I am running out of time! How can I (cheaply!) improve this coop? PICS

[Dogfish]

For the perimeter security, your burried rock and hardware cloth will work fine. I don't see predators coming in the roof soffits. You may want to attach some wood blocking to the exterior of the walls every 6" or so (in those wide spaces in the siding) and nail the hardware cloth to that.

For roosts, there are rafters and plenty of wood available to attach lower roosts to. Roost don't have to be pretty, and I see lots of suitable tree limbs in the background.

The only issue I see is door, window, and I don't see ventilation addressed. Priority wise, I'd get the door squared away first. Then work on ventilation (the roof vents where the walls and roof meet may be sufficient), and finally windows. I'd sandwich in a run there somewhere, but get that door done first. Wood for a usable door and hardware would be $50-60. You can install your other door later, once you have addressed the other issues like run, ventilation, and windows.

For the floor, get a magnet on a stick at the hardware store, or make one. Use that to pick up nails. As for the insulation, rake out as much as you can and then cover with some landscape cloth. Add enough sand on top, 5 or 6 inches, and call it good. Sand for that size and area would be 1.5 yards. A good trailer load, or two truck loads. $50.

A .22LR rifle will handle said raccoon. Handle that issue whenever you get a chance. Sooner the better.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

Are the gaps you are talking about between the roof panels and the wall panels?
If so, they will give you some ventilation, but to predator proof them, you could nail up a strip of hardware cloth from the piece of plywood the roof panels are attached to down to the 2 x 6? ( I didn't pay attention to what size they are) that runs the length of the shed. DH is the carpenter here, so I don't know the right terms.

I hope I made myself clear. That way you would still have some ventilation, but the varmits won't get in.

Since it is warming up, you won't need a heat source right now, so you can put a battery operated light in there for right now, if you need to move your chickens before you can get it wired.

Putting the dog run around the coop sounds like the thing to do for right now. As far as the apron, you can attach it to the bottom edge of the dog run and lay it out on the ground. You can weight it down with rocks and such or dig a shallow trench to lay it in and cover it with dirt. You can do the same around the coop if you decide not to do the dog run that way.

It looks like it would make a great chicken coop!

Jean

 

[Rainbow Advaya]

For the perimeter security, your burried rock and hardware cloth will work fine. I don't see predators coming in the roof soffits. You may want to attach some wood blocking to the exterior of the walls every 6" or so (in those wide spaces in the siding) and nail the hardware cloth to that.

For roosts, there are rafters and plenty of wood available to attach lower roosts to. Roost don't have to be pretty, and I see lots of suitable tree limbs in the background.

The only issue I see is door, window, and I don't see ventilation addressed. Priority wise, I'd get the door squared away first. Then work on ventilation (the roof vents where the walls and roof meet may be sufficient), and finally windows. I'd sandwich in a run there somewhere, but get that door done first. Wood for a usable door and hardware would be $50-60. You can install your other door later, once you have addressed the other issues like run, ventilation, and windows.

For the floor, get a magnet on a stick at the hardware store, or make one. Use that to pick up nails. As for the insulation, rake out as much as you can and then cover with some landscape cloth. Add enough sand on top, 5 or 6 inches, and call it good. Sand for that size and area would be 1.5 yards. A good trailer load, or two truck loads. $50.

A .22LR rifle will handle said raccoon. Handle that issue whenever you get a chance. Sooner the better.

I am slightly confused about the exterior work you're speaking of. If you mean for me to attach the hardware cloth to the exterior, what I've actually done is run it under the walls and attached it from inside. I'm not entirely sure that's what you meant though.

I realize ventilation is an issue here, but I don't believe it's as bad at it looks. I'm going to attach wire on the interior of the roof in areas where a predator could find it's way in, and that's a considerable amount of where the roof meets the sides. So there is airflow there (the roof does not leak though, the gaps are only where it meets the wall). Also, as I mentioned the wire is ran under the building and attached inside so there is at least six inches of exposed wire beneath the building before it is buried. This allows airflow, but might be a problem in winter. Not sure about that since I've seen people with coops made almost entirely of wire.

It shouldn't be any problem though for my dad to install windows when he installs the door. Windows (with hardware cloth) will allow ventilation in summer at least. I suppose I could install floor type vents as well to the wall above the doors.

Thanks for your suggestions!​

 

[Rainbow Advaya]

Quote:
Yes, that's exactly where the gaps are. Applying hardware cloth was my idea as well. It's going to be a complete pain cutting it to all the different lengths it's going to need to be though! But you're right, it will allow ventilation and that's super important in this coop until it's finished.

Since it is warming up, you won't need a heat source right now, so you can put a battery operated light in there for right now, if you need to move your chickens before you can get it wired.

Battery powered light! I would not have thought of that, it's a great idea. Thank you.​

 

[crtrlovr]

Quote:
Yes, that's exactly where the gaps are. Applying hardware cloth was my idea as well. It's going to be a complete pain cutting it to all the different lengths it's going to need to be though! But you're right, it will allow ventilation and that's super important in this coop until it's finished.

Since it is warming up, you won't need a heat source right now, so you can put a battery operated light in there for right now, if you need to move your chickens before you can get it wired.

