Shed to Coop Advice

[Akachicklil]

Hello Folks,

I have a shed house and I want to convert half of it into a coop. Half of the shed will be partitioned off. The partition will have a door and it would all be hardware wire. Can someone point me over to a link or any plans or resources to help me figure this out? Maybe a DIY link or instructions. I am using Pinterest and have found so many lovely ideas. However no luck with videos or instructions on how to build a partition inside a shed with a coop. All I seem to find is how to convert an entire shed into a coop. I still have lots of cleaning out to do obviously as I keep some tools in the shed etc. Also, I have a washer and dryer on one side. My chicken never had problems with it. But thought I would add that for some insight. Below I have posted several pictures of ideas from Pinterest then my actual shed. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[3KillerBs]

Also, I have a washer and dryer on one side.

If you plan to keep having a washer and dryer there you really do not want a wire wall with a chicken coop on the other side of it because every surface in the shed will be quickly become covered with a layer of dust composed of a mix of feather dander, particles of bedding, and pulverized chicken poop.

Partitioning off a shed for a coop is not a bad idea per se. It's just that if you want to use the rest of the shed for non-chicken things you'll want a solid wall there.

Since the shed is free-standing open space the wall can be a lightly-framed partition instead of a structural element.

 

[aart]

I cannot imagine doing laundry anywhere near a chicken coop!
In your climate ventilation is going to be a huge concern,
and it looks like there is no ventilation in that building.
Pinterest is almost always very pretty, but frequently lacks much if any practicality.

Anyway, I turned part of a shed into a coop, the dust is insane.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/

 

[Finnie]

People are telling you that a solid wall will cut down on dust. But you will need not only a solid wall, but you will need to completely seal any openings, holes or cracks where that wall connects to the ceiling, floor and side walls. Chicken dust is insidious and will very quickly coat all the surfaces in your laundry room with a thick layer. Even if you dust frequently, it will get in places that you can’t reach. I strongly suspect this plan will be disappointing for what you want. Perhaps I am overly pessimistic though. Maybe you would be able to seal it well enough.

 

[CoopintheWoods]

From your Pinterest inspo, it seems like you need basic framing to cover in hardware cloth. It might be easiest to look up some framing diagrams as if you were building a "real" wall. In this case, since it's just a partition, the wood size/quality matters much less, but the concepts for framing out the wall and a sturdy door will be the same.
Home depot has a nice basic wall framing guide:

https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-frame-a-wall/9ba683603be9fa5395fab907f17c5d1

And the door follows the same concept with a few extra plates.
https://www.wikihow.com/Frame-a-Door-Opening

Since you have a nice (presumably level) tile floor in the shed, you might be able to assemble the wall right inside on the floor, which is usually easiest. You could also attach the hardware cloth while the wall is still on the floor.

Good luck with your project!

 

[Shezadandy]

I saw it. Came out nice. Good job! Thank you.

x10 on the dust issue.

Every few weeks I use a leaf blower to unburden my rafters and ceiling and my N95 mask is completely covered in seconds as is my hair and clothing.

I would plan to have the whole thing for a chicken use (like feed storage) or garden type use - but anything with machinery is going to get inundated with this dust and cause problems, potentially fire danger problems which is why laundry machines would kinda be asking for it. I offer this as money and sanity saving advice.

It's hard to explain how much dust chickens make. They don't even have to be outside in dirt to CREATE their own fine silt-y dust. It's amazing really. Speaking as a person who had chicks/ens inside while finishing the first coop - it is gross. It goes everywhere. There is no containing it.

 

[CoopintheWoods]

Anything solid would do the trick. Some dust will always escape, but a solid barrier would drastically cut it back. If your not worried with how it looks, the hardware cloth/chicken wire on the coop side of the wall and plastic film or a tarp on the laundry room side would be cheap and easy. If you want it to look nicer, maybe plywood would be better.

 

[CoopintheWoods]

What about a pixi glass wall? Wouldn’t a solid wall be suffocating ? Darn darn darn!!! There must be a way around it. I guess the facts are facts… especially when it comes to ….. I didn’t think about that…. But that’s why I mentioned the washer and dryer… I had a feeling someone would crush my dream with honesty … lol jk. I appreciate honesty. Even if I’m not bothered by microscopic poop… it will be a fact to consider because of general health purposes for us humans… I don’t want to increase my risk of getting salmonella or getting microscopic on my clothes.

Plexiglass would also work and look nice.

Yeah, unfortunately fine dust like that isn't so good to be breathing. Keeping the coop super clean and well ventilated really helps keep in down too though. And I see you're in Miami, so you'll probably not have to close up the coop for the winter, which is really good as that's when the dust builds up the most.

 

[21hens-incharge]

My recommendation is to not have part of the shed as the coop. That chicken dust will get inside the dryer and washer where you cannot clean as @Shezadandy mentioned above.

In your climate a hoop coop may be a very good option.

No one wants a fire in the laundry area or the coop.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hoop coop?

A hoop coop is an easy build that does especially well in warm climates. You get lots of room for the money and effort. Here are a few examples.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-coop-brooder-with-roll-up-sides.75720/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-biddie-bordello-a-hoop-coop-run-combo.72189/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/permanent-hoop-coop-guide.47818/