Need help choosing a coop between two existing Buildings.(Now w/ Pic.)

[rickmacqueen]

I'm new to raising chickens and I was wander if someone could give me some inside about what I should do for a coop?I live in western Oklahoma, warn in the summer, fairly cold but not freezing in the winters. First I have a 14 x 14 tin shed with a concrete floor and about a 8 or 9 foot roof( only one door and no widows) about 5 feet from another building. My other option is a building a coop on to an existing Barn type structure. Off the east facing wall of the barn there is a 4 stall pole barn type over hang. I was thinking about turn the last stall about 12 x 12 stall with a 10 roof sloping to a 8 roof and dirt floor that I would up sand in. Of course I will put a run off either one, any info would help greatly.
Here are pictures of both building.

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[scarter]

I would cut windows into the tin shed and build a run if it were me. I'd hate chickens in my pole barn if I had other things in there. They are super dusty.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
Ventilation is key to good health/production with poultry. As hot as it gets there, be thinking of adding lots and lots of ventilation to which ever place you go with. That is likely to be a good chore with a steel building. And then the vents need to be finished properly so as to provide a way to screen them with hardware cloth mesh for security. In sunshine that metal will act like a radiator and will put out heat towards the interior. A vent fan would be a help for that. Could be maybe two turbine roof vents. I have one of those, 2 gable vents, and continuous soffit vents front and back on my coop of 8 x 16.

Another thought is predators. An opening as small as a quarter can allow a weasel in, and weasels are chicken vampires. Can either building be made to where it is that tight?

 

[rickmacqueen]

I can build the pole barn that tight, there is nothing there yet so it's just a matter of building it right. The metal shed has a couple of trouble spots, but could be mended. Do you think concrete or sand, or something else like wood would be the best for flooring.

 

[newchicksnducks]

If you could put a concrete trench long the edge of the floor, this would be a barrier against animals digging under the structure. Sorry, I'm not really sure the pros and cons of the actual flooring being dirt or concrete (mine is wood). If well ventilated, the metal shed might be nice, but I would worry about the oven effect of it in the OK sun. The fan would probably help a lot...My girls are outside and under the trees most of the time in the summer, returning to the coop for evening and to lay their eggs. If a fan was running to bring in the cooler breezes, this would probably work out well for you. Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[RockwaterFarm]

go with the tin one it has a concrete floor which is really easy to clean

 

[rickmacqueen]

Update: I got some real measurements today, the shed is a 16 1/2 feet X 12 1/2 feet. The pole barn has four stales in it they each measure 10 feet x 12 feet and I am thinking about using the last two stales, any thoughts?

 

[crosbygroup]

Can you post some pictures? How many chickens do you want? Are you going to raise meat birds or are you in it for the eggs? Is one of the buildings closer to the house? Do either of them have natural shade like trees? Do you have electrical near either?

Just trying to get a few more bits of info.

 

[rickmacqueen]

Both are about the 50 feet from the house, neither has power here but the pole barn has power in the building that it is apart of, no shade trees for either, and I will try to post some pictures in the morning.

 

[rickmacqueen]

oh... and I got my chicks yesterday, 16 total. 8 meat birds and 8 layers