I have got myself into some trouble....

[mhopson19]

So in March I got 6 chickens and 2 ducks and I built them a coop and run a few weeks ago. It is built to hold about 10 chickens max. Well, I went to TSC on the last days of chick days (bad idea!) and got 16 bantams. I couldn't pass them up at less than a third of the normal price. A week later, the dogs got 4 of my chickens so I went to order some more from a hatchery online and found it was cheaper to buy 16 than it was to buy 4, so my 16 new chicks will get here next week. So what started out as a small hobby farm of 8 turned into a huge project of 33 chicks, 2 ducks, and we want to get 2 geese as well. So obviously I need to get my coop bigger and fast! I don't really have the time to build a big coop and run like I did before. So my question is, has anyone ever used one of those kind of small plastic/steel sheds as a chicken coop? Or has anyone used a big outdoor dog kennel with hardware wire on the bottom part as a run? I am trying to find as cheap of a solution as possible without sacrificing the safety of my flock. I know I can get a small shed and probably a large dog run/kennel on craigslist for cheap. Any suggestions? What have you done when you flock got bigger?

Oh, and I just want to say I am now a firm believer in chicken math. I am not sure when I turned crazy, but it happened in the last 2 months.

 

[jeepguy982001]

i have used a dog kennel as a grow out pen before, just never with that amount so could work. and i did the same bout a foot or so of hardware cloth along the bottom. I think i've seen a few people on here use both the metal and plastic garden sheds. Maybe they'll chime in or you can try typing garden shed coop in the search bar and you might find something.

 

[mhopson19]

Thanks. I will look around more. I am mainly concerned about wintertime and predators. And being able to put roosts in. Hopefully more people chime in!

 

[Folly's place]

Metal sheds might get too hot in summer?!? A neighbor has a plastic shed that works well; they added vents and windows, and it's in the shade. I doubt that the chickens will do well with waterfowl, and the geese may or may nor work out with the ducks. I've only done chickens, so can't speak from experience here. Chicken math happens! Mary

 

[mhopson19]

I was thinking that too. But, waterfowl and chickens together aren't good as babies because it is a lot of work but now that they are older they cuddle together and nap together. Our two chickens out there even nap under our girl ducks' wings.

 

[gander007]

All your ideas will work as long as you have ventilation ......




You are not the only one .....






They are funny to watch ....






Our pullets .....






You do need to watch the poultry bug it can bight hard sometimes

gander007

 

[mhopson19]

All your ideas will work as long as you have ventilation ...... It definitely bites hard lol You are not the only one ..... They are funny to watch .... Our pullets ..... You do need to watch the poultry bug it can bight hard sometimes gander007

 

[nurschic]

I did the same basic thing with getting more chicks then I first planned for……I build a lean to on the side of my coop from 3 free pallets, 2 pieces of plywood and a few landscape posts. I will put a roof on it and then make roosting posts on the inside. I'm going to keep it a dirt floor and close in the one side that goes into the run (except for a door). You can get free pallets at just about any feed store, Habitat for humanity ReStore, you just have to call around. I'm all about cheap or free

 

[ChaoSS]

Oh, and I just want to say I am now a firm believer in chicken math. I am not sure when I turned crazy, but it happened in the last 2 months.

My plans for a small coop with 4 or so hens and a rooster now has me with 35 chicks in two different brooder boxes with no coop built just yet.



As for the shed, I don't know what your weather there is like, but I'm currently keeping one set of chicks in my shed, and it's hitting around 100 degrees here in the heat of the day. I am using fans, a mister, and/or a sprinkler to keep the shed cooled down, and it's still hot in there. I guarantee if I wasn't doing all that they would have all died.


It's doable, but yes, you need ventilation. Since my shed isn't going to be their permanent home I can't cut ventilation holes in the sides, just have the open doors at the front. Not much fun right now. But if you can cut holes, maybe put in a fan if needed, and your summers aren't too terribly hot, it could work out just fine.

 

[mhopson19]

Thanks everyone for replying! I am thinking I will get a plastic shed and anchor it down. That would be easy to cut windows in for ventilation, or I may build a coop and run out of pallets. I have found a place to get free pallets, so I may use those. Does anyone else have any experience building a run out of pallets? I am going to search the forum for that. The coop seems easy to build out of pallets, or just expand my current coop, but I am not sure how I would go about building a run out of pallets