new coop advice

[3forfree]

I have been given an ice shanty 5x8x7 tall, there is one walk in door and no windows. I plan on making a coop from this. I need to put windows in it and ventilation at the top. It's made from 2x2's, and particle board, and has a slooped roof with metal sheeting. I am going to attach a 6x10x6 tall dog kennel for the run. Everything will be facing south, how much ventilation should I put in, and what sized windows. Should I put a window in the door? I have time (I hope), i'm putting 24 eggs into the bator on sunday, and hope to have the coop ready for them when the weather gets warmer. I used the run for pheasants last year, and have chicken wire and hardware cloth 2ft up on the outside, and another foot aproned out from the bottom, the top of the run is also chainlink. The pheasants didn't use any housing just acouple of pallets teepeed together with some pine bows and christmas trees around it. they seemed to like is, they (two hens 1 rooster) spit out about 100 eggs this last spring,and I hatched 5 or 12, I gave all of them away to a friend and want to try chickens now. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[BWKatz]

Sounds very doable. Good luck and

 

[peterlund]

I would skim thru craigslist for a couple of small used double hung windows.... Pop a small 12" x 12" hinged door (with hardware cloth covering) in the main door and cut a small roof vent in the top. THen you can regulate the air with the standard windows and the trap door.... My 2 cents!

 

[chellejeff]

1.6 square feet per bird seems a little small. The usual minimum is 2 sq ft per bird in the house as long as they have 10 sq ft per bird of run. You only have 2.5 sq ft per bird in the run. Since you already have the small house, you need fewer birds. 20 birds max, with about 3 times as much run as you are currently planning. This is based on commonly accepted recommendations for grown birds. There is lots of information on here about space requirements and handy design features for a house.

 

[wannabchick]

I say it sounds with the necessary tweaks, window, vents, hardware cloth etc

It will be great. Just watch your number of chicks...and u will be good to go

My run is going to be kennel panels..so the chain link with the hardware cloth added will work perfectly

Good luck

 

[3forfree]

Thanks everyone for the welcome, and the tips, I'm thinking on the lines of an rv vent in the roof, two small windows in the right and left walls. Will nest boxes under the windows be ok, I'm only planning on two.
I'm not planning on a 100% hatch rate, whatever hatches I will keep 4-6, and will go from there. Thanks again.

 

[3forfree]

Plans have changed. The ice shanty had a rotten floor, and one wall was also rotten, so I tore it down. I'm going to build something that will fit inside the 6x10 dog run The material from the ice shanty that wasn't rotten will be used for this new coop. It will be elevated but still inside the run at a height of 6ft so I can put a top on the run. I have chain link on the top now but I don't like it, it sags, and could let critters in. Although I didn't have any issues when I had the pheasants. Also going to put sand inside the run, and coop.