New to all this. Could use some help.

[ARose4Heaven]

Look at the coop design page at the top of this page. It will help a lot.

My concerns after looking at your video....

1. Metal building. Metal does not allow condensation to leave. You may have too much humidity in there. I have a metal roof on my main henhouse, and humidity build=up is a constant problem. (see my BYC page for my recycled buildings)

2. Why would you put them in a cage at night? Just put up a 2x4 roost along one wall with a cleanable poop board under it, and you have yourself a sleeping quarters for chickens. Add a few 5 gallon buckets on their sides, and you have nesting boxes for eggs.

3. I LOVE the window for a pop door idea!

4. Don't even think about closing up the tops of those walls! Put hardware cloth over them for ventilation. (See #1) That building is gonna be a hotbox in summer and much too humid in winter...you will need all the ventilation you can get!

 

[gryeyes]

Okay, saw the video, now I can comment.

If it were me, but of course it isn't, I would make the whole building into a coop for chickens.

Install hardware cloth up at the top where it's open, to secure it against predators and give you your ventilation.

Window looks like a great door for the chickens. Love the full people door. You shouldn't worry about chickens breaking the glass unless something gets inside there and they go bug- uhhhhhh crazy flying around and make a direct hit on the glass. Even then, probably just crack the glass, if that.

Nice flooring. Use two by fours as roost bars, with the flat/wider side up, for chickens to sit on their feet at night whilst roosting.

I'd put the feeder and waterer outside, hanging on chains from the top whatever is up there. Hang 'em as high as chicken backs. Put a brick or two down until the chicks get tall enough.

That's it for now. I'd have been thrilled to find a building like that on property where I lived.

 

[PapaChaz]

you're definitely going to want to get some hardward cloth and screen off the openings in the wall. also are you going to be able to close that window/pop door? or is this why you were thinking cage, roost them in there and close it off? it will still need to be small enough mesh wire that a coon/possum/skunk/cat can't reach in a pull them apart! that whole lil building would make a great size coop, you have a good start there! keep us posted as you go


was that a potty i saw in the first clip? you planning on potty training the girls???

 

[Dobela]

If you are concerned about glass still being in the dirt of the run, I would just put lots more dirt on top, or something else, to make certain they won't be walking on the glass or trying to eat it.

I'm jealous. Our property didn't come with a nice building! I would also probably turn the whole thing into a coop as well. Call it planning ahead.

 

[Striker911]

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Due to popular vote it seems that I should just use the whole building. I was trying to keep it simple that way I could get it cleaned out more easy and keep that nice floor clean. I also spent 3 hours yesterday framing the cage and have not posted a video of that yet. I am not out any money though. Guess I can just put the nesting boxes on the raised floor and use some of the framing for roosting. I will need to build another ramp from the floor to the upper floor then, so can get out that way. That means that if they where on the floor that they would need to go up a ramp then back down threw the window to get out. I have no problem with that and hope they wont. I can then frame in a place in a corner to house the feed and whatever else is needed for them. They will have one heck of a house.

The stool was one of two that where in that building when we got here. I threw one out and kept that one for a spare. In the mean time I found a bad floor in one of my bathrooms and found that the prior owner had no idea what was going on. He pulled the old broken stool and painted the sub floor with Kills then put the broken stool back in. Little did he know that the stool leaked when you flushed it cause it was cracked just below the trap. So now I am glad I saved that stool and mad that I tossed what would have been my only spare. Funny part is that kills does not fix floors or stools. I have a video on you tube. The back of the stool was sinking cause the floor was falling in. Kills did not work. It still puddled when you flushed lol.

 

[Striker911]

Update

I left it the way it was with one exception. I raised it up for roosting. I did not think about that at all till I came here so thats what I took away from people telling me to give the entire building. Ultimately its my stuff and I should not let others influence me on what to do with it or I wont feel good about it. So if I learn the hard way then so be it. Let me know what you guys think. As it turns out, it was not totally free after all though. I was rushing to get the side where the trees where closed off and smashed my index finger with the hammer. What a bone head thing to do. Looked like something in a cartoon. It was flat. Now its black and huge lol.

 

[3chimama]

Great advice!
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