Need advice on converting storage building into coup

[bhanks55]

I have a nice 8'x9' x10ft tall storage building that I want to convert to a coup for chickens and guineas.

I dont have pictures right now but it is a standard wood construction storage building with shingle roof, standard door on the left front and a small "doggie" door on the right side low on the side that I was thinking of using as a fowl entrance.

I need some help with the internal design. I know NOTHING about what a descent coup design entails. I assume you need to have a divider of some kind or a way to get the eggs without disturbing the chickens. The inside just has 2x4s with the side walls on the outside.

With the entrance I was going to make an ~4' circle of wire about 1' high with a strand of electric fence about 3/4 of the way up to keep varmits from climbing over. Can they figure out to hop/fly over that?

What kind of setup do I need for the inside?
Pics would be most helpful.

 

[babymakes6]

Chickens would be over that in a hurry. You should have some sort of nesting boxes, up off the floor preferably, for them to lay their eggs in. Other than that, it sounds great! Don't worry about disturbing the chickens, they usually lay their eggs, and then go back to what they were doing.

 

[bhanks55]

I definitely think the building would be great. I just dont know how to design the boxes or to partition such a large building off for a potential workspace,etc. I know i dont need the whole darn thing. I figured the less space I had to clean the better. BTW. It also has a window. What about ventilation??

Also, Can you start with older chickens and guineas, or would you worry about fighting? Do they eat the same thing if young?

 

[patandchickens]

The only reason to have an internal divider partitioning you from the chickens would be if you want to be able to collect eggs without pooey feet, or if you want a chickenfree storage area. Both of which are legitimate desires of course, I just mean, by no means at all do you HAVE to do it that way. Chickens are not 'disturbed' by your going in the coop

Storage buildings pretty much never have enough ventilation for poultry, so you would need to add some -- consider both your ability to keep it cool in the summer AND your ability to ventilate it adequately all winter without freezing the patooties off your chickens. There is a link to my ventilation page in my .sig below, if that helps any.

Personally I think that cleaning is a lot less work when the chickens have LOTS of space, rather than less. The more chickens in the less space, the more often you HAVE to be removing bedding. Whereas if you have fewer birds spread over lotsa space, the poo can just desiccate and disappear into the litter and you may be able to go literally years without having to shovel out anything except dealing with stuff that comes out of them when the're on the roost at night (and for that, I really like a droppings board cleaned every morning).

Good luck, have fun, try to post pics if you have more building-specific questions,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

First,

Take some time to look at the numerous coops on the BYCer's webpages, attached to site. Also, post pics asap, so that we can see if there are any bonuses in your building, or if there are any problems that may not have foreseen (like, wire sticking out somewhere, for instance.) I have Learned SO MUCH this winter on this site looking at everybody else's work, and reading about what they would have done differently, in hindsight.
PAY ATTENTION to how much space you will need for each bird, because it's easy to buy more--they'r e "cheep."

Read the FAQ page, and patandchickens ol'ventilation page.

This is the best time to be planning, 'cause, if you're noticed, everybody is building and NOT online!!!!!