Need advice on turning a garage into a chicken coop!!!

[CARS]

Quote:
I think that idea would give the allusion of dry walls but the block is still going to condensate between the block and the ply. And then you are going to have mold and mildew problems.

If you were going to finish off the interior wall you should consult a contractor to see what vapor barrier, insulation, etc. you need to do a proper job (safe for your birds).

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I think that idea would give the allusion of dry walls but the block is still going to condensate between the block and the ply. And then you are going to have mold and mildew problems.

If you were going to finish off the interior wall you should consult a contractor to see what vapor barrier, insulation, etc. you need to do a proper job (safe for your birds).

A vapor barrier wouldn't be a terrible idea between plywood and block wall; but I have to tell you, I have worked in a lot of horse barns with cinderblock walls finished this way (plywood over cinderblock -- both to minimize humidity problems and because a horse kicking directly into a cinderblock wall can incur terrible injuries) and cannot remember ANY having a rot or mold problem. Really, for an unheated outbuilding with decent ventilation it works just fine. (I sure wouldn't do it in a *basement*, but that's different in many ways)

I doubt you do get very much condensation between plywood and cinderblock btw. There isn't *much* of a temperature gradient, b/c the barn is not heated, it's just the difference between the 'latent cold' of the block walls and whatever the air temperature is on a nice spring day, you know? I would bet that plywood's inherent, though low, insulating value, as well as its capacity to buffer temporary changes in humidity (i.e. peaks in coop humidity won't be nearly as extreme on the other side of the plywood) probably reduce condensation in between there quite a lot.

But whatever the mechanics inside that sort of wall, they work FINE for barns, honest.

Pat

 

[ninny]

Quote:
I will do a journal once the project gets going. The owners before us threw the stuff they didn't want in it so we have to get a dumpster. We are gonna wait till there is no more snow.


What would be the easiest way to mount nest boxes?

 

[Mahonri]

I would divide up one that big into different breeding pens and put out more runs.

That could potentially hold 150 chickens, but you'd want to make it so it's easy to clean!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I'd make a more or less freestanding unit on legs, then just attach to the wall with one or two (depending on size/height/etc) bolts into the concrete wall, for which you will need to drill a hole and then use a molly bolt or other form of anchor designed for use in cinderblock walls. The bolts would be just to ensure it doesn't tip over. A similar thing could be done for roosts.

Alternatively, you can bolt a couple strategically placed 2x4s to the wall, as per above, and screw into them.

GOod luck, have fun, post pix!

,

Pat

 

[hobbychick]

It sounds as though your chicken coop is going to be about the same as mine. We had an old brick building on our property when we bought it and it has a concrete floor. We converted it into a coop. It works out really great and we do not seem to have any problems w/ventilation. My husband took out one of the windows and we put in a doggy door type door for the birds, it works great!! We hung nesting boxes on the walls and put up 2 x 4 for roosting. We love it. I also has a small drain in the floor so washing out the house is a breeze.

 

[ninny]

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We will have to see once we get it emptied out. I can easily make the run a acre if need be.


I also have a huge barn that will hold hmm a thousand chickens with a two acre run, but that barn needs a lot of work so for right now its like it doesn't exist.

 

[skooby]

Quote:
Yes you can train them to use the doggie door. We put our opening for the chickens up high and the trained them to go up and down on ramps on each side of the opening. Every other week we would lower the ramps about 8 inches so they would have to jump a little higher each time. After a few months we no longer use the ramps at all and they fly in and out all on their and I don't have to worry if we are out late and I can't get back in time to put them up. I thought my husband was nuts when he suggested it but it works.

 

[cmom]

I used to keep my birds in a garge. I painted the walls with a cement primer then painted. I put a floor primer on the floor and covered with floor paint. I had windows on each side and a man door on one side towards the front of the garage. and garage doors. Ialways left the windows opened a bit, but had covered sheds on each side, so I did't have to worry about rain getting in with the windows open. No issues with my birds. You can have about 150 birds but I would recomend a smaller flock to start. I will look for some pictures.

 

[cmom]

On my BYC Page are pictures of the side sheds and the windows on the garage where we stack our wood.