Thoughts on converting a corner of this shed.

[ValarieF]

You need to first calculate the necessary square footage based on the number of birds, 1 square foot per bird. That's your THEORETICAL minimum for 24/7/365 ventilation .

Then, if you live in a hot climate you should probably double or triple that.

Beyond that, you may want additional supplemental ventilation that's opened in hot weather and closed in cold weather.

My brooder here has 16 square feet of absolutely draft-free permanent ventilation with an additional 10 square feet of supplemental ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-to-outdoor-brooder-conversion.76634/



NAILED IT.

Those little louvered shed vents are essentially USELESS.

Taking strips of siding off and replacing them with hardware cloth is what's wanted.

4 square feet per bird. and the more ventslstion the better. Do not close ventalation off in the winter as the birds create moisture and will get frostbite. The outside run should be 10 sqare feet per bird.

 

[Lilion]

my dog (german shepherd) ate tin and got out of the shed. you have to protect all corners of your shed so that big animals cannot enter. it looks as if a bear could tear off tin at the corners.

We don't have bears. Well, technically they exist around here, but pretty few and far between. We'll do a bit of fixing on the shed.

 

[3KillerBs]

Darn. I was hoping to use those because the shed doesn't actually have much of a roof overhang.

I'll figure it out.

You can make awnings. The ones on my brooder are terribly redneck because I just made use of some scrap metal siding that was left on the property we bought, but it's possible to make them look nicer than this:

 

[3KillerBs]

Not sure if this has been said yet but, with the cost of lumber right now (at least in my area) and other parts and products, for just five hens you could get a small manufactured coop/run. Youd be able to move it around your yard.

Something like this or similar.
Best Choice Products 70in Mobile Fir Wood Chicken Coop Tractor Hen House Poultry Cage for 3-5 Hens, Outdoor, Animal Care w/ Wheels, 2 Doors, Nest Box, Removable Tray, UV Panel https://a.co/d/2Vz4S1I

Easier to predator proof and you could drill extra insulation. If you have a shady spot you could put it, even better.

Sorry just thought I'd throw that in there!

First Rule of Thumb in re: chicken coops,

If it looks like a dollhouse it's only suited for toy chickens.

Those prefabs are undersized, ill-ventilated, badly designed, and poorly-made.

 

[3KillerBs]

Sorry Ive never heard of that usually its just the top of the coop as much ventalation as you can get.

These are the Usual Guidelines for space requirements:

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

They're *guidelines* rather than hard-and-fast *rules*, but the main thing with ventilation is that the inside of the coop should be at the same temperature and humidity as the outside.

Here in the Steamy Southeast, I frequently find that I need double or triple that amount of ventilation just to keep a coop under 100F on a 90F degree day unless the coop is located in deep shade -- though the monitor is the best for non-shaded locations.

Placement of ventilation matters. Air FLOW is key: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

The "ventilation" on those little prefabs looks like this:

 

[ValarieF]

I don't like fans myself because of the risk of fire and because I figure that the power will go out from grid overload just when the fan is needed most.

Many people do use barn-rated fans, however.

This is a safer installation for a non-barn-rated fan: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/window-fan-mount.75608/

they are solar powered

 

[Lilion]

I want to thank you all so much. I think the general design is ironed out now.

 

[3KillerBs]

I want to thank you all so much. I think the general design is ironed out now.

We all pass on what we've learned from those who came before us.

 

[jeansweezey]

Regarding the outside of the shed, it is quite close to the neighbors. I think we'll have to put in a short length of privacy fence to keep their little dogs from going nuts. I think that we can predator-proof a run on the outside well enough, as cats and dogs are the big danger during the day and the hens will be indoors at night. I like this corner because it's on the NW corner of the shed and shaded. View attachment 3205568View attachment 3205571View attachment 3205572

Definitely put in vents and a window get air flow. In the winter when they are closed up, the chickens produce a lot of humidity, and if it is cold, they could get frost bite on their feet and comb. I had that happen to my rooster--his comb turned black and I had to put stuff on it every day. What is the floor made of? What do you plan to put down on the floor?

 

[Lilion]

So I

Oh, what a nice size shed! It's not awful at all, it's got character.

An option for fans without cords, Ryobi makes one called the air cannon and it's an 18" I believe and can run on cord or their batteries. They've been a great help in not having a power source close to our coops. We use the large one in our large coop and the small non misting one in our small coop.

I don't feel like the solar fans would move enough air, but solar maybe an option for a water heater or a battery bank of some sort. Just some possible ideas.

Guess you think there idea will work? We bought a Ryobi misting fan this summer. It's awesome...and works without water too.