Shed into Coop - Need Ideas & Suggestions

[clickdb]

Now with cleats!

 

[16 paws]

I also have a building that I am using for my chicken house. It is about 10x14 ft. and it has linoleum on the floor which I have covered with straw I have a few boards for roosts and a table that I'm going to put their nest boxes on. It only has one window though..........should I put a fan in the window? I just moved my young chickens out to the building yesterday and they seem to be doing fine now. I'm in Oklahoma and it can get kind of hot, but after they are well acquainted with their building I had hoped to let them free range in my fenced in back yard, but was just informed they could get over my 4 ft. chain link fence. So I will either keep their wings clipped (I raise parrots so I know how to do this, or I will need to build them a pen. I have a 50' foot roll of 14 gauge welded wire that is stored at a friends place and I'm waiting for her to bring it to me. I might just angle it in from the top of the fence which was also suggested on another thread. Will the linoleum be OK under the straw and pine chips in the chicken house?

I've been keeping and breeding parrots for 30 years, but these are my first chickens.....they are about 8 weeks old. (3 Barred Rock, 1 R.I. Red, 1 Buff Orpington and 1 Americauna).

P.S. I used to keep my breeder parrots in this building but have moved them into the garage.

Will the linoleum be OK under the straw and pine chips in the chicken house?

Yes, I think that is fine for the floor. Welcome to the crazy world of chickens! Be careful, they multiply fast...;-}

 

[Cheryl Reese]

Will the linoleum be OK under the straw and pine chips in the chicken house?

Yes, I think that is fine for the floor. Welcome to the crazy world of chickens! Be careful, they multiply fast...;-}

Not unless I get a rooster they won't!

 

[clickdb]

Not unless I get a rooster they won't!

Check out Chicken Math... It proves you don't need a rooster to end up with more chickens lol.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/959472/chicken-math/

Today I made the decision to cover the floor with vinyl tiles, in a year I will re-evaluate and make sure there is no rot. Tiles purchased, but not installed yet. Hopefully I have time to work on it tomorrow.
I also decided to take the suggestion of preventing the chickens from getting up into the rafters, for now it's blocked off with netting. Hard to take a picture that shows it.

Next steps will be to move the run I already have to the shed's location, and secure it. I'm gonna have to bribe some friends to help with that.

 

[aart]

Quote: Problem with tiles is you have to glue them down(forget ever being able to check underneath them)....
.... and any spills can seep between the tiles to the wooden floor.

If you use a single sheet of vinyl you only have to tack it down at the edges, if that......
......and if you bend it up the sides of the wall(and tack it there) it's even more protective of the floor beneath of any spills.

Heavy foam backed vinyl sheet bent at edges without breaking(unlike the paper backed stuff).
It's held up well for 22 months now.

 

[curtisbirds]

My husband is a contractor of 25 years and I asked him about your floor, I just rotted mine out on purpose it was already really rough. He said that linoleum, sealers, or anything like that will break down eventually and they will leech chemicals into your bedding that can cause you and the chickens possible issues. He said the best would be to get 6 mil plastic sheeting and cover the wood and up the wall the depth of your litter and staple it at the top it hold in place sealing any seams with liquid nails, but again that it just his humble opinion

 

[bbhorsefly]

I am converting my shed too! It's 8'x14.' I put a solid piece of linoleum on the floor and tacked the edges. I'm going to do the roosts with poop board method. That is said to contain and eliminate 90% of mess and 100% of the smell in a coop. It can be swept out and spot cleaned periodically. I would imagine it will break down along the same time line that it would break down if it were in a room in my house. Except the chickens are not so hard on it. I've lived with the stick on tiles in 3 house bathrooms and a kitchen. They were awful. No matter how carefully they were installed, they would shift and gaps would open up. Once there was a major spill or a toilet overflowed, there would be warping and separation on seams from water getting down between. I redid one of those bathrooms and there was dirt and moisture under all the seams. Once, I put sheet plastic down and then stuck the tiles to that for a separate project and it worked much better. But it was a lot more time and effort then the one piece linoleum I just put in my coop. I got a 10'x15' piece at Lowes for $45. Bonus that it looks like plank hardwood!

 

[clickdb]

 
My husband is a contractor of 25 years and I asked him about your floor, I just rotted mine out on purpose it was already really rough. He said that linoleum, sealers, or anything like that will break down eventually and they will leech chemicals into your bedding that can cause you and the chickens possible issues. He said the best would be to get 6 mil plastic sheeting and cover the wood and up the wall the depth of your litter and staple it at the top it hold in place sealing any seams with liquid nails, but again that it just his humble opinion

That is awesome. i appreciate the advice! i  am going to return my tiles and get the plastic sheeting,  that really sounds like a great idea.  i'll feel better about having the base board area covered as well.

I am converting my shed too! It's 8'x14.' I put a solid piece of linoleum on the floor and tacked the edges. I'm going to do the roosts with poop board method. That is said to contain and eliminate 90% of mess and 100% of the smell in a coop. It can be swept out and spot cleaned periodically. I would imagine it will break down along the same time line that it would break down if it were in a room in my house. Except the chickens are not so hard on it. I've lived with the stick on tiles in 3 house bathrooms and a kitchen. They were awful. No matter how carefully they were installed, they would shift and gaps would open up. Once there was a major spill or a toilet overflowed, there would be warping and separation on seams from water getting down between. I redid one of those bathrooms and there was dirt and moisture under all the seams. Once, I put sheet plastic down and then stuck the tiles to that for a separate project and it worked much better. But it was a lot more time and effort then the one piece linoleum I just put in my coop. I got a 10'x15' piece at Lowes for $45. Bonus that it looks like plank hardwood!

Nice find on the vinyl floor piece, the lowes and home depot by me didnt have any remnants for sale, and the cost per square foot adds up really fast.  I know where you are coming from with the tiles, i used to have them in the kitchen and laundry areas of my old place i was renting.  they were a pain in the rear, got dirty, and came up pretty easily.  i guess i was trying to take a shortcut and just be done with it; out of sight out of mind. i know it would have constantly bugged me.

finished securing the netting on the rafters, thanks @aart for posting the picture of your setup. really nice!

 

[JackE]

The chickens will shred the plastic, I would not try that. You want something good to cover the floor. Go to Lowes and buy a big bucket of Blackjack #57. It's a rubberized roof coat product. If it can stand up to what mother nature throws at it year round, on a roof, protecting a chicken coop floor is nothing to it. Unlike vinyl or linoleum, this stuff bonds tight to the floor. Nothing will get under it. It totally seals all floor joints, and the seam/gap where the walls meet the floor. To apply, just stir well (The most important part), then just dump on the floor and push it around with a paint roller on a stick/mop handle. I have had this stuff down in my coop for over 5 yrs, and it looks the same as it did when I first put it down. IMO, it's the best coop floor protector you can get.

 

[aart]

The chickens will shred the plastic, I would not try that. You want something good to cover the floor. Go to Lowes and buy a big bucket of Blackjack #57. It's a rubberized roof coat product. If it can stand up to what mother nature throws at it year round, on a roof, protecting a chicken coop floor is nothing to it. Unlike vinyl or linoleum, this stuff bonds tight to the floor. Nothing will get under it. It totally seals all floor joints, and the seam/gap where the walls meet the floor. To apply, just stir well (The most important part), then just dump on the floor and push it around with a paint roller on a stick/mop handle. I have had this stuff down in my coop for over 5 yrs, and it looks the same as it did when I first put it down. IMO, it's the best coop floor protector you can get.

Ditto on the shredding......