Metal shed

[3KillerBs]

Any dry organic material that you can readily access can work. Different people have different conditions and different preferences.

Also some materials are locally available in different places.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think the ground in the shed feels moist (to me. I still like to go barefoot even here in Ky). It's clay-ish. Should I put more dirt on top? Different type of dirt? I just figured concrete would make it easier to clean.

What happens after a rain? How wet is it. Does the moisture come from leaks or holes from above or does it come in from ground level? If the ground or bedding stay wet the microbes that eat it and turn it into compost become anaerobic, which means they live without using oxygen. These stink and become slimy. That "wet" can host disease microbes like Coccidiosis. If they cannot get out of the wet you can run into foot problems but as long as they can dry their feet this should not be a big problem.

I'm talking about it wet enough to keep oxygen away from those microbes. Slightly damp is not a problem. If it is slightly damp the microbes changing it into compost are aerobic, they breathe oxygen. That does not stink, it has a nice earthy smell. It does not harbor disease. For a compost pile imagine getting a sponge wet and then wringing it out as dry as you can. That's about perfect for moisture. Many people turn their coop floor or run floor into a compost pile. Mine was so dry that it could not even support the aerobic microbes. It did not compost. The chickens would scratch it to tiny pieces so I'd add more as needed. It would absorb the moisture from the poop. I could go years in between cleaning it out. The poop can build up under the roosts so I used droppings boards to remove that from the coop and put it in my compost pile. There is a huge difference in damp and wet.

I don't know what the slope of the ground is at your shed. Mine was on a slight hillside but on an area slightly built up. I put a berm and swale above it to divert rainwater runoff away from it. I also added a few inches of clay dirt to the coop floor to further keep water from running in. It stayed bone dry. Concrete will also work to raise it up and keep rainwater runoff out but I like using dirt. Just a personal preference, plus the dirt was free.

I went through some of the things you can use for bedding in my first post. I used wood shavings as that was simplest for me.

Some people clean out their coop completely regularly, weekly or monthly. If you have a small coop you may need to. Many of us with larger walk-in coops cleanout a lot less often. You may still need to do some daily or weekly or monthly maintenance but many of us can go 6 months or a year between total cleanouts. I usually go three to four years between cleanouts, not because I need to but because I want that stuff on my garden. With a 15' x 15' shed it would be a shame if you are out there doing much deep cleaning.

 

[aje127]

How often do you clean it out

 

[aje127]

Thank you so much. My ground just feels moist so that's a plus. I am definitely going to take your advice. Dirt floor, deep bedding, hard wire skirt, lots of high ventilation. They will have access to two big runs which I will alternate (and they will be covered with more hardwire or netting if I put electric on the fence). My run will be 15x75. One side will be chainlink and the other side I'm not sure yet. Picture is where the big run will be. The other run about 35' long will be on the other side.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How often do you clean it out

If you are asking me, I scrape the droppings board anywhere form once a week to once every six weeks. It depends on how many chickens I have at the time (that can vary from 7 to 50, not all using the roosts) and how humid the weather is. If it smells I waited too long. Over the years I've got a good feel for how often that needs to be.

I clean out all bedding in the coop once every three or four years.

 

[ZedikerStation]

I think the ground in the shed feels moist (to me. I still like to go barefoot even here in Ky). It's clay-ish. Should I put more dirt on top? Different type of dirt? I just figured concrete would make it easier to clean.

The bottom Girt, is showing signs of water. If that is water marks, that might cause a bit too much humidity in the cold months causing frost bite. You want dry...

 

[3KillerBs]

How often do you clean it out

Not sure who you were asking, but my big coop's been in use for about 15 months and I'll probably take some compost-in-progress out before planting season this spring.

The bottom Girt, is showing signs of water. If that is water marks, that might cause a bit too much humidity in the cold months causing frost bite. You want dry...

Good catch.

@aje127, you should check the runoff pattern in the next rain and, if necessary dig a diversion ditch and/or add a gutter as needed.

You'll want to seal that gap up with something solid to keep predators out -- more siding partially buried, concrete blocks, or the like.

 

[texsuze]

Re: insulation, I'd like to suggest that if your shed is in full sun, those metal walls will get hot, regardless of the ventilation you've installed. The west and south walls of my large metal barn, with lots of open doors, windows and ventilation, got pretty hot to the touch in full sun, esp. summer. So I installed those sheets of blue, rigid insulation panels. Made a big difference. I'd certainly consider adding wall insulation, covered with a thin plywood wall, on the south and west exposed sides of the metal shed if in full sun. Plywood will keep chickens from pecking at whatever insulation you would use.

Also, as mentioned, the interior metal ceiling will sweat in certain weather. My barn, a coop and my covered run all have insulation on the interior ceiling. I used the leftover roll of insulation from the barn construction on coop and covered run. Worth doing, IMHO. Just some points to ponder.

 

[ZedikerStation]

Re: insulation, I'd like to suggest that if your shed is in full sun, those metal walls will get hot, regardless of the ventilation you've installed. The west and south walls of my large metal barn, with lots of open doors, windows and ventilation, got pretty hot to the touch in full sun, esp. summer. So I installed those sheets of blue, rigid insulation panels. Made a big difference. I'd certainly consider adding wall insulation, covered with a thin plywood wall, on the south and west exposed sides of the metal shed if in full sun. Plywood will keep chickens from pecking at whatever insulation you would use.

Also, as mentioned, the interior metal ceiling will sweat in certain weather. My barn, a coop and my covered run all have insulation on the interior ceiling. I used the leftover roll of insulation from the barn construction on coop and covered run. Worth doing, IMHO. Just some points to ponder.

I agree with @texsuze on the insulation, but for the heat not the cold. Chickens do much better in the cold than in the heat. An option to cover insulation on the walls is cheap sheets stapled over it. They can't/and don't even try to mess with it. It also doesn't trap any moisture/condensation. It breathes. For the ceiling, 4 X 8 sheets of insulation blocks heat and the air gap will stop the condensation, and it's fast to install.

 

[kodster]

They'll be fine in Caneyville, KY. You're used to the temps in Orlando, so that's a drastic change, in your mind. It's not. Use the metal shed, as is. It's perfect. Depending on how much window (air circulation, sunlight penetration) availability, you might want to consider adding some, if not sufficient.

I lived in north-central Kentucky (Louisville area) for 15 years. I know the weather conditions in Kentucky. You'll get some snow, but it doesn't last long on the ground, during the winter. The flock will do fine with shelter provided by the shed during those times. I now live in North Dakota. I'm more aggressive with winterization here than in Kentucky.