Need help figuring out old shed conversion to coop **CHICKS added**

[ydkjenn]

I had the brilliant idea of clearing out the old wooden shed in our yard to convert to a chicken coop. However, I ran into a couple (ok, more than a couple) issues. One is, there's a workbench attached to the walls on one side and a corner. It's in there solid and to tear it out would ruin the shed walls. I might be able to convert part of it to nest boxes but retrieving eggs would be difficult. There's an electric box right above that which I can remove, but maybe I'd want electrical access at some point? There's a loft which I'm not sure if the chickens can get that high or not, but other birds and some kind of hornets sure have. There's these louver windows that probably have all kinds of drafts in the colder months and i'm not sure how to better insulate them. It has a very narrow entrance door. i don't know where to put the chicken door and was thinking of not adding one and just using the door that's already there.

I need some help in figuring out what to do. Sorry about the picture quality. I had to take them with my phone. Is this even doable?


This is from the doorway. The workbench and you can see the orange outlet box below the window. This wall is paneled, luckily. A set of three cabinets is attached to the far wall. you can see one in the left of the pic, above the cooler.


The corner next to the entry door (on the far left in the pic) and another window. The 2 x 4's are hanging down from the loft. (and my daughter photobombing the corner)



Another of the workbench, my daughter, and a third window. Back wall paneled around these two windows.




Left back of shed from doorway. This side is not paneled but needs plywood on the inside because there'sholes in the outer walls.




Closeup of a window and the outlet box below it




Full pic of workbench, fully attached to the wall.




The narrow door (and messy yard, now that we pulled stuff out of the shed.)

 

[Judy]

I think you're quite lucky to have something like that, that you can convert! I think you can figure out ways around these things.

You could block the workbench, etc. off with chicken wire. You could paint them so they'd be easy to clean, and just scrape them off. Actually they look like they might be some sort of reclaimed kitchen counter, which of course would already be easy to clean. You could put some sort of doors on the front and make a sort of cabinet out of them. I'd probably figure out a way to make nests out of some part of them. Or you could set something like milk crates or plastic bins on them as open top nests. They would like the "front porch" to walk along the area in front of the nests.

The outlet could be removed, or covered up with a few wood scraps, but I'd also be worried about any exposed wire. I have power in my coop, which I definitely use, but the wires are run through PVC so they can't peck them. My outlets are mounted on the ceiling joists.

They will probably get up to where the hornet's nest, etc. are, or at least some will. They like the high spots and many can fly up pretty high. I wonder if you could also block them off with chicken wire. For a small space, something like a gallon milk jug that they can't knock off will prevent access.

You can ccertainly use that door for the chicken door. There is no particular reason they have to have a separate door.

I don't know what to tell you about the windows. If there would be no draft directly on the roost area, I wouldn't worry about a little air exchange around the edges. I assume you'd want to open them in summer, though, so you'd probably want tome hardware cloth or something over them as well, for predator proofing. Will they be your ventilation? There needs to be some sort of setup so it is ventilated even in rainy or snowy weather.

I think you have a great resource there. You'll figure it out. There are probably some much better ideas out there than mine....

 

[debid]

Nice!

I vote to keep the electric! I don't know where you live but I need a heated water source in winter and a light on a timer to keep the hens laying more than half the year. I also use it to provide heat for chicks and to run a fan on the hottest summer days.

Remember, sheds are minimally vented because they are designed to store stuff, not house animals. So, I'd add some big vents up high. Don't fret about them getting cold in winter -- they have feathers for a reason. And, it's better to be dry than wet from their own respiration any day.

I suspect the windows are fine. I have a couple drafty old shed windows and all I did was to add hardware cloth. If you're worried, test it with a candle on a windy day and you'll know how much draft there really is. If it doesn't blow where they sleep, no worries.

As for the workbench, I'd turn it into nesting boxes. My coop has interior boxes (bins on a shelf) and a hinged door in the wall to access them. Made the door big enough that I can easily remove the bins for cleaning, too.

