Florida shed-to-coop build

[Purlsnponies]

Hi all! I've been working hard on my coop build this past week, and it's starting to come together. Of course, seems like the list of things to do/finish just keeps growing! Lots yet to build and trim, staining of just about everything, plugging up all holes, building roosts, feeders, waterers.... Oy.

This is an old 12x12 one stall barn or shed that was on the property, under shade of live oaks and crepe myrtles. (I'll have to figure out a hurricane plan, since I don't trust the oaks.. but it's the coolest, breeziest, prettiest spot on the property. I'm a bit envious, and might end up with a hammock there, haha )

There's an 8x12 run on the other side, hard to see in the pic.

Maybe someday I'll set up electric fencing for them to range in the paddock that encloses the coop, but.. we'll see. We have lots of hawks, owls, racoons, as well as foxes and coyotes.

 

[DobieLover]

Hi all! I've been working hard on my coop build this past week, and it's starting to come together. Of course, seems like the list of things to do/finish just keeps growing! Lots yet to build and trim, staining of just about everything, plugging up all holes, building roosts, feeders, waterers.... Oy.

This is an old 12x12 one stall barn or shed that was on the property, under shade of live oaks and crepe myrtles. (I'll have to figure out a hurricane plan, since I don't trust the oaks.. but it's the coolest, breeziest, prettiest spot on the property. I'm a bit envious, and might end up with a hammock there, haha )

View attachment 2375889

There's an 8x12 run on the other side, hard to see in the pic.

Maybe someday I'll set up electric fencing for them to range in the paddock that encloses the coop, but.. we'll see. We have lots of hawks, owls, racoons, as well as foxes and coyotes.

It looks great!
Is there a reason you put the nest boxes so low? Why not butted up to the bottom of the upper sheathing to save your back from having to stoop over to get the eggs? You would just want to put a landing perch in front of it on the inside.
Is all that exposed lumber pressure treated?
An electric fence is a great idea to give them more space. I use poultry netting to enclose about 1/3 acre of my property and I've never had a loss. I've even got a resident black bear living in the woods behind my house. She paid a visit to the backyard less than 2 weeks ago. She never went near the chickens and the fence... I'm sure she learned all about what it does soon after it went up.

 

[CJONESFAY]

Hi all! I've been working hard on my coop build this past week, and it's starting to come together. Of course, seems like the list of things to do/finish just keeps growing! Lots yet to build and trim, staining of just about everything, plugging up all holes, building roosts, feeders, waterers.... Oy.

This is an old 12x12 one stall barn or shed that was on the property, under shade of live oaks and crepe myrtles. (I'll have to figure out a hurricane plan, since I don't trust the oaks.. but it's the coolest, breeziest, prettiest spot on the property. I'm a bit envious, and might end up with a hammock there, haha )

View attachment 2375889

There's an 8x12 run on the other side, hard to see in the pic.

Maybe someday I'll set up electric fencing for them to range in the paddock that encloses the coop, but.. we'll see. We have lots of hawks, owls, racoons, as well as foxes and coyotes.

How many birds are you housing and do not forget they need good air flow your nest box is nice but expect them to lay in floor on straw also they like dirt bathes so an area that they can get to the sand. The biggest challenge you may face is something digging under shed from what I can see. You have done a good job. The run if you only have chicken wire on maybe a problem I have switched out to using hardware cloth on lower part of my coops and runs for the strength, Foxes and coyotes make short work of the chicken wire. The other thing is not sure how close you are to the coop but I put up a motion security light that is solar that seems to frighten most things away.. Good luck.

 

[Purlsnponies]

It looks great!
Is there a reason you put the nest boxes so low? Why not butted up to the bottom of the upper sheathing to save your back from having to stoop over to get the eggs? You would just want to put a landing perch in front of it on the inside.
Is all that exposed lumber pressure treated?
An electric fence is a great idea to give them more space. I use poultry netting to enclose about 1/3 acre of my property and I've never had a loss. I've even got a resident black bear living in the woods behind my house. She paid a visit to the backyard less than 2 weeks ago. She never went near the chickens and the fence... I'm sure she learned all about what it does soon after it went up.

Yeah.. after I installed the nest boxes, I wondered what I could've been thinking! Haha. Higher would definitely be easier for me. But I also want to have the roosts low enough that they'll be in line with the top of the hardware cloth, so that they'll be able to catch the breezes on the hot nights... I'll just think of it as my daily stretching.

