Metal Shed conversion...

[jenniemig]

Hello all

After going round and round, crunching numbers and trying to find an affordable route I have decided that my coop will be made of a re-purposed 8X10 metal shed that I already have. I live in north florida and it gets hot here during the summer. The location of the coop will be at the edge a group of large shady oak trees, and the run will extend out into the sunshine. The shed will sit 12 inches above the ground on a 2X12 pressure treated frame with 2-12" vents on each of the 4 sides. In addition to ventilation this will give me added head room so that I can walk without bashing my head. The floor will be dirt, with a thick layer of some sort of bedding, this will keep it cooler. I am going to cut openings into each of the 3 solid sides, probably 24"X 48", frame them with wood and fill with hardware cloth. I will fashion some sort of shutter for colder weather. I will remove the existing sliding doors and re-frame with wood and cover with more hardware cloth which will make the front almost completely open. On the inside one side will be free standing nesting boxes and a large roost area on the other.I would like to attach the run to the side of the shed and make a small entrance/exit there.

Now, how to get the shed from my house to it's new home 10 miles away, my trailer is only 7' wide;-)

I will post pictures if I can make this happen.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Good plan. You may want to go higher than 12" from the ground. 18 would be better so your birds can hang out under there during the day. That will be the coolest place.
Get the shed into as much shade as possible.
Good idea on the big openings.
You shouldn't need any opening cover for winter other than to keep rain out.

Put 4X4s across your trailer and roll it up there lengthwise.

Another good idea is roosts on one side and nests on the other. You don't want the chickens to have to walk under the roosts to get to the nests or they'll track feces in.

 

[jenniemig]

Yes, if I can get it 18" off of the ground even better. Just as long as I don't make an area that strong winds can get under, we have pretty strong tropical storms and hurricanes that relocate these metal sheds often;-)

The trailer is 26' long and has 6' high expanded metal sides. My husband suggested that we rent a flat bed trailer from U-Haul that is used to transport cars.

Thanks for your input! I appreciate any and all help that I can get;-)

 

[jenniemig]

The second picture is EXACTLY what I was envisioning! I am making my materials list now:-D

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/592031/metal-shed-as-coop

 

[jenniemig]

Well, materials list is done. Using the Lowes website adding each item to my "cart" I came up with $403, just for the materials to modify the shed into an airy coop and an 8x16 run. That's everything including screws and hardware. That expenditure was quickly vetoed by my husband:-( Then I figured it with an 8x8 run, which is doable, I can add on later, but not ideal and came in at $297, still a big NO.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The Lowe's by me sells lumber that is split or warped for half price. They put it on pallets with a tag that has the list price of everything and then they cut it in half. If it doesn't sell in a month I just make them an offer and they take it.
I built my last two coops like that.

 

[jenniemig]

The Lowe's by me sells lumber that is split or warped for half price. They put it on pallets with a tag that has the list price of everything and then they cut it in half. If it doesn't sell in a month I just make them an offer and they take it.
I built my last two coops like that.

Thanks Canoe, I'll have to check on that. I'm going to shop it and see what i can find cheaper. Pressure treated wood is double unfinished!