Old Barn into Coop?

[Flock_off]

My thoughts are all gloomy lol
Be mindful of drafts and gaps critters like rats n snakes can enter via any where in throughout entire barn.
Also of nails, screws, splintered wood and I'd check the floor for signs of old leak stains I dont know if antifreeze kills chickens but they could indicate a soft spot in the wood, maybe consider sealing the floor or laying down some ply wood just cuz.
As far as a sick room goes yeah I'd be all over that. Do your bio hazard research! Injuries are one thing but preventing an illness from spreading is a whole another ball game.
I'm excited for you and your project, I love building stuff!
Oh! And keep in mind water supply, a heated hose and water dishes are a game changer in the winter months for me here in Jersey.

 

[CindyinSD]

I caulk my coop cracks with silicone. If they’re bigger cracks, I would staple on 1/2” hardware cloth after caulking. If they look like useful cracks for ventilation (floor level or roofline or at least above the highest chicken roost) I’d skip the caulking and just do hardware cloth. If you possibly can, get a pneumatic stapler (store brand is fine and you’ll use it over and over and over.) Ventilation is VERY important to keeping your flock from sickness and damage from freezing temps.

Thinking about your “quarantine” room... Just my own experience but maybe worth a try... I’ve never had any trouble adding a chicken or turkey from one group to the other group. There has sometimes been a bit of hazing but never anything serious. If it’s not gonna work, you’ll know right away. That said the transfers have always been at least half-grown.

 

[christatothemax]

Thank you to everyone for all the advice and comments! I am formulating a plan, which I'll post to seek feedback on later. In the meantime, let's move on to discussing the run! I have edited the main post with the next set of questions! Thank you!!

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Make sure you secure anything loose near the coop. My chicks love to peck at and otherwise pull on with their beaks, anything not nailed down. Check for loose paint to. Older paint could have lead in it. Good luck with your coop/run.

 

[bruceha2000]

3. I was thinking of putting 1/2" hardware cloth around the entire 'coop'. The walls, ceiling, etc. Wood frame and then hardware cloth. So I wouldn't have to do the entire barn. Does that make sense?
4. I was thinking injured birds or new birds after they've been through the brooder (6-8 weeks old). Not a good idea?
5. I like the idea of the metal cans for feed. I had been thinking of building a wooden treadle.

3. Correct, hardware cloth is very expensive. I can't imagine how much it would cost to do the entire barn. Just the coop is needed. DO NOT attach it with something like an Arrow staple gun other than for positioning. Those little staples will pull out easily. Most use poultry/fence staples (look like a U) or battens or screws and washers (except for the person who flattened out bottle caps, saving the cost of washers).
4. Actually chicks brooded outside in a temporary area in the coop are much easier to integrate later. If you JUST happen to have a hen that is broody at the right time, they do a great job of rearing chicks. And DO NOT be led astray by the inaccurate claims that chicks need ambient 95°F the first week dropping by 5° weekly for 4 weeks. It is NOT TRUE, what they need is a warm place to go when the get cool and at night. If you haven't, read up on the Momma Heating Pad method of brooding
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/
Given the number of times I've had an ill or injured bird (since June 2012), and the frequency with which you'll get new chicks (especially given your restrictions) the space would be unused/wasted 99% of the time. I have a broody buster cage (scrap wood and hardware cloth) that I use for injured/sick hens.

 

[christatothemax]

3. Correct, hardware cloth is very expensive. I can't imagine how much it would cost to do the entire barn. Just the coop is needed. DO NOT attach it with something like an Arrow staple gun other than for positioning. Those little staples will pull out easily. Most use poultry/fence staples (look like a U) or battens or screws and washers (except for the person who flattened out bottle caps, saving the cost of washers).
4. Actually chicks brooded outside in a temporary area in the coop are much easier to integrate later. If you JUST happen to have a hen that is broody at the right time, they do a great job of rearing chicks. And DO NOT be led astray by the inaccurate claims that chicks need ambient 95°F the first week dropping by 5° weekly for 4 weeks. It is NOT TRUE, what they need is a warm place to go when the get cool and at night. If you haven't, read up on the Momma Heating Pad method of brooding
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/
Given the number of times I've had an ill or injured bird (since June 2012), and the frequency with which you'll get new chicks (especially given your restrictions) the space would be unused/wasted 99% of the time. I have a broody buster cage (scrap wood and hardware cloth) that I use for injured/sick hens.

