My coop started life as a storage shed that was turned into a tack/feed room for my horses/cows for several years after buying this place. We live in a rural town in Oklahoma on 20.25 acres. Instead of tearing down this building when it's usefulness was over I asked hubby his opinion on converting it into a chicken coop.
We replaced rotten wood along the eve, put a new roof on it with 30# felt paper and 25yr architectural shingles (actually had them from a previous roofing job so no expense there), built nesting boxes, ramp, roosts (below the boxes and may be our only mistake, time will tell), and a 'bridge' going left and right that allows the girls to climb the ramp and go to the nesting box of their choice. They have 16 to choose from!
Hubby on the ground and son on the roof
Ripping off old shingles and tearing out rotting wood
30# felt and new shingles
New roof with flashing (will prevent rotten wood again)
Roosts below, ramp that attaches to the 'bridge' and walking planks in front of nests.
It is not close to being completed. It will get a good sanding inside, primer, paint, and the outside is in primer, but will also be painted. It has a front metal door with screen (have to add the predator proof metal screen that screws into the door) and a metal vent on the opposite wall (behind the ramp, not pictured).
I will post updates as we go and ANY advice is greatly appreciated. My girls are all heavy breeds so we opted for the roosts to be lower on the ground. I did ask hubby if we could lower the nesting boxes and the 'look' said it all, but in his defense the boxes were literally built into the wall and very solidly I might add. It could possibly damage the structure and materials trying to re-do them. I plan on placing removable 'covers' in each box at night so they cannot roost in them and will put very deep bedding so they hopefully won't injure themselves IF they fly down. If a bird gets hurt due to the location of the boxes we will have no choice, but to lower them, but I am crossing my fingers they'll work
We replaced rotten wood along the eve, put a new roof on it with 30# felt paper and 25yr architectural shingles (actually had them from a previous roofing job so no expense there), built nesting boxes, ramp, roosts (below the boxes and may be our only mistake, time will tell), and a 'bridge' going left and right that allows the girls to climb the ramp and go to the nesting box of their choice. They have 16 to choose from!
Hubby on the ground and son on the roof
Ripping off old shingles and tearing out rotting wood
30# felt and new shingles
New roof with flashing (will prevent rotten wood again)
Roosts below, ramp that attaches to the 'bridge' and walking planks in front of nests.
It is not close to being completed. It will get a good sanding inside, primer, paint, and the outside is in primer, but will also be painted. It has a front metal door with screen (have to add the predator proof metal screen that screws into the door) and a metal vent on the opposite wall (behind the ramp, not pictured).
I will post updates as we go and ANY advice is greatly appreciated. My girls are all heavy breeds so we opted for the roosts to be lower on the ground. I did ask hubby if we could lower the nesting boxes and the 'look' said it all, but in his defense the boxes were literally built into the wall and very solidly I might add. It could possibly damage the structure and materials trying to re-do them. I plan on placing removable 'covers' in each box at night so they cannot roost in them and will put very deep bedding so they hopefully won't injure themselves IF they fly down. If a bird gets hurt due to the location of the boxes we will have no choice, but to lower them, but I am crossing my fingers they'll work
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