I have a old metal shed on my property that Im thinking of converting to a coop for 15 Australorp Pullets , It measures 10x10 and faces south south-east in my yard, it also has a large maple tree and willow oak to the left of it, any ideas and Im wondering if it will be large enough for that amount of bird's ?
EEEEWWWW! I'm envious. The possibilities are endless with something like that. It's plenty big for 15 birds. Are you planning a run, also?
Sizewise, it will be good if you have sufficient run space outside. By the rule of thumb of 4 square feet per chicken, you could house 25 birds but you need 10 square feet per chicken outside. And bigger is always better. Those trees on the west should provide shade in the summer but let sunlight through in the winter. The metal will heat up or cool off fairly quickly. The concern I'd have is to make sure you have adequate ventilation. I'd be more concerned about the heat of summer than the cold of winter. I'll give you the link to Pat's ventilation page which should help. https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION
going to put a 15 ft run off to the front and side as for storage, im in the process of completing a new shed here's the pic of the new 16x10 going to backfill today and pour concrete tomorrow.