Battery powered light! I would not have thought of that, it's a great idea. Thank you.​

I bought two "stick" lights -- they're like a long flashlight with LED light bulbs in rows covering 2/3 of the length of it, with 2 light settings; normal and high. They come with an AC charger. I keep one in the house and one in the chicken house. I use it each night when I go out to close them in and do a head count & general "checkup" before bedtime. When the one outside starts getting weak, I bring it in and switch it out with the other one. Very handy.

 

[Dogfish]

RA,

You should be good then on the attachment of the hardware cloth to the interior wood. I didn't see any attachment.

Since that tree is gone, I'd say it would be next to impossible for a raccoon to climb that metal siding 8 feet+ and make it in the eaves. Sounds like ventilation is also not an issue. You can block some of that off in the winter rather easily. Block that ventilation off with hardware cloth after you get the other primary issues addressed.

You are closer to being liveable than you think. Get a friend to help you for a day on getting the dirt out and teh sand in, in exchange for so many eggs a week for a few months. With a coop that size you could house 20+ chickens, not sure how many you are going to end up with. Looks like it is 8x12.

Best of luck. I wish I had a structure like that to start with. Conversion should be pretty easy. Have fun, take lots of pics, and by all means test yourself and try things you don't know how to do. This can be a great growing experience for you. You already did a great job describing the issues, so recognizing them is half the battle. Now you just have to fix them.

 

[MotherJean]

I wouldn't give up on the French door idea and go to the extra expense of buying another door. If that door has more than 1/8" glass in it, it should be plenty strong enough. For insurance, I'd staple hardware cloth on the inside of the door, but I'd only go up about 36" - say, over the bottom 3 rows of window panes. That should protect the glass from both chickens and coons. Since we're heading into spring and summer and the warm weather that goes with it, I wouldn't go to the expense of windows, either. Your chickens look like they are fully feathered so 40 or 50 degree night temps shouldn't hurt them. If it was me, I'd cut the holes for the windows, frame them out with 2x4's, and cover them in hardware cloth. Those should do you just fine until fall. Maybe by then you can find a couple of good thermopanes at the recycler to get you through winter. Don't take down the hardware cloth to install windows, just mount them inside/out so that they open from outside the coop instead of inside.

Seriously, chickens are not made of glass. They really don't NEED perfect environmental conditions or the security of Fort Knox to be healthy, happy, and productive so don't stress yourself out over it.

Just my 2 cents...which won't buy one darn thing these days.

 

[Doopy]

Quote:
I think MotherJean has offered the best advice so far. You are in great shape and with just a little bit of work you will have a great coop.

The hardware cloth under the bottom of the walls should work just fine. In fact, if you just bend the wire mesh to lay flat on the ground outside the wall you can cover it with an inch or two with soil and plant grass seed. The gap between the bottom of the wall and the earth could be a very good thing. In the winter build up deeper shavings around the perimeter inside floor to reduce airflow. In the warm months use this space for ventilation.

Use your hardware cloth to patch any openings larger than 2" around the wall/roof junction. Cut some 12"x12" holes in the ends of the coop above the rafters and cover with hardware cloth. These openings can remain open all year 'round.

Use your door as you originally planned. Tack some hardware cloth on the outside up to about 24" to 36" to protect the glass from critters. Cut a hole in a side wall about 10" wide by 14" tall for a pop door. Build some kind of hinged or sliding door on it. You can make this pop door 8" to 10" above the dirt floor to allow for the deep bedding.

Put some windows in the walls as time and money allows. Everything does not have just perfect before the new feathered tenants move in. Move the little ladies into their new apartment as soon as possible and keep them closed up in there until you work out how you are going to fence in the run area.

Use a rake to clear out all the stuff off the floor then put either sand or wood chips down.

I wholeheartedly agree with MotherJean when she says that chickens are not made of glass. They are equipped to handle hot and cold temperatures, good coops and bad coops, big roosts and skinny roosts, and all sorts of life's little problems. All sorts of birds have done very well over the millenniums without silly humans trying to interfere. Stop worrying and start enjoying the whole experience. Good luck and keep us up to date on your progress.

 

[Intheswamp]

...and don't forget to wear a dust mask when you start cleaning the insulation, etc., out of the shed.

Great potential with that shed!!! Pay attention to the ventilation...summer will be upon us soon.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[Casey3043]

I would go ahead and use the door you have. My coop is 4 years old and I used a door exactly like that (recycled from the living room where I had the door removed and put in a large window). It's a metal door with a double thickness (insulated) glass with wood mullions just like the one in your picture. No bird or varmint has ever broken it. The glass is all one piece and the wood is just decorative. I was actually thinking of removing the glass and replacing it with wire for the summer for better ventilation.

This door is on the side of the coop that has the run attached, so at night I do close and secure the run door. Pop door is right next to the "people door" and it is closed at night also. Never had a problem with raccoons or anything else. Right now I have 11 hens living in there, with 20 two-week-olds in the brooder. If you can't visualize it, let me know and I'll post a picture if you like.

Your place sounds wonderful for chickens, and I love the little shed. I know you can make it over to a beautiful coop. Just do, as a previous poster suggested, first things first. It's too bad the raccoons are used to being fed there. A little electric wire here and there might be a good deterrent!

Good luck with it, and let us know your progress.