- Feb 7, 2020
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I'm about to order my new chicken coop/shed. I really want to make it as nice as possible so it's easier to maintain and my birds are healthy and happy. Are there any thoughts before I order it this evening? It'll go here, with the old small chicken coop moved and a new run between the new coop and the old ugly shed. The left is east in this photo.
The doors will face north (towards me in the photo) with a window to the left of them.
Then a second window on the East side of the coop.
I want to do a small pop door in the back middle to enter the run, which they're putting in so it can have trim around it. Something like this
These are the same shed but with only one window and in a different color. So you can see the inside layout.
We may insulate it in the future.
Any thoughts? Ideas for converting it to a good functional coop would also be appreciated. It should only take around 4 weeks they said. It'll be 8x12'. I know more ventilation will be suggested which I totally know it does need some and understand, but keep in mind that I'm in Northern SD and we have extremely cold winters. We commonly spend the majority of our winters (which usually last 5-6 months) in single digits. For at least one of those months we won't get above 0 at all, and may get into -30s/-40s for weeks on end. It's brutal. And we have extremely dry winters, we never get wet snow like many other areas get. So humidity and frostbite is rarely going to be an issue. I do heat my coops, which is necessary to keep waters thawed even using high quality heated waterers. I may add in a couple gaps under the eaves, and the windows can open and will be during the spring/summer/fall, but during winter they'll definitely need to be shut. Placement for vents will be appreciated. I'm sure the shed company could do it, but I'm guessing it'll be expensive.
For interior, this is how my neighbor set up her new coop. This is her first time with chickens, and I did give a lot of advice, but I think it turned out nice. Is this a good design with poop boards and such? I'll have about 30 chickens in my coop full time, though 8 are small/bantams. They'll have a run, but free range all dry during the nicer days. I want to have an led light in there so an extension cord will need to be run. Would an L shaped roost area be better for the space?
Hopefully this a makes sense. Any thoughts and ideas are much appreciated! I've never had a nice coop and always just made do with small coops/runs and kennels. Thanks!
The doors will face north (towards me in the photo) with a window to the left of them.
Then a second window on the East side of the coop.
I want to do a small pop door in the back middle to enter the run, which they're putting in so it can have trim around it. Something like this
These are the same shed but with only one window and in a different color. So you can see the inside layout.
We may insulate it in the future.
Any thoughts? Ideas for converting it to a good functional coop would also be appreciated. It should only take around 4 weeks they said. It'll be 8x12'. I know more ventilation will be suggested which I totally know it does need some and understand, but keep in mind that I'm in Northern SD and we have extremely cold winters. We commonly spend the majority of our winters (which usually last 5-6 months) in single digits. For at least one of those months we won't get above 0 at all, and may get into -30s/-40s for weeks on end. It's brutal. And we have extremely dry winters, we never get wet snow like many other areas get. So humidity and frostbite is rarely going to be an issue. I do heat my coops, which is necessary to keep waters thawed even using high quality heated waterers. I may add in a couple gaps under the eaves, and the windows can open and will be during the spring/summer/fall, but during winter they'll definitely need to be shut. Placement for vents will be appreciated. I'm sure the shed company could do it, but I'm guessing it'll be expensive.
For interior, this is how my neighbor set up her new coop. This is her first time with chickens, and I did give a lot of advice, but I think it turned out nice. Is this a good design with poop boards and such? I'll have about 30 chickens in my coop full time, though 8 are small/bantams. They'll have a run, but free range all dry during the nicer days. I want to have an led light in there so an extension cord will need to be run. Would an L shaped roost area be better for the space?
Hopefully this a makes sense. Any thoughts and ideas are much appreciated! I've never had a nice coop and always just made do with small coops/runs and kennels. Thanks!
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