Shed Coop Idea

[IceStorm]

The tool shed is very large it came with the house, it would need ventilation. It would be MORE than enough space for 4 chickens.

That being said, I do believe after much debate hubby and I have decided on the metal shed. The one we found is very large (for 4 birds) and my husband is more than willing to paint the roof, put in insulation, make the proper ventilation, and found a safe way to mount it so it doesn't blow away like the house in wizard of oz

I think this is the most bang for our buck right now and is fairly large for what we need. We will also be able to comfortably store their food, oysters, etc in there without making it cramped, as well and be able to have food and water easily accessible for them!

 

[Tahai]

yeah, they def need to be separate from your tools. why not build a small coop as an addition onto the side wall of your shed? Something like this, only with the walls mostly solid and a couple of 2x4 boards for roosting? this would just be for nighttime use.

 

[Quazy Chik]

I was thinking of getting one of these sheds or something similar, putting in nesting boxes, perches, etc. Our flock is only 4 chickens right now, so this would be more than enough space compared to the coops we were originally looking into. They will also have access to a run as well.
I'm just wondering if y'all have any thoughts or ideas on how to make sure it doesn't become a furnace in the summer?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DS5KNKR8?smid=AK3HFKOE4GXIL&th=1

The shed I got for a chicken coop had a vent above the door and we had a window put in the back side. It gets a wonderful cross breeze. We also put an automatic door in which also helps with air movement. It has worked great for my girls for the last 4 years.

 

[Sherrie H]

I was thinking of getting one of these sheds or something similar, putting in nesting boxes, perches, etc. Our flock is only 4 chickens right now, so this would be more than enough space compared to the coops we were originally looking into. They will also have access to a run as well.
I'm just wondering if y'all have any thoughts or ideas on how to make sure it doesn't become a furnace in the summer?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DS5KNKR8?smid=AK3HFKOE4GXIL&th=1

We have had the same shed (4x6 - black roof) bought from Home Depot for 6 Rhode Island Red chickens for a year now. We raised it 2' so it has air flow below, insulated it with with lock-type flooring over the insulation on the walls (the girls would eat the styro otherwise), linoleum on the floor and TS premium pine flakes on it. The roost is in a large plant tray raised on 2 high concrete blocks and forget the nesting boxes - the girls wouldn't have a thing to do with them, they decided they like nesting in the flakes under the roost.
The roost with the plant tray traps all the poop and the rest of the coop stays fresh and clean.
We have never had any problems with heat (we live in NW Georgia zone 7) and this is with the coop being in sun for about 5-6 hours a day. Summer was no problem either. The girls have a door that always stays open and leads into the inner run where their food and water is, with a door that opens automatically to the outer run for more room.
Our girls are happy, healthy and although not wise, doing just great with 6 nice eggs daily (in winter 4).

 

[Vicker]

My husband built one of my coops out of leftover metal roofing. It's not ideal. Now, I use it as a brooder. We live in Texas, so he used expanded metal on the front and near the roof in the back for air flow, but it still gets quite hot in summer. In winter, I covered the openings with clear hard plastic panels. If I were to use the shed you show, I'd at least replace one of the doors with sturdy wire mesh. I really think the one you show is too narrow to give them enough room to jump up to the roosts and to not sit right up against the metal wall, and add to that, the room for the nests. Funny thing, I recently fenced in my formerly 100% free-ranging flock to keep them from camping in a place where I didn't want poop and feathers. The metal coop sits outside their barn stall coop. They picked that as their new day camp.

 

[la dee da]

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.

We have a metal shed for tools that we bought from Walmart website. We chose it because it’s supposed to handle our normal high-wind days and snow load, unlike most options out there. It’s been almost a year now, and the shed has done very well; however, a couple days ago when it was windy, I opened the door to get something, and the wind blew right in. The roof lifted about 1/2 inch front and back and groaned miserably. It scared me, and I ran out and shut that door as quickly as possible.

Of all the wind problems I predicted, I had never thought of the lift from the inside when the doors are open. If my shed had been turned into a coop, the ventilation would allow that life to happen with every wind storm, and I don’t think the roof would survive. If I were to try it anyway, I would tie the roof down with cables and stakes. That’s how my dad did it, and his shed survived hurricanes.