Help-Converting playhouse into coop-How much shade do I need for run.

[chickengal]

We have aquired an cute 8x8 playhouse with a country front porch and we're having it moved to our yard. We plan to convert it into a chicken coop. I have a few questions. Should I put it in the middle of the very large backyard with no shade or I can put it near the woods where it will get some shade. I feel the woods might make it convenient for preditors, plus the backyard location is closer to a water source so it might make it easier to take water back and forth. I plan to connect a 10 x 10 dog lot to make the run and cover with chicken wire or hardware cloth. I am really not sure what to do with the inside. I am a new egg and need some ideas on what to do. There is one window on the back wall that will become the chicken door for the chickens to enter and exit the coop. There are two windows besice the front door that I will cover with hardware cloth to provide ventilation. The coop has an open A frame roof and I would say it is about 61/2 - 7 feet high. Also will this be big enough for 13 bantam chickens? Thanks for the help!
Kellie

 

[bturbo87]

Just know in the coop each chicken need at least 4 square foot each. In the run I would recommend 10 square foot each. If you put it in the shade it will be a little cooler in the coop. Yet how much problems do you have with predators in your area?

 

[chickengal]

Do Bantams also need 10 square feet of space in the coop?

We haven't had any problems with preditors yet, but there are several acres of woods next to where the coop would be. (We live n NC)

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Figure 4 square feet per bird indoors. The 10 square feet per bird is for outdoors.

I have bantams, and these are the guidelines I go by, also. Some allow less space for bantams because they're smaller, but I think what matters more is the activity level/personality of the birds. And birds will never be unhappy if they have too much space, so I figure I can't go wrong using the standard numbers.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I've always seen that the 4/10 is for standards and it's 2 square feet indoors and 5 outdoors for bantams.

 

[bturbo87]

being in NC i dont think you would have much problems with the major predators, and since you said you are covering the top with hardware cloth or deer netting i think the only issue you would have is with burrowing animals, if they feel like putting enough work into it. dont know if you have them but foxes and badgers and the like. all which can be easily fixed with a 12 gauge. since the roof is 6.5 to 7 feet high, i would recommend fitting in a few lower roosts so they are able to get up there, maybe one at 2 feet and 4 feet, offset aboout afoot from each other makeing a ladder effect, some cheap porch brackets from home depot you can screw into the walls and set 2x4's in once you cut them to length( i'll attach a link ). also from personal experience i would reccomend the nipple watering system, you can find them online and i believe there is someone on here that sells them also, get three and screw them into the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket and you wont have to change it once a day like i do, maybe every three days with a good cleaning once a week. and hang it from the rafters at a hieght were they have to extend theyre neck to reach, but not fully extend, that way the water flows right down the throat.
brackets
http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
nipple waterers
http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...ering_systems-ft1_hoses_nipples;pgwc1030.html
hope this helps

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

Sorry, I'm gonna have to politely disagree with the major predator comment in N.C. I live 20miles SW of Raleigh and I have a very heavy predator load. I've seen bobcats, raccoons, foxes, weasels, opossums, snakes, stray dogs, birds of prey and more around my coops/runs over the years. We now have sightings of several packs of coyotes in my county. Don't underestimate predators, they will wipe you out in one instance. All of my runs are wrapped with 1/2" hardware cloth and have electric fencing around them. You may not have many predators as of now but when you bring in a food source such as chickens, they will come.

 

[bturbo87]

like i said i dont know, since i dont live there sorry, still none of those are problems that cant be solved with a 12 gauge

 

[rancher hicks]

i was hoping for pics. Guess not.

 

[chickengal]

I will post pics as soon as the playhouse is delivered here...it needs to be moved to my yard. I really wanted your ideas about where to place it in my yard...near the woods where it is cooler because of some shade or in the center of my yard where there is no shade, but predtors will be less likely to venture to it. There is also a water source closer to the center yard location. I am thinking the edge of the woods will be better, but I just keep going back and forth with where to place it.

Also I was given some kid's cubbies (a book shelf sort of thing) that I want to convert into nesting boxes for the inside. I realize the chickens will try to sit on top of them but I plan to put the roost above them and use the top of them as a poop shelf. I guess I will need to attach some sort of wood piece to keep the hay or shavings from coming out of the cubbies.

I may need to cut some more vent holes as well...there are three good sized windows and the top of the roof has vents.

Thanks for all your ideas...I will post pics soon.