Nesting box question

[sab]

Oh that would even be cooler. We could think of neat ways to use a potting shed attached to a coop. Me thinks grass in the winter and on really snowy days the chicks could come into the playground.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Jordan, you said there was a run. What does that run look like? What kind of fencing, how high, how big, gates, was it covered, things like that? Is there a pop door between the “coop” and run? Your comment implies to me there were no nests in there. Is there a roost? I tend to agree with the others, that was not a chicken coop but was used for something else. A potting shed/greenhouse is a real possibility. Maybe for keeping rabbits or something else.

That doesn’t mean it would not make a great coop with a little work. I’d probably remove the curtain or move it to the wall. You might need it to give the chickens a dark coop at night. They need their dark down time and if you have security lights or something like that, the curtain might be handy with those big windows.

I don’t know where you are located but you probably need to install some ventilation, especially up high. Proper ventilation is greatly needed in a coop. If there is no ventilation then I really doubt it was a coop.

That enclosed cage can be really handy. Put something on top so they can’t poop through it. Then it can become a storage area, a built-in brooder, maybe a place to isolate a chicken or a broody hen while she hatches. If you can put a slightly elevated wire floor you have a broody buster, but remember you’ll need to clean in there.

Install a roost, nests, and a pop door and you are ready to go. You can use a human door for them to go in and out, but any door needs to be locked open so the wind doesn’t lock the hens away from the nests and a human door can let in a lot more rain.

You could try putting some sort of bedding over those brick on the floor. I think you’d be able to clean it out when you wanted too, but the depth of the bedding would probably keep you from opening the door on that cage. I prefer a dirt floor as long as water doesn’t run in from the outside but many people use some really strange stuff for flooring. At least the brick would not rot. I’m wondering if the brick is in there to keep the floor dry.

Another option is to just tear out that cage. That would give you more space plus some material to build a broody buster, brooder, or something else if you wish.

 

[aart]

Under the wire shelf looks like a brooder to me......maybe they had a poop board roost combo on top of wire shelf?