Repurpose shed for coop (pictures)

drdoct

Songster
Feb 7, 2022
115
339
116
Griffin, GA
We're trying to plan ahead for when this spring's chicks are old enough to go into a coop. Right now, we're using a Tractor Supply Premade coop and it fits 5-6 chickens. The problem is there is no room to feed them etc. Like everyone, we want more chickens! Here's a picture, excuse the cat he's harmless to them.
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Went to Home Depot to get materials to build a simple 4x8 coop and nearly fell over. Complete sticker shock. So I have an old shed that I've been using to store junk and stuff like a blown up lawnmower. Don't ask my why. I'm thinking... this could be a usable coop and have a little storage and still be able to feed them inside. I plan on cutting some rectangular openings up near the break of the roof part to create more air flow. The building will be moved over to where the chickens are now which is in a shaded area. I live in Georgia so HOT Summers. I would like to have an Auto door and don't plan on having a run for them because they free range. Here are some pictures. Any ideas are appreciated. Unsure if I need access from outside to laying boxes since they're only in there at night and to lay. Should be plenty of time to go in and collect eggs. I also will have to reinforce the bottom where the floor connects to the wall and of course put hardware cloth over every opening.

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In your part of Georgia you'll want to take the metal off the entire leeward wall and replace it with 1/2" hardware cloth.

If you're lucky, that's a gable end and you can then take the metal off the gable triangle at the other end to allow plenty of airFLOW.

If that was a long wall then open the gable triangles on BOTH ends.

I'm in what's probably a similar climate (within a mile of the line between Zone 7b and Zone 8a), and find that I need at least 2-3 times the recommended minimum ventilation (1 square foot per bird), to keep the coop under 100F on a 90+F day unless the coop is located in DEEP shade.

This diagram is from an article on cattle barns, but the principles are the same:

natural-ventilation.png


At the very least, replace the door with hardware cloth and open the gables, but unless it's shaded in the hottest part of the day I doubt it will be enough.

You can use the metal that you remove from the walls to create awnings for the openings and/or to make a cover for part of the new run. :)
 
Hmmm, ok I have some thinking to do on it. The area is pretty much 100% full shade. What I was intending to do was cut large U's and then push the corrugated out to make an awning. I'll have to look at putting a ridge vent in.

Looking at that Tractor supply coop, there isn't really any ventilation in it. So I better get to fixing this one up. At first it will seem so huge for 5 chickens, but I plan on doubling with spring chicks. Then hopefully will get into incubating a group each year. Is there a point where you know you have enough ventilation?I kind of have spoiled chickens because the only time they go into the coop is to lay or sleep, the rest of the time they are out in the woods foraging. I guess I'll have to fight them for my blueberries this year as well.
 
Hmmm, ok I have some thinking to do on it. The area is pretty much 100% full shade. What I was intending to do was cut large U's and then push the corrugated out to make an awning. I'll have to look at putting a ridge vent in.

Looking at that Tractor supply coop, there isn't really any ventilation in it. So I better get to fixing this one up. At first it will seem so huge for 5 chickens, but I plan on doubling with spring chicks. Then hopefully will get into incubating a group each year. Is there a point where you know you have enough ventilation?I kind of have spoiled chickens because the only time they go into the coop is to lay or sleep, the rest of the time they are out in the woods foraging. I guess I'll have to fight them for my blueberries this year as well.
Rule of thumb is 1sqft of ventilation for each bird.
 
Is there a point where you know you have enough ventilation?

The Usual Guidelines
For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:
  • 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
  • 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
  • 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
  • 1/4 of a nest box,
  • And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.
These numbers are a useful starting point.

You know that you have enough ventilation when the temperature and humidity are the same inside and outside the coop -- but without creating drafts at perch level.

A draft being a wind strong enough to ruffle the chickens' feathers. :)

And yes, those prefab coops are notorious for being ill-ventilated and nearly impossible to alter to provide the recommended ventilation (though we here in the Steamy Southeast have that better because we're in a perfect situation for open-air coops so we can legitimately just pull entire walls of siding off our coops).
 

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