Fixing up an older coop, what do I need to do?

[PaisyQ]

I'm a new owner of three chicks, all just under two weeks old. I've been looking at various options on how to house them once they grow up. I have an old A frame coop that was never really used, but it is in pretty rough shape. I'm thinking of trying to fix it up, but I have no construction skills, and the guy who has agreed to help me with it is limited on time. I was hoping to glean some insight here on, well, whether I should use it at all, and, if so, what are the absolute essentials that I would need to do with it. The coop is pictured below:
















The run measures 5x10 feet, the coop interior is about 3x4 feet. I'm in southwest Michigan, near South Haven, very rural, so both natural predators and stray dogs are a concern. As well as cold winters and warm summers. Some things already on my to-do list with it: Replace the chicken wire with hardware cloth, replace both of the 'roof' walls, and replace the back access door. Ideally this will only be in use for a year or two; I'm hoping to increase my flock size after all, and this will end up being too small! But, I need something in place for the time being. Any thoughts?

 

[loanwizard]

It actually looks pretty decent. Also looks like your list is pretty thorough based on budget....

Some bedding and hardware cloth and you're ready to go.

Welcome,

Shawn

 

[PaisyQ]

It actually looks pretty decent. Also looks like your list is pretty thorough based on budget....

Some bedding and hardware cloth and you're ready to go.

Welcome,

Shawn

Thanks Shawn! The walls of the coop are actually the worst of it. The pictures don't do it justice how bad they actually are. One of them is in the process of falling apart. I'm half going crazy here trying to think up all the things that could go wrong with this thing. It's a relief to know there's someone else who thinks it might work out okay.

Jamie

 

[loanwizard]

Just remember chickens are.... well... chickens.... They have been around for thousands of years, with and without us.

Shawn

 

[Kilsharion]

Oh that's not bad...Scrape it down, give it a good scrub down, paint it over with exterior paint (looks like half a gallon would be more than enough), and call it good.


As for the walls falling apart...if you have to do so, it looks like you could get away with one sheet of exterior grade plywood and just cut it to put over the existing. Again, scrape it down, sanitize and seal it before putting the new on top of it. If it's just got to last a year or so, you should be good to go.

You may want to consider - if you have the budget - to buy silicone sealant and go around all the seams of the coop to help keep it from getting wet in a good rain. I would also suggest you replace the top section of the back side with something open - just cut a hole in it leaving about 1/2" frame of the existing plywood and then staple in hardware cloth. You really need more ventilation than what it has.

 

[my sunwolf]

I agree, you can house chickens in almost anything as long as you provide for their basic needs. The main problem I see with that is the fact that the roof is going to leak. It is very important, especially in such a small space, that you keep your bedding dry. The other thing is that the coop has no ventilation, which will lead to more frostbite and much smellier chickens. In my pasture coop, I have an entire wall made of hardware cloth. I would consider adding a window covered in hardware cloth with an overhang to the back portion. It also appears to lack nest boxes. My hens get pretty picky about having a small wooden box with hay or straw as bedding to go into to lay their eggs.

I wouldn't plan on keeping more than 3 hens in that coop. You may get away with 5 if you clean the bedding daily.

Remember that you're one of the lucky ones just to be able to have a structure to start with!

 

[DeerFangRanch]

Is there wire on the bottom of the run (can't tell from photos)?
Lots of predators know how to dig......

 

[loanwizard]

Also remember that with a little elbow grease, pallets/skids are an excellent source of cheap or free wood.

 

[PaisyQ]

Thank you guys for all the replies. I can't express how greatful I am for this. This has done a lot to help calm some of my anxieties about this project down.

Okay, so, for certain, I will be replacing the roof walls, changing out the chicken wire for hardware cloth, scraping/sanitizing/repainting, adding ventilation. Other things I would like to do depending on time and budget: Add a built in nest box somehow.

I am concerned about predators. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to try and make it moveable; that's going to determing how I handle coop security. But I know I do need to do something about that.


Jamie