Help designing a coop

[desipalen]

I'm torn on how to set-up my new coop/run. My new house has a shed they we are not currently using and I'd like to use it for building a coop. I'm running into a problem though. It's far too big for a coop by itself.

We are starting with four or five chickens. I'm thinking about walling off the one side of the shed from the doorway back, but I'm concerned about how narrow that would make the coop. The easiest option would be to just close off the front and use the previous-owner repaired side panel as an entryway to the run, but I'd like to let the dogs sleep in the shed as well as it would make a great shaded area for them and keep predators away at night.

My alternative is to build an elevated, temporary coop on the side of the shed inside the run.

Ideas?

The shed is made of a concrete slab, tin roof, and particle board siding. I'm planning on making the run go around the entire shed on three sides the same height as the lowest point of the ceiling of the shed.

 

[aart]

Making just part of it a coop is a great idea, that's what I did.
But i your case I'd use the back part for the coop, just the side would probably be too small to arrange things well.....
...and they need more room than you might think(depending on your climate maybe).

Nice to be able to gather eggs, store feed cans and other things(tho it will all get covered in chicken dust) outside the actual coop but under cover from the weather.

Read up on coop construction/arrangement.
There's 2 very good articles on Space and Ventilation linked in my signature below...great place to start reading.

 

[TN_BIRD]

You said coop & run. Do you plan to convert this shed into both a coop & a run? I always think of a coop as being the inside piece (where they sleep) and the run as being the outside piece (where they spend most of the day).

The rule of thumb is approximately 4 square feet of coop space for each chicken. Measure it out and see how much room you have. Then you'll know.

Furthermore, you might be able to build your coop waist high and let your dogs sleep underneath (neither chickens nor dogs need high ceilings).

 

[desipalen]

Making just part of it a coop is a great idea, that's what I did.
But i your case I'd use the back part for the coop, just the side would probably be too small to arrange things well.....
...and they need more room than you might think(depending on your climate maybe).

Nice to be able to gather eggs, store feed cans and other things(tho it will all get covered in chicken dust) outside the actual coop but under cover from the weather.

Read up on coop construction/arrangement.
There's 2 very good articles on Space and Ventilation linked in my signature below...great place to start reading.

I love this idea! I would have never thought of arranging it from the back wall. Thank you!

 

[desipalen]

@TN_BIRD I plan on making a run around the shed on the sides using the patched siding section as the entry point into the run from the coop.

 

[TN_BIRD]

@TN_BIRD I plan on making a run around the shed on the sides using the patched siding section as the entry point into the run from the coop.

I'd look to build the coop a couple feet off the ground and let the dogs sleep under the coop.