Old Barn into Coop?

[CindyinSD]

Hello everyone! This is my first post, aside from my introduction. Thank you in advance for your help in using my old barn for a coop... maybe? Pending your thoughts and advice! I am a complete newbie at this and appreciate your patience and help.

I live in NW Ohio and have a fairly decent sized old barn on my property, that is mostly empty. I've been waiting so patiently to use a portion of it for chickens! I am looking at using the area that's unpainted (where the tomato and pepper plant raised bed is currently) for the run. We'll get back to the run... for now let's focus on the inside coop.

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Here is where I'm thinking.

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The distance from left to right on that back wall is 10 feet. From front to back (the back wall to the middle poles) is around 5 feet. So, 50 sq. ft. Also of note, there's a door on the back wall at the left corner.

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I've been reading that 2.5 sq feet per bird in the coop (inside) is a good measurement. If that's true, and I'm looking at 5 birds ... then 13 square feet should be fine. In which case, splitting the 50 square feet into two sections should be fine. The larger, right side, would be for the chickens to have their nesting boxes, roost, etc. whereas the smaller left side would be more rarely used for quarantine or if we have some birds to introduce to the flock (?).

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Now, if you haven't completely stopped reading by now to correct me on a zillion things, and you're still with me reading this...

If I did the split, I'm assuming I'd want a human-door on the left and the right side. If so, I'd be able to get into the chicken side (right) to clean it out easily and be able to use the quarantine side (left) as a walk-through when not being used. --- Am I off my rocker? Should I just make this one big thing and just enter the chicken coop from the outside door of the barn?! Should I make it one big thing and have two access points to the coop? The door already there at the 'back' and the one I'd make on the 'front'?

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Edit: 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'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.


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Something to consider... if the run has a wall that faces into your prevailing winds (mine are from the north b/c we’re in the mountains but I’ll bet yours come from the west), consider a solid wall extending around halfway up (those corrugated clear panels are nice but pricey) to protect from snow & wind.

Are you familiar with your snowdrift patterns? Ours leave a wide space of clear ground on the north side and pile up on the other three sides. Don’t put your doors to the run where the drifts will be or you may find yourself shoveling out 5 ft of misery with the driving wind blowing it back in as you work. Solid walls will disrupt the drift patterns in a predictable way. If you get multiple ft of wind-driven snow you’ll be glad of any pre-planning you can do. (Don’t ask how I know that.)

Also, the bigger the run(s) the better. The whole thing doesn’t need covering—just enough so they have some dry outdoor space in winter. The chickens will run from shadows passing above, provided they have a place to flee to. Even a bush or a stack of pallets (so much chicken fun!) gives them a great deal of protection.

 

[bruceha2000]

Re the run - Yes you really will prefer to have it tall enough that you can walk into it. As noted, chicken wire walls aren't sufficient. It is meant to keep poultry where you want them or out of where you don't. Coons will reach through and snag a chicken sleeping against it. Canines can rip it open easily. If you look at it, not only is it thin wire, it is just twisted together. Thus you want 1/2" hardware cloth from the bottom to about 3' up. You also want a "skirt" out about 12" to 18" to keep predators from digging under. Some use hardware cloth but it is expensive, 2x4 wire fencing is fine since the larger predator trying to dig under can't dig through it plus it is a lot stronger that hardware cloth.

If I were to build an outdoor run, I'd use 4' 2x4 wire fence, staple it to the walls up about 3' with the remaining foot or so spread out on the ground. Under that (meaning install first) I'd put the 3' of hardware cloth so nothing can reach through and chicks can't get to the 2x4 openings to escape. You can bury the skirt some and grass will grow through it, you'll never know it is there. Some put paving stones over the skirt against the run walls.

You definitely want something that is covered and will shed snow or that you can rake snow off of. The size you are looking to build can easily be covered with a few metal sheet panels, properly supported as previously mentioned. With that you won't need a "mesh" cover to keep out the aerial predators. My girls won't go out into the snow but go out pretty much no matter the temperature when there is no snow on the ground. If you have plastic around it in the winter, your chickens will use it. You can make roll up "shades" for the 3 open sides so the plastic can easily be raised and lowered as weather permits. I think I would consider fixing them on the bottom so when partially lowered they still provide a wind break to the chickens. When fully raised, they will keep out rain and snow.

And yes, I would build a people door into the run so you can go in and out easily. Many people keep the food and water in the run since chickens don't need either when they are sleeping. Of course this ASSUMES that the run is built such that the chickens will go out in it daily, if not, there has to be provision for food and water in the coop and the coop needs to be larger. You might also want to consider an auto chicken door. The chickens can get out to their run without you having to get up earlier than you may want on non work days. It will also close them up at night if you happen to be away from the house when it gets dark. I have a Pullet-Shut on a light sensor. If you do put in an automatic door at some point, give it some protection from snow and ice which could keep the door from opening/closing.

