Rubbermaid Shed Coop Build and Run

[mediamst]

That is a very nice setup!

Watch the roof panels. We had one lose those in the wind

Thanks for the heads up.

How cute! Great job!

thanks!

 

[mediamst]

Nice conversion

What’s the benefit of having the feeder and waterer in the henhouse as apposed to to the run?

I suppose my thought was it won’t invite mice and rats at night.

 

[mediamst]

I also was going to ask about ventilation but it sure looks nice and the price is great for the size.

Planning to put ventilation panels in that are larger. There are some vents in back but I want some larger ones.

 

[mediamst]

Looks well! How big is the shed?

7X7

 

[mediamst]

The question I’d ask is where are you? I’m in a cold climate so food and water are in the coop all winter long , water is inside all year ...

I am in Illinois. I will add to profile.

 

[snow5164]

I’m in central New Jersey.
Ok I understand keeping the water in the henhouse during the winter so it doesn’t freeze as fast. But why keep feed in the henhouse?

I keep food inside because we get alot of wild birds outside , I have chain link doors to my run ... inside I don’t have to worry about mice or birds eating the feed , waters inside because it will freeze . We all adapt to our climates and predators around us

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Welcome to BYC!
I love your set-up but just a few tips: 1. you may want another nesting box as that is too little for 5 chickens 2. I would recommend putting the food & water outside since it will make a big mess and smell. Other then that, I think it is perfect!

 

[aart]

1. you may want another nesting box as that is too little for 5 chickens 2. I would recommend putting the food & water outside since it will make a big mess and smell.

2 nests are fine for the 5 (but am guessing there are 6) birds I see,
1 nest for every 3-5 birds is a pretty good rule of thumb.

That feeder and waterer are pretty much spill proof.
I keep my feed and water inside the coop too,
keeps the wild birds and the weather out of the feed.

 

[staceyj]

I think it’s awesome!
I’ve often parked near the row of outdoor sheds outside of my lowes and homedepot and thought about a conversion.
I like the idea of the type you have because once a year or so you can empty it out and fire up your pressure washer and in an hour or less you’ll have a brand new coop again (something that can’t be achieved with a wooden coop).

I’ve learned that keeping chickens is a constantly evolving endeavor.

I tweek, I modify, I change, and sometimes I change back!

You’ll figure out exactly what works for YOU and YOUR flock. We can only offer suggestions based on personal experiences.

In my opinion you have invested wisely on your set up accessories:
Your pop door and opener are awesome,
Nesting boxes are easy to clean (2 ARE plenty for for 3-6 birds)
Hardware cloth in your run is
NEVER wasted money....

Things to consider: getting that heating lamp out of there ASAP.
No matter how careful YOU are, they are ALWAYS a fire hazard.
In winter you’ll read horror stories here about coop fires.

Ventilation:
I can understand your hesitancy to start cutting holes in that building!

Chickens are hot little creatures though, with body temps in the 103-109 degrees F range (depending on your sources) , and hens breathe at a rate of 30-35 times per minute.
Now THAT’S A LOT OF HOT, WET AIR!

It rises above the sleeping chickens in a cloud, then falls back down on them and turns to frost (and frostbite) on their combs and shoulders.

When that hot moist air they are exhaling hits the frigid winter temps of your region, that’s a considerable amount of water vapor building up in a 10-12 hr period inside a coop made of a non-breathable material.

One idea is to utilize the windows (or faux windows?) on the front doors, by neatly cutting with a jigsaw and installing hardware cloth in their place, then if you need to you can make removable panels for each door to cover it from the inside if you need to!

Just my thoughts, no criticism at all, and I’m glad you joined BYC. you’re going to like it here!

 

[rabiee]

Nice looking conversion, and I be it will be easy to clean.
I keep my food and water in the coop too, I didn't realize it was such a hot topic this way no wild birds get into it and it stays dry from the rain. I haven't seen any evidence of vermin yet.