Playhouse into Coop -- Help for Newbie!

[Zahboo]

Something you should do. Walk around in the play house. Act like you are getting that injured hen from under the roost, trying to get the egg they laid in the corner. Cleaning up chicken dropping and running from that big ol' snake. You may find out that the play house needs to be raised or the door expanded or whatever.

 

[LizzyJo]

Are you sure about those giant sequoias? I thought they only grew along the west coast. Could they be Ponderosas? They sure have long needles.

 

[BroomFarm]

Regardless of what methods you use to close off the coop from drafts, remember that you will need good ventilation. Fortunately, your coop has it built in! Just don't seal off the top 3-4" on 2 sides of the coop, leaving those open-spaced boards to allow moisture to escape the coop. (Even though you live in a high desert, chickens create a good deal of moisture through venting and respiration.)

Also, when you address the issue of sealing off the roof, consider installing a skylight vent...I've used them on a couple of sheds, as well as our coop. It's the first picture from the left on the link below.

http://www.californiacustomsheds.com/skylite.htm

 

[Sissy]

This will make a great coop,
But do lift it off the ground some,
and send pics as your challenge progresss.

 

[DarkWolf]

Quote:
LOL... My bad... Was concentrating on the building so much I'd forgot about where you were.

At any rate.. Fine looking future coop. Should turn out really well for you once you get it set up..

 

[feather leg farms]

LOL! Thats what my parents did with my old playhouse. i never used it once we moved to the house we're in now.

OURS CHICKENS LOVE IT!!!!!!!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

That's really cute and going to make a nice coop for 4 hens.

I would cut, fit, and screw up some OSB on the inside to add some strength to make it more preditor proof. Coons are strong and determined and wouldn't have any trouble pulling off those wood pieces.

Put up hardware cloth on all the windows, vents, and gaps.

I'd take off the current roof and as suggested, put up plywood or OSB with more of an overhang, then tar paper and then roofing. I wouldn't put in a sunlight with all those branches overhead.

I would also put in a dog proof run and make sure you lock the girls up at night.

Go read the Preditor and Pest section of Forum to read up on what can happen to your little darlings by preditors, whether it's your own dog turned preditor or others.

Do the best you can to protect them.

Can't wait to see updates.