ButtonquailGirl14
Crossing the Road
Ideas for fixing up coop
- Thread starter Ocdbrownie
- Start date
Lets see you are researching and about to draw up some plans and have a friends husband who appears to be a volunteer, with all that you should be up and running soon. Good luck!!
Aww, that's nice of you to help your mom and to help the chickies! Sounds like you're on your way!
Sunshine Flock
Crowing
I know what you mean about being shy posting your coop photos here. I converted an old shed and made very slow progress because I got hangup on what to do.
So, as others have suggested, I'd start with the ventilation. All you need is a drill and a bit. If you don't know which bit will work for metal, just grab one and see how it goes. You can measure out long rectangles on two walls, opposite each other. This will create a convection current of air. It's remarkable how well this works.
Do you know the general direction the air moves where you live? Those are the walls you'd want to choose, but I didn't have a choice and made them on the other walls.
Drill holes in the corners of the rectangle, and then drill holes next to them until you can insert the blade of a hacksaw. A hacksaw is like a long, narrow U shape, with the blade attached to the saw on either end. You can use a hacksaw that doesn't have the U shaped contraption and get into that drilled opening more easily. But work with what you have or borrow from a neighbor.
The hardware cloth can be 1/4" or 1/2" but shouldn't be any larger than that. If all you have is chicken wire, install a double layer and offset the overlap so that one layer doesn't perfectly align with the cutouts in the other layer. This will make smaller openings for better protection.
As for attaching it to the metal, if money is an issue and duct tape is all you have, cut a large piece of chicken wire and hold it in place with a bunch of tape, and then do the same thing on the outside of the opening. You'll have two layers of wire, one on both sides of the rectangular cutout.
For perches, I used an older dresser with the top removed. They perched along the top of the frame until they were maybe three months old. If you want to install a new perch, something more proper for chickens, build a free standing one, or drill through the metal and attack 2x4s to each other with screws, one board on each side of the metal wall.
But free standing would be fine, as long as it's stable. Think of a portable coatrack or monkey bars on a playground. You can replicate that with scraps from your property. T stakes are too sharp and narrow for their feet, but if that's all you have, do what someone else here has done (I saw this last night) and wrap them in old bath towels and secure them tightly with zip ties so the towels don't rotate or come off. A thick layer of wrapped towels could turn those stakes into nice roosts.
And an idea should the shed get hot: stack some straw or hay bales up against the exterior walls and extend a tarp over the top like I did. It can't hurt, and the bales will indeed help.
So, as others have suggested, I'd start with the ventilation. All you need is a drill and a bit. If you don't know which bit will work for metal, just grab one and see how it goes. You can measure out long rectangles on two walls, opposite each other. This will create a convection current of air. It's remarkable how well this works.
Do you know the general direction the air moves where you live? Those are the walls you'd want to choose, but I didn't have a choice and made them on the other walls.
Drill holes in the corners of the rectangle, and then drill holes next to them until you can insert the blade of a hacksaw. A hacksaw is like a long, narrow U shape, with the blade attached to the saw on either end. You can use a hacksaw that doesn't have the U shaped contraption and get into that drilled opening more easily. But work with what you have or borrow from a neighbor.
The hardware cloth can be 1/4" or 1/2" but shouldn't be any larger than that. If all you have is chicken wire, install a double layer and offset the overlap so that one layer doesn't perfectly align with the cutouts in the other layer. This will make smaller openings for better protection.
As for attaching it to the metal, if money is an issue and duct tape is all you have, cut a large piece of chicken wire and hold it in place with a bunch of tape, and then do the same thing on the outside of the opening. You'll have two layers of wire, one on both sides of the rectangular cutout.
For perches, I used an older dresser with the top removed. They perched along the top of the frame until they were maybe three months old. If you want to install a new perch, something more proper for chickens, build a free standing one, or drill through the metal and attack 2x4s to each other with screws, one board on each side of the metal wall.
But free standing would be fine, as long as it's stable. Think of a portable coatrack or monkey bars on a playground. You can replicate that with scraps from your property. T stakes are too sharp and narrow for their feet, but if that's all you have, do what someone else here has done (I saw this last night) and wrap them in old bath towels and secure them tightly with zip ties so the towels don't rotate or come off. A thick layer of wrapped towels could turn those stakes into nice roosts.
And an idea should the shed get hot: stack some straw or hay bales up against the exterior walls and extend a tarp over the top like I did. It can't hurt, and the bales will indeed help.
As has already been pointed out:
wood roost bars. Metal is cold and harsh on feet.
The metal shelving will rot out soon and present rough surfaces due to the caustic nature of chicken poop.
More ventilation b/c you need an inlet as well as an outlet. Window(s) also good to make the coop nice and bright and inviting. I prefer awning style so they can be left opened during rain and snow.
Put location in your profile so folks can give climate appropriate advice.
Welcome!!!
wood roost bars. Metal is cold and harsh on feet.
The metal shelving will rot out soon and present rough surfaces due to the caustic nature of chicken poop.
More ventilation b/c you need an inlet as well as an outlet. Window(s) also good to make the coop nice and bright and inviting. I prefer awning style so they can be left opened during rain and snow.
Put location in your profile so folks can give climate appropriate advice.
Welcome!!!
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
-
-
24 hour old chick with legs and feet issue.- Started by Beckys Birds
- Replies: 111
-
-
Need advice for the best vines and plants for in a chicken run!- Started by ChickenShepherd_6116
- Replies: 98
-