 

[christatothemax]

Re the run - Thus you want 1/2" hardware cloth from the bottom to about 3' up. You also want a "skirt" out about 12" to 18" to keep predators from digging under. Some use hardware cloth but it is expensive, 2x4 wire fencing is fine since the larger predator trying to dig under can't dig through it plus it is a lot stronger that hardware cloth.

If I were to build an outdoor run, I'd use 4' 2x4 wire fence, staple it to the walls up about 3' with the remaining foot or so spread out on the ground. You can bury the skirt some and grass will grow through it, you'll never know it is there. Some put paving stones over the skirt against the run walls.

I am a visual person, so I am trying to map out what you're saying as far as the above quote. Does this look like right? I have color coordinated with what you said so you can see where I'm thinking.

Where are you saying to put the hardware cloth so the chicks can't escape through it? Around the blue wire fence?

 

[christatothemax]

Something to consider... if the run has a wall that faces into your prevailing winds (mine are from the north b/c we’re in the mountains but I’ll bet yours come from the west), consider a solid wall extending around halfway up (those corrugated clear panels are nice but pricey) to protect from snow & wind.

Are you familiar with your snowdrift patterns? Ours leave a wide space of clear ground on the north side and pile up on the other three sides. Don’t put your doors to the run where the drifts will be or you may find yourself shoveling out 5 ft of misery with the driving wind blowing it back in as you work. Solid walls will disrupt the drift patterns in a predictable way. If you get multiple ft of wind-driven snow you’ll be glad of any pre-planning you can do. (Don’t ask how I know that.)

Also, the bigger the run(s) the better. The whole thing doesn’t need covering—just enough so they have some dry outdoor space in winter. The chickens will run from shadows passing above, provided they have a place to flee to. Even a bush or a stack of pallets (so much chicken fun!) gives them a great deal of protection.

Excellent point. I do not know currently how the drift patterns will be this Winter because of the shed we just installed on the property. However! I am probably going to build the outdoor coop after the Winter, so I will be able to watch and learn!

If I plan on getting the chicks in early December, that gives me 6-8 weeks until they are feathered (I think) before they have to move out of the brooder (I think), which puts me at early February that they'd go out to the barn. That should give me plenty of time to see the snow / wind patterns. Do you think?

 

[christatothemax]

You definitely want something that is covered and will shed snow or that you can rake snow off of. The size you are looking to build can easily be covered with a few metal sheet panels, properly supported as previously mentioned. With that you won't need a "mesh" cover to keep out the aerial predators.

And yes, I would build a people door into the run so you can go in and out easily. Many people keep the food and water in the run since chickens don't need either when they are sleeping. Of course this ASSUMES that the run is built such that the chickens will go out in it daily, if not, there has to be provision for food and water in the coop and the coop needs to be larger.

Ignore the roof of the other design... this roof instead?

 

[aart]

Nice illustrations!
I didn't read all the posts, so just jumping in with a couple of points.
I built my coop inside a large shed, basically a 6 sided HC box.
It can be split with a temporary wall to add chicks or as isolation(not quarantine),
and has 2 people doors.
Take a look for some ideas.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/

 

[christatothemax]

Nice illustrations!
I didn't read all the posts, so just jumping in with a couple of points.
I built my coop inside a large shed, basically a 6 sided HC box.
It can be split with a temporary wall to add chicks or as isolation(not quarantine),
and has 2 people doors.
Take a look for some ideas.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/

I love your glass foyer! How clever.

So many great ideas on your coop page!

How did you get the perfect circles in your nesting boxes?! I made some corn hole boards recently and they have horrid circles!

Is it easier to clean out the sand then it is a poop hammock?

What is this little guy used for?

 

[aart]

How did you get the perfect circles in your nesting boxes?! I made some corn hole boards recently and they have horrid circles!

Is it easier to clean out the sand then it is a poop hammock?

What is this little guy used for?

Lots(decades) of practice with a jigsaw and a 4-in-hand rasp/file.

Yes, absolutely...I can just stand there to scrape and sift.
I use a hammock on my slaughter setup,
it works good but I wouldn't want to clean one daily.

Oyster Shell 'feeder'.

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

Where ever you have the fresh water, you must install vacuum breakers on the spigots, for your Protection.

 

[christatothemax]

Where ever you have the fresh water, you must install vacuum breakers on the spigots, for your Protection.

Can you explain this more? I feel like you're speaking a foreign language.