First coop, in garage...

[Nicole01]

We got our chicks 2 weeks ago and just started the coop this weekend. Hubby and I couldn't decided what type of coop to build or where to put it. We ended up building a room in our garage. It is 12x4 and 8 feet high. We are fully insulating with insulation in-between all the walls. It works out for electricity, there is a plug in box a few feet away. There will be a fully fenced in chicken run outside the door with shade protection.

Anyone else have their coop in the garage? The only concern is the summer and them getting too warm. If they get too hot, we will be back at square one and build the coop on the north side of the house. I worry about raccoons and other predators.

 

[Jake1297]

I have a fan in my coop for the hot days during summer. As long as they have ventilation for fresh air they should be set.

 

[BetterHensandGardens]

Chickens are very, very dusty. We put our first chickens in a stall in our barn, but then they made the entire barn dusty. We also noticed that every farm that has chickens has a separate coop, chickens make too much dust to keep them with anything else - unless you don't mind it being very dusty. We got a separate coop. Just saying ............

 

[Nicole01]

Eh, a little dust doesn't hurt.

Their room is fully closed/insulated from everything. There are two entry ways. One door to outside and a door from inside the garage. I took pictures, I'll post them later.

 

[OhioPete]

I know it's been a while but I'm going to build my coop inside my garage and was wondering if you have those pics yet?

 

[allpeepedout]

Chickens require a great deal of ventilation, all seasons, and most coops need not be insulated. Do a search here for Pat's Ventilation page. Look also at the open air coops used in very wintry areas. "Fully closed" sounds problematic. Vents can be secured from predators.

Folks here generally recommend 1 sq. ft of vent per chicken, usually high under the eaves so no direct drafts on the critters. Chickens drink lots and output a lot of moisture, as well as dust, and they tend to suffer more from overheating than from cold, since they wear feather outfits. I would guess you would need a constantly running vented fan system if you don't have lots of vents or windows to the outdoors. Will they also have an outdoor run?

Have fun and good luck!