Playhouse into a coop?

[Kyloe]

Hello!!!
So my mom has agreed that we should have chickens!!!
We have a old playhouse which she said that we should make into a coop. It is about 18 years old, but is still pretty sturdy.
Here are some pictures of it:

From our deck



The inside (Ignore the logs...)



The front, fall theme



Left side, summer theme



The window open



Back, spring theme



Window open



Right side, winter theme



My little brother for size comparison



A crack in the wall!!



The roof is made out of plastic...



A branch coming through



The floor is starting to rot...



Inside window



There is a gap in between the wall and roof



And one right here too..



And that's it!! Any suggestions? My mom wants to know where we would put the chicken door, and the run. It is raining in the pictures, so that's why the floor inside is wet.
Thanks!!!

 

[Twistedfeather]

I think this is a great place to house a few chickens. I would use one of the windows for the chickens to get out into the run and I would use the door for you to have easy access in. It's probably a good idea to replace any suspicious area in which the house is wearing for your chickens safety and if there are weaknesses and predators around you might have some problems.

 

[marshallchick]

Just needs a little sprucing up and your chickens will be super happy!!!!

 

[Kyloe]

Okay
Here are some more questions:
It's about 7ft by 3ft, how many chicken do you think that would fit?
How big should the run be? How tall?
What should the flooring be?
Where should the roost be if the left window is their exit door, and the right is for collecting eggs?
Should we put a new roof on, or just repair it?
Where should the nestbox be? Inside the window or outside?
Thanks!!!

 

[Twistedfeather]

You could probably get away with five or six chickens. The run doesn't have to be too tall just enough that you can chase chickens in it without worry of bonking your head. For length it doesn't have be too long either, when I get home I'll go look at the size of my run (I think I could house at least six on that run) The flooring should be sturdy and covered in shavings (I prefer the pellets instead of normal shavings)
The roost should probably land in the middle and be as high up as possibly comfortable, if you wanted a new roof I would look at the quality of the roof you have now, if it's too out of condition beyond repair then I would replace it.
Both work it just depends on what privacy you want your chickens to have, and what predators may come in.

Have you gotten to the point of picking breeds?

 

[Honey B]

Repurposing is so much fun and easier on the wallet. I would check out some coop designs online and note features you like. Good luck with your project, I am sure your chickens will love it.

 

[Kyloe]

Okay, I was thinking of putting linoleum down first, is that a good choice?
The roof has a few cracks in it, but I don't think they are that bad. What should I repair it with?
We have had raccoon, coyote and bobcat problems in the past with my rabbits, and there is a hawk nest near us... So it would be best to put a roof, right? What about a floor? Would they dig though?

Not yet My dad is in travelling right now, so we'll probably talk about that once he gets back (in a week)
We live on the west coast, so it get kinda cold (low this week is 45f) and high this summer was about 90f at the very highest. It hasn't snowed for 4 years, and then about 25 years before that I have 2 little brothers, and their friends visit sometimes so probably some nice chickens. My mom and dad really want eggs, and my sister wants nothing to do with chickens. And I want different colored eggs So basically a nice, egg-laying, chicken that does not extreme temperatures! And a variety so they lay different colored eggs

 

[TalkALittle]

I recommend getting Easter Eggers. They are a mixed breed variety that can lay shades of pink, blue, green or brown eggs. Because they are mixed breed, they all look similar but different so you'll be able to tell them apart from each other. They also have small combs and are cold hearty (but really your climate doesn't sound that harsh). They have sweet personalities too. A few EEs make a great addition to a flock and make for a colorful egg basket too.

 

[aart]

I'd replace the floor with new plywood.
Repair/replace the roof so no leaks.
Cover any gaps bigger than a quarter with wood or 1/2" hardware cloth....cover windows inside with HC too...using screws and washers to attach.
Replace/install raccoon proof latches wherever needed.
Ledge in front of door to hold bedding inside.

Do lots of reading here to understand what's needed.

 

[Kyloe]

Thanks!!! We probably won't work on it now, because it is raining. Would it be best to put gravel or sand in the run? Or just leave it?
Yeah, we'll probably get some EE's