Shed Coop Idea

Metal sheds are all over. They can get hot but don't have to.

One huge part of it is ventilation. Hot air rises. If you have openings up high to let out hot air and an opening down low to let in cooler air in they can stay surprisingly cool. That shed doesn't look like it has much ventilation, just those two little grids. I don't know if you are north or south of the equator so I don't know which sides work best for you but I'd want the ventilation that let cool air in on the non-sunny side. I can't see a ridge vent. Since they don't mention one they probably do not have one. There is not much overhang to protect areas from rainwater blowing in if you add more ventilation up high.

Color makes a difference. Dark colors absorb heat, light colors reflect it.

Do the wind resistance and snow load suit your area?

Wind Resistance: Up to Grade 6 (24-30 mph), Snow Load Capacity: Up to 6 inches

Metal is harder to attach things to. Thin wooden paneling can be a challenge also. For either, I make a sandwich around the sheet metal or paneling, put a strip of wood on the outside and inside and then screw them together. That's whether I'm cutting an opening for a pop door or attaching a roost support.

Nests can become ovens if you attach them on the sunny side, especially if the coop wall is one side of the nest. I make my nests well ventilated (openings up high) and put them on the non-sunny side of the coop. I don't worry about the roosts that much with good ventilation since the sun is going down when they go to bed and they are not right up against the wall anyway.

It helps with any coop to have it in the shade of course, especially in the hottest parts of the day.

For only four chickens that 4' x 6' coop exceeds the general recommendations of this forum but it doesn't give you much room to work in there. If you plan on more chickens in the future I'd build to that number. I understand bigger means it costs more but I really like having extra space for the chickens and for me. I consider me important also.
 
I have to agree with the others - wood is the way to go when you need to make modifications (which you will with any pre-built building). Have you searched on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for wooden sheds?

Also, where in general are you located?
I have been looking! I need to look on craigslist still. We're around Eastern CO.
 
Metal sheds are all over. They can get hot but don't have to.

One huge part of it is ventilation. Hot air rises. If you have openings up high to let out hot air and an opening down low to let in cooler air in they can stay surprisingly cool. That shed doesn't look like it has much ventilation, just those two little grids. I don't know if you are north or south of the equator so I don't know which sides work best for you but I'd want the ventilation that let cool air in on the non-sunny side. I can't see a ridge vent. Since they don't mention one they probably do not have one. There is not much overhang to protect areas from rainwater blowing in if you add more ventilation up high.

Color makes a difference. Dark colors absorb heat, light colors reflect it.

Do the wind resistance and snow load suit your area?

Wind Resistance: Up to Grade 6 (24-30 mph), Snow Load Capacity: Up to 6 inches

Metal is harder to attach things to. Thin wooden paneling can be a challenge also. For either, I make a sandwich around the sheet metal or paneling, put a strip of wood on the outside and inside and then screw them together. That's whether I'm cutting an opening for a pop door or attaching a roost support.

Nests can become ovens if you attach them on the sunny side, especially if the coop wall is one side of the nest. I make my nests well ventilated (openings up high) and put them on the non-sunny side of the coop. I don't worry about the roosts that much with good ventilation since the sun is going down when they go to bed and they are not right up against the wall anyway.

It helps with any coop to have it in the shade of course, especially in the hottest parts of the day.

For only four chickens that 4' x 6' coop exceeds the general recommendations of this forum but it doesn't give you much room to work in there. If you plan on more chickens in the future I'd build to that number. I understand bigger means it costs more but I really like having extra space for the chickens and for me. I consider me important also.
Thank you for all of this info! I'm going to pass this along to hubby, he's the mastermind behind this particular operation.
 
I've seen those! I just dont really understand, they dont have a place for the chickens to roost and nest? At least the ones ive seen?
For roosts, you can run a board across the hoop coop from one side to the other. The chickens are happy to roost on that.

For nests, some people hang them on the side or end of the coop, others make a nestbox that sits on the floor (wood box, bucket, many other options: chickens aren't too picky.)

also how do they keep them warm in the winter? cause our winters our pretty cold here (not the coldest). I'd have to look into it more.
How cold do your winters get?

Chickens do fine down past freezing, as long as they have a roosting place that is out of direct wind (put tarps on the appropriate sides or parts of sides of the hoop coop, based on where your wind usually comes from.)

If you have enough ventilation that ammonia and humidity are removed, the coop will usually be close to the outdoor temperature anyway, no matter what materials you build it from.

I would generally worry about snow load (support the middle of the roof, or build a different style entirely) before I would worry about the temperature.
 

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