The loft should be easy enough to block off with hardware cloth and I would to keep them from filling it with droppings and/or eggs that are difficult to retrieve. You could even frame a door into it so you can still store occasional use supplies up there.

 

[bustedchicks]

I used buckets for the nests. looks like buckets would fit quite easily
on that workbench. you have a great canvas there. I had all these images in my head of a perfect coop but really was overthinking it all. I took the visions and simplified and am stoked on the results.

 

[jetdog]

I would make the top of the bench the roost and poop board, put nest boxes under on the shelf, put chicken wire on the ceiling to keep them from roosting up there, I would keep the electric and make
some modifications to it, it's very handy to have it especially if it's already there. I would also put a litter board in front of the door to keep any shavings in.

 

[ydkjenn]

I was thinking of using the top of the workbench for roost because of the ease of cleaning. But that would make it right in front of two potentially drafty windows.
I'm also thinking of using some kind of removable plastic boxes for nest boxes so I can just slide them out the front.
Good idea about the board across the door opening.

I have to figure out if/where I want to add a chicken pop door. Because the main door is really not the side I want to build the run(s) on

How do I add ventilation?? I'll be covering the windows with something so i can open them in the summer.
And do I need to remove all hornet nests or will chickens be ok with a few? I've been removing the ones I see as they're still dormant.

 

[jetdog]

If your worried about the window being drafty I would use some spray foam insulation and then cover it with some scrap trim board so they can't peck at it, for ventilation I would use the window and just open the top sash it will keep the rain from coming in, a couple of gable vents will help also, I would remove the hornets nest with spray or knock them down around dark nothing like a nice surprise from a hornet when your in getting eggs or cleaning and I'm sure you don't want your kid getting stung. The glass in the window probably isn't leaking air it's probably coming in around the jam, cover the outside with hardware cloth and spray foam around the jam you should be ok, alot of us wish we had such a great foundation to start with.

 

[debid]

You need to get comfortable with a saw! You're going to be cutting holes!

A pop door can be very simple. I think mine is 12" wide and 13-14" tall plus a good 6" off the floor to cut down on litter spill. Be sure to add a door on a hinge or sliding tracks if you aren't building a Ft. Knox run. I used the piece cut out of the wall plus some trim boards to cover the crack, hinged it, and added a rope & pulleys so it is easily opened/closed from outside. If I'd installed electric at the start, I would have invested in an automatic door instead!

And ventilation... Is it a traditional peak or barn or ??? You'll want to cut some good sized holes near the roof and cover them with hardware cloth. Someone on BYC suggested 1 square foot per chicken and I thought (at the time) that sounded huge. But yeah, big holes! If you needed to reroof, you could add a ridge vent or a turbine. But if the roof is fine, go with holes. This was, by far, the hardest thing to convince my husband was needed. Everyone seems to worry about keeping the chickens warm but the main goal of a shelter is to keep them dry, out of the wind, and safe from predators. So, I have a sloped roof with the upper 6" wide open all year (aside from the hardware cloth covering it) on the high and low sides so the air flows across the ceiling. It's never gotten wet or frosty inside and we live in a humid place so that's really impressive!

 

[ydkjenn]

Thanks everyone for your ideas. Keep them coming.


This is turning into a bigger project than I originally anticipated! I'm not sure I can do all this by myself.

Can the vents in the wall be above the loft? Would that still create enough air circulation?
The roof is traditional peaked, like a house. I'd put vents in the wall on either of the higher sides, but they'd be in the loft area. Can I forego the vents for the time being? Weather's still on the chilly side (spattering of snow yesterday, but 60 by Sunday). Because it's been so cold, I really need to get the chickens outside as soon as possible. They're way too big for staying indoors. I'll give them daily run in the yard time, until the run is built.

 

[jetdog]

Good size vents in the gable will work, you want the hot/ammonia filled air to escape, with the vents and window openings you will be fine, you could put them in the coop now if you have a heat lamp and work around them if need be. What ever you choose make sure to keep the pictures coming.