my coop-to-be

[chick'n'run]

here are some pix of the shed i'll be using. the third one faces south.

 

[TheDuckCrew]

theres a quick and easy way to get the job done! can't wait to see it with its new inhabitants!

 

[HappyHatch'en]

Dressed up it will be GRRRREEEAAAAT!. Chickens are hardy, but a door facing the north wind needs to be addressed...have a door that seals good, you might consider framing in a narrow door. I would insulate the walls with sheets of insulation covered on the inside by 1/4 plywood or paneling....so you keep the birds from pecking on the insulate....don't forget the roof insulation....Don't forget to vent it well and I mean well....round wind turbine and side vents screened.
Again the rule of thumb is 4 sq. ft. per bird for the coop and if your shed is 8' x8' = 64 sq. ft. means you could have 16 birds in the Coop....now the pen needs to be bigger...160 sq. ft. (8' x 20') But I feel those numbers are generous....I would start off with 6-9 birds, learning as you go. Also being that close to neighbors I wouldn't advise owning a rooster, even if they get an egg or two.
Having the shed puts you ahead money wise....look around and see what you can get for nothing....Enjoy
HappyHatch'en

 

[chick'n'run]

it's only 7.5 by 4.5 feet, and the door faces east.
how big do the vents have to be?

 

[HappyHatch'en]

High vents across from each other, perhaps 10' x 36" on opposite walls + a roof vent....in the summer heat in a metal building the chickens won't want to sleep in an oven on hot days....I don't know your landscape around the house for shade ( chickens love the shade) or where you are located. I do realize you are not in my town because I don't have any snow....LOL...I would also find a window for the birds to look out of and you to look at them....like watching TV with out the dish. a 5 x 8 Coop will take 10 birds max....so you still can get by with 6 birds easily. It will make your pen smaller too, 6 x 10....Which makes a very nice Coop/Pen size to raise birds.
Welcome BYC......where everyone starts out being the egg!!!
HappyHatch'en

 

[Omran]

That's a very nice building

I bet you will have a lot of fun when you start your project

 

[chick'n'run]

from where i took the third pic, i was standing beside a 50 or so old maple tree. i was planning a run about 1 1/2 times bigger than the shed.

First, i will be putting vents in, then a lot of studs on the inside. i will fill it with some type of insulation, and then covering it with some kind of board. In the front i will use plywood and cut a door out and a chicken door out of that door. Where the umbrella and red wheelbarrow are i am planning to have 2 nest boxes. on the opposite side, roosting bars.