I'm not sure if the existing lumber is pressure treated, but everything I've added is ground contact PT. I'm staining anything exposed. Will have to replace the old OSB siding at some point, and also likely the studs.. but I think there's a few years left in what's there.

I'll look into poultry netting, thanks! Does it run across the top as well, or do you use something else to deter flying predators?

A bear, yow! Glad it kept its distance!

 

[Purlsnponies]

How many birds are you housing and do not forget they need good air flow your nest box is nice but expect them to lay in floor on straw also they like dirt bathes so an area that they can get to the sand. The biggest challenge you may face is something digging under shed from what I can see. You have done a good job. The run if you only have chicken wire on maybe a problem I have switched out to using hardware cloth on lower part of my coops and runs for the strength, Foxes and coyotes make short work of the chicken wire. The other thing is not sure how close you are to the coop but I put up a motion security light that is solar that seems to frighten most things away.. Good luck.

Thanks for your feedback! I have 8 chicks, but have a friend who might want 2 once they're a little older. So.. 6-8 total? Will probably get a couple more in a few years when these slow down, but I really don't want to feed lots of birds, so being limited by space is good!

All the wire is 1/2" hardware cloth, and there will also be an 18" hwc apron surrounding completely. I have to bring in dirt to build up around the low areas first.. not looking forward to that, haha!

I'll check out security lights, thanks for that idea!

 

[DobieLover]

I'll look into poultry netting, thanks! Does it run across the top as well, or do you use something else to deter flying predators?

A bear, yow! Glad it kept its distance!

The poultry netting is polypropylene strands with wires running in them to carry the charge so it's strictly used for vertical fencing. You can accomplish the same thing with multiple strands of wire on the outside of a fence as long as you have something on the inside to deter the chickens from going under the wires. If there is no solid surface for them to fly up to and jump over, they stay inside the fence.
The only thing my birds are really at any risk from are overhead predators. But they have a huge thorny bush they like to spend their days in. I had a hawk strike near it but had no losses or even injuries because the rooster sounded off and all of the birds made it to the bush or into the covered run.
Funny about the motion lights often mentioned as predator deterrents. I have a motion light off my back deck. The bear didn't trip this light on her last visit but she has on previous visits. It doesn't stop her.

 

[CJONESFAY]

The poultry netting is polypropylene strands with wires running in them to carry the charge so it's strictly used for vertical fencing. You can accomplish the same thing with multiple strands of wire on the outside of a fence as long as you have something on the inside to deter the chickens from going under the wires. If there is no solid surface for them to fly up to and jump over, they stay inside the fence.
The only thing my birds are really at any risk from are overhead predators. But they have a huge thorny bush they like to spend their days in. I had a hawk strike near it but had no losses or even injuries because the rooster sounded off and all of the birds made it to the bush or into the covered run.
Funny about the motion lights often mentioned as predator deterrents. I have a motion light off my back deck. The bear didn't trip this light on her last visit but she has on previous visits. It doesn't stop her.

The solar motion light has to be within certain distance since we have the coop a good ways from house we have two in different directions and heights to cover the area...grant it if the bear wants them no amount of anything will stop it except a lead pill. We had a piglet we had to put in freezer as the bear was getting close to having ribs one night.

 

[Purlsnponies]

The poultry netting is polypropylene strands with wires running in them to carry the charge so it's strictly used for vertical fencing. You can accomplish the same thing with multiple strands of wire on the outside of a fence as long as you have something on the inside to deter the chickens from going under the wires. If there is no solid surface for them to fly up to and jump over, they stay inside the fence.
The only thing my birds are really at any risk from are overhead predators. But they have a huge thorny bush they like to spend their days in. I had a hawk strike near it but had no losses or even injuries because the rooster sounded off and all of the birds made it to the bush or into the covered run.
Funny about the motion lights often mentioned as predator deterrents. I have a motion light off my back deck. The bear didn't trip this light on her last visit but she has on previous visits. It doesn't stop her.

Ahh, gotcha. Thanks for explaining!

The coop is in a paddock enclosed with field fence. I'm in the middle of running hotwire halfway down all my fencing to stop my mares from destroying the fence.. so it sounds like maybe I could put another strand below that around the coop paddock? It would be on the outside of the chicken fence, inside for the ponies. Guess I'd really have to keep up with weed whacking that fenceline, though!!

 

[aart]

grant it if the bear wants them no amount of anything will stop it except a lead pill.

Baited HOT wire!

 

[3KillerBs]

Love that wonderful combination of shelter from rain with fresh air! Does the roof have a ridge vent?