I started converting my shed into a coop

[jamband]

Cutting the doors out and replacing with hardware cloth would be super easy but there is no overhang there so it will get wet it there. You always want the ventilation up high to get out the moist hot air. There was a great page on ventilation on here but I can't seem to find it now (Patandchickens????)

 

[ontimeborzoi]

Aha! You can build an overhang with a piece of plywood, a little ingenuity and some sealant! Haha, these projects always get more and more complicated. I always say to myself before I start something, "Hey, how hard could it be!?"....and then I find out. LOL

 

[Rvl Rookie]

LOL It's even harder when you're learning as you go (like I am), and I can tell you for sure that without what I've read here, I'd have done almost everything wrong. I love all the tips and ideas of how to proceed, and I'm doing my best to get it right. I'll be out there tomorrow, seeing what else I can do to incorporate what I'm learning.

 

[jamband]

STOREYS guide to raising chickens is a great resource as are several other books. The library usually has them. Might get you quick answers. Have fun

 

[Rvl Rookie]

Today I finished my chicken door, so I can open it from outside;





Then I made an egg door behind the nests;
(I also put the top back over the nests, but didn't get a pic of that)







I'm going to have welded wire and hardware cloth around the base of the coop, but that would still leave the doors as a weak point for dogs and raccoons. I'm going to keep this board blocking the doors, to avoid any digging/grabbing at the bottom;



There's a tree leaning against the Cedar next to the coop, and my SIL is supposed to come over Sunday to take care of it. I'll pull it down with my truck, and he'll cut it up with a chain saw. Then he'll put up the wire for my run. I plan to put more ventilation before then, so that when he gets that stuff done I'll be ready for some chickens.

 

[Rvl Rookie]

The tree;

 

[Rvl Rookie]

Nothing happened with the tree or fence today, but I bought some hardware cloth and spent the day trying to make the coop more secure. I'm not done yet, but here's a few in-progress pics of what I did today;

 

[3forfree]

a friend used to raise pigeons and had a coop like yours, and what he did was put up a stud wall a few feet inside the doors, and covered it with chicken wire. That gave him a place to store whatever inside and when he opened the outside doors his birds weren't flying away. There was a door inside also to access the coop.
I put chicken wire on the ground outside my run like you've done with the hardware cloth, The grass will grow right through it and you won't know it's there.

 

[Coop de Grille]

a friend used to raise pigeons and had a coop like yours, and what he did was put up a stud wall a few feet inside the doors, and covered it with chicken wire. That gave him a place to store whatever inside and when he opened the outside doors his birds weren't flying away. There was a door inside also to access the coop.
I put chicken wire on the ground outside my run like you've done with the hardware cloth, The grass will grow right through it and you won't know it's there.

This is what I did too. I left four feet in the front to be able to store feed and have a place to put my brooder. I open up the doors for instant venitlation. I used hardware cloth instead of chicken wire so I can keep the doors open all the time when the weather is nice or hot. It also doubles as a viewing area for my dogs lol.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Definitely add more ventilation to that shed. If you can check out your nearest Habitat ReStore-- they have used window sashes for around $5 a piece. That's what I used on my coop. Put hardware cloth on the inside of the hole and enable your window to flip out for ventilation and you're set. If you're not handy with roofing, I wouldn't add any venting to your roof and cause more trouble. If you don't want to get a window or can't find a suitable one-- you know, you can just cut out a hole and hinge it and put your wire over it and prop it open like a window. Yeah, it won't let it LIGHT-- but it'll let in air.

That would be the cheapest route, of course.

Next... is your floor. You said you had a cement floor. I'd get those panels you put down taken up. Cement draws up moisture from the ground (all year long) and it will keep those panels you put down moist and present with mold issues-- at the very least, will be a good hiding spot for red mites and other bugs. Instead, I'd just throw shavings on the top of your cement-- or if it's in bad shape, I'd get some cement paint and just paint it-- that might be the best in all honesty. Then throw your shavings on top of the painted surface. It will cut down on mold and places for mites and bugs to live. You can use those panels for something else. Otherwise, it does look like you're doing your best to really think this thru. If you address these issues, I think you'll have a fantastic coop you'll be happy with for a long time.