Shed to coop help

[Beah10]

Hey everyone, I figure since my chick order was already placed I should probably get working on the coop! I have a few questions about where to add ventilation and how to add it (quite honestly I suck at building things, so please "dumb down" the answers on How to do it ) As well as keeping the coop as safe as possible.

-I'm in Western NC, which is zone 7. Pretty mild winters, rarely ever see snow, hot and humid summers.
-I have black bears, racoons, rat snakes, stray cats, and hawks regularly in my yard (quite close to my bedroom window actually). I know we have a lot of other critters but I've never seen them on my property.
-I wasn't planning on adding a pop door, just using the front shed door, since I do plan to add the run straight out from the front.
-The run I was thinking I could use a netting over the top. Would that work? I think it would for hawks but I don't have a whole lot of experience with bears, would they normally come after chickens in the day? I see them mostly at dusk/dawn.

So where do I add more ventilation? Do I need to add more windows?
What's the best thing to do for the run?

 

[aart]

I have black bears

Hot wire around the whole coop and run.

Pics of the inside, showing condition of roof and floor.

 

[DickMidnight]

for ventilation, you can open up all of the areas i’ve outlined in red on both sides. cover all the openings in hardware cloth.

these openings, along with the existing windows, will give you a lot of good ventilation.

 

[Beah10]

Hot wire around the whole coop and run.

Pics of the inside, showing condition of roof and floor.

Do I fence the whole thing with hot wire or am I attaching the hot wire to the coop/run? Sorry if that's a stupid question

I can get interior pictures tomorrow. I haven't cleared all the stuff out of it yet so it's a bit messy. I will be cleaning it up this weekend so I can post better pictures then as well.

for ventilation, you can open up all of the areas i’ve outlined in red on both sides. cover all the openings in hardware cloth.

these openings, along with the existing windows, will give you a lot of good ventilation.

Thank you! So just to be clear, all 4 sides of the shed with those areas cut out? Would that be enough for the summers here? This might be a silly question, but how do I keep the rain out of the side ventilation? The roof extends slightly over the front and back but hardly at all on the sides.

 

[Banana01]

Wow what a big project. I will try to come up with some ideas. Definitely going to want a camara pointing at the coop from your house at all times. So many predators to protect against!

For sleeping, you are definitely going to want a safe enclosed space within the shed at first.

 

[DobieLover]

Definitely going to want a camara pointing at the coop from your house at all times. So many predators to protect against!

How will that protect against predators though?

 

[DobieLover]

for ventilation, you can open up all of the areas i’ve outlined in red on both sides. cover all the openings in hardware cloth.

these openings, along with the existing windows, will give you a lot of good ventilation.

In addition to this, I'd rip off the cap shingles and install a ridge vent and new caps.
I put the electric fence around my entire setup and the local momma black bear has yet to bother the flock. I know she's been on the property at least 3 times since I got chickens.

 

[DickMidnight]

This might be a silly question, but how do I keep the rain out of the side ventilation?

not a silly question at all. you’ve gotta do something to keep rain from blowing in. since you’re dealing with the peak, it’ll be hard to rig up a hinged awning.

i believe @aart likes using some kind of filter to make her vents a little more weather-proof.

here’s the solution i came up with, but you and i are dealing with different roof shapes.

 

[aart]

Do I fence the whole thing with hot wire or am I attaching the hot wire to the coop/run?

I'd run a big hot fence all around the coop and run, not attached.

Would that be enough for the summers here?

No.

This might be a silly question, but how do I keep the rain out of the side ventilation? The roof extends slightly over the front and back but hardly at all on the sides.

I'd extend the roof overhangs to 24" all around and add huge top hinged windows all around.

 

[DickMidnight]

I'd extend the roof overhangs to 24" all around and add huge top hinged windows all around.

won’t it be rough to make hinges windows up under the peak?