Need creative ideas and help remodeling camper/coop! :D

[shortgrass]

So, I have too many chickens.... Chicken math yay lol.... This started as a joke between the DH and I, when earlier this year, this gal:

Started doing THIS in our camper, which got me in trouble with the DH lol, for letting her....

So we started locking the camper, and now she does THIS!!!!

He gave me the camper lol


So, now i need ideas and input for how to convert it...

Its actually a pretty nice camper; we have it set up out by the garden, about 50' away from the first coop... I have free rangers that fly over the run and graze; THOSE are who the new coop is for, so it's not essential that they stay put, really, just keeping them safe at night and warm for winter... Well ventilated already, need a pop door and nesting boxes, and ideas for roosts...

Let it begin! And thank you all in advance

 

[cavemanrich]

Are you sure you want to sacrifice the good camper to a few finicky hens,,

I am a strong advocate for repuposing things. So if this camper will camp NO MO. then do it to it. Depending on how many hens will be using it, you may not need to do much. Install good comfortable roosts. use the cabinets for nesting boxes. Remove cushions because they hold wetness and moisture. Install a chicken door with a ramp. Line the floor with some great smelling hay, or straw. Install poop boards below roosts. Note;; My opinion;; I would not opt for deep litter method inside a raised coop structure. If coop is on earth ground, then deep litter is fine. My personal preference is deep litter to be only in the run. With a good quantity of hay or straw on floor, the chicken gumdrops dry up and odors are at minimum. Every so often, change out the hay with fresh. That is what I do and (BAD) odor is minimal to non existent. Of course there is the odor of chickens, but that is not offensive.
Post pix of your progress. Many here will have great ideas to help you along.
WISHING YOU BEST.

 

[shortgrass]

Are you sure you want to sacrifice the good camper to a few finicky hens,, 
I am a strong advocate for repuposing things.    So if this camper will camp NO MO.  then do it to it.   Depending on how many hens will be using it, you may not need to do much.   Install good comfortable roosts.  use the cabinets for nesting boxes.  Remove cushions  because they hold wetness and moisture.  Install a chicken door with a ramp.   Line the floor with some great smelling hay, or straw.   Install poop boards below roosts.   Note;; My opinion;;   I would not opt for deep litter method  inside a raised coop structure.  If coop is on earth ground, then deep litter is fine. My personal preference is deep litter to be only in the run.   With a good quantity of hay or straw on floor,  the chicken gumdrops dry up and odors are at minimum.   Every so often, change out the hay with fresh.   That is what I do and  (BAD) odor is  minimal to non existent.  Of course there is the odor of chickens, but that is not offensive. 
Post pix of your progress.  Many here will have great ideas to help you along. 
WISHING YOU BEST. 

Lol I'll post some pictures; you could say that the chickens are getting a pretty spiffy deal... I tried to hint to DH to go online and just get a gutted one, but I think this is his way of getting a new camper

Good point on not doing deep litter.... It has that lovely vinyl flooring in it, so I'm hoping it will actually be quite easy to just sweep out every once in a while.... Not sure about using something like PDZ or sand in there, might rot the floor?

I'm tearing the table out, and the fridge is gone already, but I'm leaving the rest of the "kitchen" untouched, for storage and a countertop for prepping stuff, or laying boxes, haven't quite decided...

I'll post some pics lol, I'm actually kinda bummed, but kind of not?... this is my garden oasis, where I hang out and store all my seeds, so I'm all on board for a newer camper as long as I still have my "office", this one is a go

 

[shortgrass]

 

[shortgrass]

So I took measurements, its 8x10....

No run needed, but might need a chicken door on the back, and might put up one anyway, just in case.... 4 nesting boxes in the closet...4 or 5 more up where the bunk was... Don't quite know how to do roosts, if we should just smack board up here and there or build them a ladder of sorts....

Either way, I couldn't wait, so I put some chicks in it to see how it help up to temps last night...better than the coop! They seem to like it so far ha-ha

Added bonus: I FORGOT that it has ELECTRICITY already!!! Wooohooo

 

[cavemanrich]

Consider multiple roosts that can each hold a few chickens and place at about same height. Ideally placed where you can have poop boards easily placed underneath. Remember that poop boards don't have to be boards. Use what you have, cardboard, (which is disposable after prolonged use), vinyl, linoleum, old cookie sheets.

 

[shortgrass]

Consider multiple roosts that can each hold a few chickens and place at about same height.   Ideally placed where you can have poop boards easily placed underneath.   Remember that poop boards don't have to be boards.  Use what you have,   cardboard, (which is disposable after prolonged use), vinyl, linoleum,  old cookie sheets.

Cardboard! Great idea! I actually hoard cardboard for mulch ha-ha, so I have a couple of really good piecescto start with...then when I pull them out, I can still use them in the garden in the compost

Trying to figure out roosts, think we're going to put one on each side over the benches, and a higher one right in front of the nest boxes... The bucket of chicks won't be there anymore obviously.... These are Hamburgs, Anconas, and Black Australorps.... I'm concerned bthe BAs won't be able to fly up quite as good as the others, so might put a small A frame ladder in the center too....depends on what my shrinking lumber pile looks like

 

[enola]

How much ventilation will the camper have in the winter? Where do you live?

 

[shortgrass]

How much ventilation will the camper have in the winter? Where do you live?

Well it has the vent up top(which I actually want to nail shut, coon problems...), there are 5 more small Windows that can be cranked open if I need them... I'm innorthern Colorado, zone 5. Dipsxdown to 20 below but not much lower than that... This spot has a little bit of windbreak, but its going to be backed up to the wind from the north for sure. No snow will be able to drift here, anyway.. Not sure if that's good or bad, yet

 

[enola]

My concern is frostbite. Too much moisture in the camper and twenty below might cause a lot of frozen combs and wattles and possinly feet.