Pics of my shed that I want to convert

[Say-ruh]

Ok so here it is, a 10x16 shed with some damage. There has been some neglect in the yard as you will see, but I think I can use that to my advantage

I believe some of the roof damage has happened from falling limbs. There's an old heirloom pear tree to the back left of the shed (you can see it in the above pic)

Here's damage on the right side. You can see at the ground where the stump was. In this case the damage came from a growing tree

Water damage

Possible storage area

Doors that won't shut completely

The back with single window. I'm thinking to put the chicken's doorway below the window. Structurally speaking idk if this is a good idea or not

Idk how I would repair this :/

The studs are 24" on center. The horizontal beams in the top/back (I don't know their proper names) has a sheet of plywood or something on it that I thought would be a good storage place for the big bags of shavings or fall leaves. I've heard some people use leaves as a bedding if they have to. Seems like a good idea to me.

I think roughly halfway back is where I'll partition it off. I'm not sure exactly what materials I'll need to do that. I'm hoping some you more carpentry-savvy people can help me. If at all possible it would be great to have nest box access on the people side of the partition. I'm sure it can be done, just don't know how. I would also keep various equipment & feed on the people side.

I also cant get the doors to shut completely. I tried lifting them to see if the hinges were loose but they're not. So I'm guessing either the door or floor (both?) has warped over the years. I'm thinking if I had another partition built with screen doors installed to open to the inside just inside the main doors I wouldn't have to worry so much about them but I'm probably wrong (predators, wasps building nests etc)

Let me know what you think. Thanks!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's a big roomy shed, should work out wonderfully. @aart, and @21hens-incharge are good with building. I'm here to follow your progress.

 

[CapricornFarm]

You should repair the roof first. You may have to replace some of the plywood on the roof if it is rotted. Remove the shingles where it has been leaking and replace with new ones. If the hinges on the door are good, must be the doors have swelled or warped from being wet. If they are not rotted, you may be able to mark where they are over lapping and just take them down and cut off some of the wood so they meet properly. Are the wood supports on the door screwed or nailed together. If they are screwed together you can take parts off and fix or replace them.
Looks like it could be a great coop. I made mine with a divider of 2x2s and 2x4s, with chicken wire. You can see pictures in the Helpful hints for building a coop thread. I built an 8x10 coop from scratch, mostly by myself.

 

[Say-ruh]

You should repair the roof first. You may have to replace some of the plywood on the roof if it is rotted. Remove the shingles where it has been leaking and replace with new ones. If the hinges on the door are good, must be the doors have swelled or warped from being wet. If they are not rotted, you may be able to mark where they are over lapping and just take them down and cut off some of the wood so they meet properly. Are the wood supports on the door screwed or nailed together. If they are screwed together you can take parts off and fix or replace them.
Looks like it could be a great coop. I made mine with a divider of 2x2s and 2x4s, with chicken wire. You can see pictures in the Helpful hints for building a coop thread. I built an 8x10 coop from scratch, mostly by myself. View attachment 1144339

For a carpentry novice like myself, how hard is it to remove & replace shingles and/or plywood?

I think the door supports are nailed together but I'll have to double check on that.

I should really just go ahead & invest in some power tools lol

 

[Sara Ranch]

Once you repair the gaps, make sure there is enough ventilation for the birds.

Where are you located? Consider insulating the shed while you are repair it. Easier now than later. (I cover insulation with plywood.)

 

[Say-ruh]

Once you repair the gaps, make sure there is enough ventilation for the birds.

Where are you located? Consider insulating the shed while you are repair it. Easier now than later. (I cover insulation with plywood.)

I'm in NC, zone 7. I'm planning on getting a couple of gable vents and windows after repairs are made & partition built

 

[Sara Ranch]

The other thing I would suggest is to put hardware cloth OVER the window (outside) and sandwich it between some slats of wood.

Then, if you wanted to, you could leave the window open during the day/evening and not worry about a predator coming in that way.

If you have overhead storage, be sure to check it each night to make sure no varmints came in during the day and are hiding up there.

 

[willzpapa]

YouTube has videos for everything including roof repairs

 

[willzpapa]

If chickens can get up to the storage area the will be roosting there

 

[Say-ruh]

If chickens can get up to the storage area the will be roosting there

Idk if they could or not, it's about 6' up