3. Perfect! That is fantastic news. So, it's okay if a snake or coon or something gets into the barn, as long as it can't get into the coop - I'm thinking? There are some fairly large holes in the barn... I'm wondering if I can just leave 'em? If the coop has hardware cloth and frames with the first few feet covered in lumber... there shouldn't be drafts, right? And the holes around the barn will help with ventilation?

4. That's also fantastic news! I have been fooled by the temperature statement. I just read through the link you sent and there's 1148 pages! Oh my. In reading some of it, I'm seeing you need a metal frame, heating pad, towel, electrical tape, press and seal, in hay. I have asked in that thread about the press and seal and the metal frame.

 

[CindyinSD]

A wire dog kennel works, too. The food-up ones are ideal, I think. A puppy pad or two on the floor and your little patient can convalesce in the garage. Or in the midst of the flock if not suspected of being contagious.

 

[FortCluck]

You are doing something that I plan on doing in the future. we are looking for a property that has an old outbuilding or a barn, we want to restore it and use it for our animals.

I think what you are doing sounds great just make sure that you patch up the holes and make sure that it is predator-proof.

 

[CindyinSD]

3. Perfect! That is fantastic news. So, it's okay if a snake or coon or something gets into the barn, as long as it can't get into the coop - I'm thinking? There are some fairly large holes in the barn... I'm wondering if I can just leave 'em? If the coop has hardware cloth and frames with the first few feet covered in lumber... there shouldn't be drafts, right? And the holes around the barn will help with ventilation?

4. That's also fantastic news! I have been fooled by the temperature statement. I just read through the link you sent and there's 1148 pages! Oh my. In reading some of it, I'm seeing you need a metal frame, heating pad, towel, electrical tape, press and seal, in hay. I have asked in that thread about the press and seal and the metal frame.

It’s not necessary to follow the mama heating pad instructions verbatim. For your armature you want something substantial. I tried multiple layers of chicken wire. Doesn’t work. The chicks will, within a week or two, revert from crawling under to perching on top. Hardware cloth is trickier to bend but it works better. I find an arch configuration works best. The chicks lay up against the side walls if cold, but most seem to gravitate more toward the less warm areas. (We have a garage heater because it gets friggin COLD here.) When they move to the roof, the arch supports their weight much better.

One very important thing you must keep in mind when searching for a heating pad: it *must* have an override for the auto-off feature. I keep mine on high and let the chicks adjust the heat by their positioning. For the cover I use one of the more highly plasticized feed bags. I tried the cozy cave thing, but the babies always make short work of dismantling it. I just put the feed-bag covered arch in their brooder and they are happy (though it does offend the hobbit in me.)

Do keep in mind, though... you don’t need a huge heating pad (like the one I bought). It will take up a lot of room in the brooder, esp as the babies grow—which they do—faster than you can imagine.

 

[gtaus]

I'm honestly a bit overwhelmed by designing the run. I'm thinking it needs to be at least my height rounded up, so 6' tall. I'm thinking it needs to have a slanted roof a) to keep out predators b) to help with rain/snow. I'm not sure whether I should have the door into the coop (barn) be on the inside of the run or the outside of the run. I am thinking a 2x4 frame with chicken wire making up each of the three sides with a human-door on one of them that leads to the yard.

I agree with making the sides of the run 6' tall. At my age, I don't like bending over more than I have to for cleaning, maintenance, etc... in the run. A solid roof would be great, but the bigger the run, the more expensive the roof. I definitely agree that a slanted roof would be advantageous if you have snowfall. If you go with a solid roof, you would need good supports underneath to hold the roof and snow weight. I think a separate human door for the run outside the coop is a good idea. Chicken wire will keep the chickens in the run, but it won't help much in preventing predators from getting into the run.

I have a 6' 2x4 fence around my chicken run and I use bird netting on top to protect the girls from eagles and hawks. I just use T-Posts on the corners to hold the fencing in place. I consider my chicken run predator resistant, but not predator proof. I spent most of my money on building a Fort Know chicken coop and that is where I lock up my girls at night, safe from predators.

For the winter, I am looking at building a much smaller run with a solid roof, and having the sides covered in plastic. From what I have learned from others in my area, our birds do not like to go outside in the winter anyway. So the winter run will be small, but still offer them fresh air and sunshine. My coop is built to provide about 8 square feet per bird because I have been told to go big on the coop because the birds will spend most of the winter in the coop itself and they need more room in the coop to prevent bad behaviors. This will be my first winter with laying hens, so I will be learning a lot.

You are very lucky to start off with a barn like that and I look forward to your future posts and build.