no one had already taken it!