Potential new coop-- a fix it project.

[Dona Worry]

I am working on getting this ancient monster hauled over to my house. It hasn't been used in 20+ years,and needs some serious tlc.

Where should I start??

It is roughly 14x8 in the big room, 6x8 in the small room, and the roost and boxes are not included in those dimensions. Insulated roof and walls. Removable windows, but some have been lost. Two minor roof leaks.
Some questions:
The roosts have open wire underneath, to keep the coop cleaner. Is this a thing? How does it work in winter? Should I cover the wire? If yes, with what?
The nest boxes have a serious gap and I hate it. What is the best way to seal that? I am not a fan of nest boxes that you open from the outside, and I intend to close them up for good.
I think I have rodents in the roof/walls. How to get them out before I haul it home?

I'm thinking it will hold 15 chickens nicely, and the small room could be perfect for letting my young ones reach maturity where they can see the big girls.

 

[Ted Brown]

The wheel in picture 3 suggests that this may be built on a metal frame with wheels? Do you know if that is correct?

I do not mean to discourage but...

• Moving a building of 20' by 8' is not a trivial matter. Moving this size of building when it is partially buried in the ground and with small bushes that will have to be cut and removed greatly complicates any attempt to move it.
• If the building were in good shape it may be worth while, if not you run the risk of it falling apart during the attempt to move it.
• Leaks in the ceiling and 20 years out of use is not good. A building that is dry will last a very long time, one that is wet will rot in a few short years.
• From what I can see in the pictures the building structure is ok: no obvious sign of sagging; out of square; etc. The inside and outside cladding appears to need a lot of work.
• I would first be taking a hammer and a strong screw driver and going from one end of the building to the other to determine how much (if any) of the wood is deteriorating. Pay particular attention to the roof structure and ceilings given the leaks. Unless the majority of the wood in the building is sound I would walk away.
• IF you are successful in getting it moved you then face two separate projects - stripping it down to the bare essentials then rebuilding it to be sound and useful. Rats and such critters LOVE double walls and ceilings, you would be better to strip the inside wall materials off to expose what is there.
• I would guess you are into $thousands simply to have it moved and then you still have to fix it.

If the wood in the building is sound I would consider taking it apart board by board and re-using the material in a new building put together at your place. However, that assumes you have the time to do what will be a large, difficult and dirty job. I would guess close to two weeks of full time work to take it apart; I would recommend that at least two persons are needed.

I guess that very few people would undertake what you are attempting so consider carefully whether it is worth the effort that it will take. Each person's circumstances are different so only you can decide.

Best of luck!

 

[Dona Worry]

The wheel in picture 3 suggests that this may be built on a metal frame with wheels? Do you know if that is correct?

I do not mean to discourage but...

• Moving a building of 20' by 8' is not a trivial matter. Moving this size of building when it is partially buried in the ground and with small bushes that will have to be cut and removed greatly complicates any attempt to move it.
• If the building were in good shape it may be worth while, if not you run the risk of it falling apart during the attempt to move it.
• Leaks in the ceiling and 20 years out of use is not good. A building that is dry will last a very long time, one that is wet will rot in a few short years.
• From what I can see in the pictures the building structure is ok: no obvious sign of sagging; out of square; etc. The inside and outside cladding appears to need a lot of work.
• I would first be taking a hammer and a strong screw driver and going from one end of the building to the other to determine how much (if any) of the wood is deteriorating. Pay particular attention to the roof structure and ceilings given the leaks. Unless the majority of the wood in the building is sound I would walk away.
• IF you are successful in getting it moved you then face two separate projects - stripping it down to the bare essentials then rebuilding it to be sound and useful. Rats and such critters LOVE double walls and ceilings, you would be better to strip the inside wall materials off to expose what is there.
• I would guess you are into $thousands simply to have it moved and then you still have to fix it.

If the wood in the building is sound I would consider taking it apart board by board and re-using the material in a new building put together at your place. However, that assumes you have the time to do what will be a large, difficult and dirty job. I would guess close to two weeks of full time work to take it apart; I would recommend that at least two persons are needed.

I guess that very few people would undertake what you are attempting so consider carefully whether it is worth the effort that it will take. Each person's circumstances are different so only you can decide.

Best of luck!

The coop and the moving of it are free, or I wouldn't bother.
The floor is structurally sound, the walls seem to be as well, but I haven't beaten them with a hammer.
The double walls are a concern, as is rodent proofing!

 

[Dona Worry]

And yes, it is on a wagon frame. The frame is fairly buried, but all the wood itself is above ground, including the floor.

 

[Ted Brown]

You need not beat on the walls, gentle tapping should do. Deteriorating wood will have a dull sound, good wood will both feel and sound solid. If you find areas of concern use the screwdriver and see how easily you can drive it through the wood with the hammer.

The fact that the floor is sound is good news. The building appears to be up off the ground, this probably accounts for the condition.

Most importantly get your head up into the ceiling/roof areas, even a good look with a strong flashlight should give useful information. Look very carefully around the areas where the leaks are.

As I previously said remove the inner walls once you get it moved, leave them open so that nothing can hide. I would also remove the ceilings as well for the same reason.

 

[mowin]

To me, its worth it if the moving is free as long as it's as structurally sound as u say. To build something that size would be substantial.

 

[Ted Brown]

If it is structurally sound and the move is free it is a no brainer, but there is serious work to be done to make it useable.

Moving it is going to be a major undertaking, hard to imagine that someone will do it for free but there are good folks in this world.

 

[TomZilla43]

It certainly needs some work but if you are getting the structure for free and someone is moving it for you at no cost....Wowsa that's a deal and a half for a coop. You will have to sink some resources into repairing the leaks and some refurbishing but you will save a lot of money vs. having to build a similar sized coop from the ground up. Best of luck, hope it works out well for you

 

[mowin]

Looking forward to seeing what changes, and upgrades you do.

I'm envious. I've spent close to $800 on a 6x8 coop and 8x12 run.

I'd kill for something your getting.

 

[Dona Worry]

It's a long story, but basically, the coop is one built a long time ago by myself and my cousin, and my cousin and dad are willing to put their heads together to move it to my house for nostalgia's sake.
It may not work out, but it's certainly worth a shot. It was a good sturdy coop when we built it.