Rubbermaid Shed for Coop

[kickinchicken]

I will be picking up a used Rubbermaid shed tomorrow for my hen house. I plan on having about 4-6 hens, preferably rescue battery hens from Massachusetts ( I hear that there is a rescue starting to help these girls!).

The shed is 5ft. wide by 5.5ft. deep by 6 ft. high. I figured that I can have the nesting box on level 2 and put a couple of roosts above there. The first floor will have the ramp to the second level and perhaps a ramp to help them hop up from the second level.
I read a lot about the ventilation and plan on taking up the roof, cutting it in half and pitching the roof while leaving a 4 inch gap between the roof panels and adding an elevated lengthwise cover to that to prevent rain from entering...of course protecting the opening with heavy metal screen/wire.

I already have a Rubbermaid shed for our own junk..nice big shed, too bad I can't just use that but hubby would not be happy losing his lawnmower's home.

I plan on insulating the shed with that pink insulation board that I see at Home Depot. Probably on the inside and putting some of that paneling that looks like tile for the bathroom, over the insulation. Easy to clean.

The shed will be facing South, as I have seen in many chicken sites. I will add windows to the doors (frame with heavy screen with a hinged plexi glass cover so that I can open it during the day.

My question is, should I elevate the shed off the ground or will it be fine as it is at ground level. We have no fisher cats in our area ( they've made a comeback in southern Rhode Island-go nature!

), no raptors in our neighborhood and in the 5 years we've lived here, we haven't had any skunks in our yard. I am a pet sitter and own two 70# dogs, I think skunks are afraid of my yard!

The dogs have their own part of the yard and won't have access to the hens. If I do need to elevate, how high should I do it? The shed is already 6 ft. high. Also, drainage isn't an issue. This part of the yard never floods.

Thanks. Oh and if you live in Massachusetts and know of the name of that battery hen rescue, I'd really appreciate it!

 

[CityClucks]

from Oklahoma kickinchicken!

Your Rubbermaid coop sounds great - looks like you've done some research! I don't see any real reason for you to elevate it if it has a floor - but if you wanted to just to get it off the ground, you could just set it on a couple of landscape timbers - making sure to level it, etc. Good luck - glad you're here!

 

[hairyhillfarm]

The only reason to elevate it is to provide dry outdoor space for your hens. My coop is up on a frame about a foot off the ground. The girls love to be able to get under it if it is raining or there is a hawk around....

 

[kickinchicken]

I plan on having most of the run, especially right of the hen house, covered with that plastic wavy roofing used for car ports. Less mud and happy dry hens! I also plan on having some interactive areas outside for the hens, like a playground. Perhaps a sand box, some logs to hop up on for exercise.

 

[Darrie]

I have been using a rubber maid shed from day one with my girls. I have it on the ground because it has a floor. I did not do anything to it other than adding two windows. I used large doggie doors for windowes. I went to a local glass place and had them make me 4 plexi-glass insert. This was to replace the pressed cardboard ones that come with the doggie door. Now I have plex-glass for inside and outside of each window. It' like a double pane window. One of the window's go to their fenced in backyard and all I have to do is slide it up and out. My shed came with brackets for shelves and I used them to make perches. I do use heat lamps in their and have no problem. This shed has worked out very well for me and my girls

 

[fourfeathers]

Sounds like a palace for those girls. They will be so lucky to have you. Wish you lived closer! I have two rescued cornish that I got from the farmstore....one with limberneck and the other with a prolapse from have a severe pasted up bottom and impaction. They are perfect now, just going to be heavy, waddling cornish. I like a bit of a raised coop so that the chickens can go under, and it helps with rodents. Is the house going to be inside a run completely or with part of it out of the run? That would make a difference in fencing around, under and next to the house and also anchoring it in case of wind.