Shed Coop Idea

[IceStorm]

I've also looked into metal sheds to use for coops, and have seen plenty of reviewers lose their sheds to winds. So if you're in a windy area, that'll be a consideration for making it safe for animals.

Yes that's a BIG concern of mine right now. We have a way to attach it, but in order to stake it down we need to make sure we won't be hitting any lines/pipes.

 

[jwcarlson]

There are auger style anchors made for mobile homes that are fairly inexpensive and can help anchor things like these metal sheds.

I owned a 10x12 metal "shed in a box" an our old house and it would have needed some modifications to be an OK shed. It would be OK for a good part of the year, but like others have said. They get hot. Sure, a light colored one would be better than a dark one, but mine was cream colored and it was extremely hot. If you have a spot where it would mostly be in the shade, it might work alright. One other thing to consider on the flip side of the heat issue is that in the winter whatever moisture will be in the coop (from chicken respiration and their manure and their waterer) will be constantly condensing on the walls and roof because the walls are going to get extremely cold. Which can cause issues.

I winter my birds in a 40x20 hoop house (and unless there's a lot of snow, they still have fenced outdoor space. Moisture is an issue, but with adequate ventilation, it's manageable. If you go the metal shed route, I would try to figure out a way to make a couple of the metal panels into hardware cloth (or at least the bottom halves), closable panels. You might be able to make a wood frame "sandwich" and make the metal into a cover for the outside. In the summer you could open them up for a nice cross breeze. And in the winter during the day you could open them up to help keep things dry.
You'd probably also want ventilation up top in the winter to keep the warm, moist air able to exit.

Also matters if they're going to be in this shed 24/7 seasonally or if they'll always be able to get outside.