The shed is here.... OMG NOW WHAT!

[canesisters]

Ok, starting to look like something. The old perches and nest boxes are down and I got it washed last night - BIG improvement!

before:

after:

I've got 4 old windows that I'm going to put in with hinges at the top and hardware cloth screens. That should provide good light and help with air flow.

Also started putting the wire around the bottom. I'm going to use 2x3 wire under the coop floor, but this will give an extra layer of digger deterrant.


Now, if I can JUST figure out how to close up the gaps at the front and back... I have wood - but haven't figured out yet how to attach it - there's nothing to nail it to, unless I just slap it up over the wall. I'm sure there's a better way, I just haven't found it yet.

 

[joan1708]

There are so many ways to go. If you do a wood floor, you are at risk for mice/rats living under it and chewing through it. If you want a floor, concrete would be best I think. If you do a dirt floor with mats you have to make sure it wont get wet in rainy weather. You need the high ventilation. Can you make a little roof over hang to keep the rain out? There are negatives with sand. Some people complain it holds the ammonia smell. Some people like it better than the deep litter.

Myself, I think I would go with making sure the coop is on a high spot. I would do the mats and deep litter method (cheapest and healthier for the chickens IMO). I would dig around the sides and put hardware cloth down about a foot and french drains to keep critters and water out of the coop. I might also put it out (skirt on the ground around the bottom edge) 18-24 inches for extra security. (I can't stand the idea of vermin getting in my coop) I would put gutters up to keep roof water away from the coop. (a rain barrel setup would be nice). I like your hardware cloth/plexiglass door idea.

I'd paint the inside and outside because it looks better, the wood will hold up better. It will be easier to clean and less hospitable to lice.

I love the setting/trees you have in your yard. Happy Building and Good luck! Don't let yourself get frustrated with stuff not quite fitting and having to do stuff over.

 

[BeulahBreezes]

What a nice chicken shed.......its going to look great and be very functional...I can just tell by your enthusiasm!!!!! (lucky chickens!)~Beulah

 

[canesisters]

Thanks Beulah!
I'm sitting here a little sore from all the 'over my head' work yesterday and your comment was a nice pick-me-up.

I've gotten 2 opinions and now I'm REALLY waffling about the coop floor. I WILL figure out how to cover those gaps with wood, but what to do inside is getting to be the problem now. I'm a list maker but these seem pretty much even.....

1. Right on the dirt (deep sand w/2"x3" wire underneath)
Pros:

• faster than having to build a floor (chicks in by the weekend!)
• eliminates providing a nice dry place for mice or rats to live

Cons:

• questionable drainage
• hard to get CLEAN if/when necessary
• have to be scooped daily to prevent smells

2. Wooden floor 6" high (2"x3" wire underneath)
Pros:

• easy to clean
• seems safer (?)
• If I miss a few days cleaning, can be stripped to the floor and re-bedded

Cons:

• will take longer (chicks in by the weekend??)
• provides a nice dry home for rodents

Anyone want to weigh in with pros and cons???

 

[CarolJ]

IF you put in a wood floor, cover it with inexpensive linoleum. Makes a HUGE difference in clean-up. My coop has a wood floor with linoleum - and deep litter method (pine shavings) on the floor. I have poop boards under the roosts - and I have sand and Sweet PDZ on them. I do a quick "poop scoop" most mornings - and there's never a smell problem. I miss a day or two here and there - and it's no problem. Almost all the poop is either on the poop boards or out in the run.

Love the shed you got. Great deal! I'm looking forward to seeing how your renovation goes!

 

[canesisters]

I talked with a family at church that has chickens and they nixed the sand idea - and the wood floor one too. They use what we call 'crush & run' in the floor of their coop. It's from the local quarry and is (I think) pulverized granite. They said that it looks like sand and gravel when you first put it down but in no time it packs down and is nearly impossible to dig through. Alot of folks use it as driveway base. They rake the floor of their coop once a week and use a dust pan to scoop up the poo. They have over 20 chooks and say that they have zero smell problems and that they have never had anything dig into their coop. They don't have any sort of wire around the bottom of the building - but they swear that anything that could dig through that stuff could just as easily tear the roof off. (lol)
I've already got a 'apron' of hardware cloth around the bottom - and today I lined the dirt with 2"x3" sections of salvaged wire (lots of overlaps). I'm planning to run by the quarry tomorrow and get a load. I'm hoping that 1 load will do... but thinking that it's going to take 2 or more. Gravel and such never goes as far as you think it will. I figure that about 6" - 8" will bring the floor up to level with the bottom of the wall studs.

I'm planning to put in poop shelves under the roosts and to put the nest boxes under the shelves. I saw a few picts on here where folks had done that and it seemed to work nice and take up a min. of space.

Another idea - my 2 SLWynadottes have become terrible bullies (probably because they are getting crowded in the brooder) and I was thinking that it might be wise to put in 3 corner roosts instead of one long one - all at the same height and all about 3'-4' long. That way, they can't hog the roosts and the meeker birds will always have one that is 'wynadotte-less' to get on. What do yall think?

 

[joan1708]

sounds like a plan! Good Luck!

 

[jrsckn]

I know a lot of people who use "rock dust" in their kennels and it provides excellent drainage and has minimal smell. An idea for the gaps on the floor is concrete block; it'll keep all the crush n run inside and nothing can chew through it. We used some old block we scavenged to line our run and it works great.

 

[canesisters]

Blocks! Of course! DOH!

I've got a small pile of cinder blocks and another of bricks. I think that the blocks will fill the larger gap at the back and the bricks will look real nice in the front. GREAT IDEA! Thank you.

 

[jrsckn]

You're very welcome