Ideas on how to make this thing a functioning coop

[aart]

Just on the side with the big windows, unfortunately. The windows are too big, so I'm planning to board them halfway up then add hardware cloth to the top. It is not air tight so it might be enough to leave the wood with gaps in between the boards up high and add hw cloth for protection.

Can you open the other side?
Would be great if you could make operable windows, top hinged with clear glazing.

 

[ehoneybee]

Can you open the other side?
Would be great if you could make operable windows, top hinged with clear glazing.

That would be awesome but I don't want to cut too much into this shed. I could make some rectangular cuts up near the top to allow more air flow.

 

[aart]

That would be awesome but I don't want to cut too much into this shed. I could make some rectangular cuts up near the top to allow more air flow.

Get some good pics of it, inside and out, might be simpler than you think.

 

[ehoneybee]

I'll post pics tomorrow but we've shored up the outside and now just need to replace the door (too much rot and gaps) and reconfigure the inside. DH still doesn't get why the nesting boxes are in a bad spot lol but I showed him aart's link and he liked the way that looked so going to attempt that. It feels wrong to put them on 2x4s with the 4 side flat because all the coops have those tiny bars.

 

[aart]

It feels wrong to put them on 2x4s with the 4 side flat because all the coops have those tiny bars.

It's the tiny bars that are 'wrong'.

 

[ehoneybee]

Still a work in progress (I told DH he has to take that random blue piece of wood off the door!) but it's predator proof and everyone is laying and roosting on the bars at night (with a little help - first night I had to put all of them on the bars, 2nd night only half still didn't get it). The inside is done and we closed up half the window bottoms and added 2 vents. It's not pretty but it works so much better than those 2 little prefab coops I've been dealing with for 3 years! Suggestions welcome for tweaking . The height of the door opening is bothering me but not sure it matters. Just seems they need to duck a bit to go in but they have no problem going in. It was also so dark before that when I went to get them the first morning they were still roosting! The added vents made such a difference.

 

[Alaskan]

Still a work in progress (I told DH he has to take that random blue piece of wood off the door!) but it's predator proof and everyone is laying and roosting on the bars at night (with a little help - first night I had to put all of them on the bars, 2nd night only half still didn't get it). The inside is done and we closed up half the window bottoms and added 2 vents. It's not pretty but it works so much better than those 2 little prefab coops I've been dealing with for 3 years! Suggestions welcome for tweaking . The height of the door opening is bothering me but not sure it matters. Just seems they need to duck a bit to go in but they have no problem going in. It was also so dark before that when I went to get them the first morning they were still roosting! The added vents made such a difference.

Looks good... but I am not sure why you closed up the windows... I thought that they looked good.

 

[ehoneybee]

Looks good... but I am not sure why you closed up the windows... I thought that they looked good.

They did but it would be too much breeze on the birds in winter so we just closed them up to right above their heads when roosting. I was also worried the windows were too big to put hardware cloth on and deter a determined predator. I liked it, too, but thought it wasn't practical? We still need to fill in the spaces between the wall boards on the windows side and I'm toying with adding one more vent above the door. I also wonder if DH could've put that weather barrier on the inside to not compromise the look but we're in the middle of a bathroom reno, too, so I was happy to be able to catch him in between jobs to even do this for me .

 

[ehoneybee]

For those of you who have the drop down door, do you add a latch or anything to keep it secure? Can predators easily lift that up?

 

[aart]

Can predators easily lift that up?

Yes, raccoons can open abut anything.