Transforming a shed into a coop and have insulation/heat/light/nesting box questions

[jerliznyenhuis]

My husband and I live in Michigan. We are turning our shed into a chicken coop to house our 18 hens-6 Americaunas, 6 NJ Giants, 6 Black Australorps (they're about 4 weeks old now and we'd like to move them to the coop soon).

Here are the shed specs:
**10 feet long
**8 feet wide
**about 9 feet tall (but we're thinking about making a ceiling at 7 feet)
**door on east side


We will use either hay, shavings, or sand to cover the cement floor (haven't decided yet)

This past winter, we had temperatures as low as minus 6, without the windchill...


So here are things we're debating and would like input on:

1) Heat: if I am understanding what I am reading on here, heat isn't really necessary?

2) Electricity: it isn't necessary (unless we want eggs year-round or have pest issues), but it makes things more convenient (like doing a head-count at night).

3) Insulation: this is where we're really stuck. We're getting warmer temperatures, so we have time to insulate over summer, but we're wondering if it's necessary. I know that humidity is the culprit when it comes to frostbite, but will insulation help keep the ladies more comfortable when it's cold? Could it cause over-heating problems in the coop during the summer? I know that draft is also bad, so where would you recommend putting the vents?

4) Size of nesting boxes: we're getting ready to make them.Will 12w x 12d x 14h be big enough for our giants?


Thank you for your help/input! I will be sure to take pictures as the transformation takes place and to post them when I am able.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

#1 Those breeds won't need any heat with those temps. They always wear a down jacket. Providing heat has several downsides.

#2 It isn't necessary but oh so nice to have especially in winter when you need to keep the water thawed. Also any work in the building other than in broad daylight is miserable with a flashlight. If you don't add it, you'll wish you had.

#3 A lot of people use it but I never insulate It gets below zero here too but the problem is. Worrying about the cold will kill your chickens. The reason is that if you close up the building and not provide sufficient ventilation it will only be a matter of time before your birds will develop respiratory problems. You need to shoot for at least a 1 Sq. Ft. opening per bird for proper fresh air. That means cutting huge windows into the building for 18 birds. If you do that, it makes insulating a waste of time and energy.

#4 I've had Black, Blue and White Giants. I built a little bigger boxes for them but they also used the 12X12 boxes. A couple times I saw them crammed into the smaller box along with an Orpington laying at the same time. I think that size is sufficient but I like them to be a little taller. Sometimes the hens like to stand up in there.

Another local chicken keeper built a nice coop with a covered run and roosts in the run. Their hens never chose to use the inside roosts but slept on the outside roosts all winter. And it was a cold one. Chickens are outdoor animals and need fresh air.

I do like the idea of converting a shed to a coop.

 

[aart]

Is the shed wood or metal? If metal you might need to insulate the walls where there aren't windows to stop heat transfer.

I wouldn't bother installing a ceiling, put some ventilation as high as possible. Moist, ammonia laden air rises and needs to escape.

Not mentioned but...

Put roosts higher than nesting boxes so they don't roost (and poop) in nesting boxes.

Cover all openings in coop with 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth to deter predators.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

good points art
I have a building just like it with concrete floor and have tried everything for bedding and found pine shavings work the best and is easier to keep dry. Straw has a tendency to harbor molds and fungus, especially if closed up. 18 chickens produce a massive amount of humidity from respiration and feces. That moisture and straw aren't good for small respiratory systems.

To make use of the high roof I added a loft on one half and use it for storage.

 

[res]

1) Heat: if I am understanding what I am reading on here, heat isn't really necessary?
*** The only time I have ever put a heat lamp in a coop is when I am transitioning young chicks to the coop and the night time temps are chilly. Right now, I have 8 6-wks old chicks that have been moved to the coop - so I have a heat lamp for them because the temps at night are in the 40's. As they get older and the temps get warmer, I'll remove the light.

2) Electricity: it isn't necessary (unless we want eggs year-round or have pest issues), but it makes things more convenient (like doing a head-count at night).
*** I also have an 8x10 shed converted to a coop. I have a very bright battery-powered LED light that I got at Lowe's for night time head count. http://www.lowes.com/pd_154139-5305...&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=night+lights&facetInfo= It works great, and I have it mounted just inside the door so I don't have to fumble for a switch. I do have an extension cord run to the shed for several strings of LED Christmas lights that are set up on a timer for winter laying. I also use the cord for a heated waterer. I do plan to hardwire the coop eventually, but until then, the cords work fine.

3) Insulation: this is where we're really stuck. We're getting warmer temperatures, so we have time to insulate over summer, but we're wondering if it's necessary. I know that humidity is the culprit when it comes to frostbite, but will insulation help keep the ladies more comfortable when it's cold? Could it cause over-heating problems in the coop during the summer? I know that draft is also bad, so where would you recommend putting the vents?
*** I did fully insulate my shed and lined it with OSB. It made a HUGE difference in the indoor temp this winter. I have a large window for ventilation, with cross ventilation via the pop door. I only had 9 hens in the coop this winter, so that amount of ventilation was sufficient. But there are currently 20 hens in the coop, so I do plan to make some additional ventilation areas in the peak. In the summer, ventilation is via the double doors being left open. I made a predator proof "screen door" with a section of cattle panel and chicken wire. I don't worry about the draft in the summer!

4) Size of nesting boxes: we're getting ready to make them.Will 12w x 12d x 14h be big enough for our giants?
*** Since I wasn't making outdoor access nest boxes, I just used these stacking bins from Lowe's. I've been using them for 3 years now, and they work great. The hens love them... And I love that they are so darn easy to clean - just dump and hose out. http://www.lowes.com/pd_291204-8424...1&currentURL=?Ntt=bins+and+baskets&facetInfo=

 

[jerliznyenhuis]

Is the shed wood or metal? If metal you might need to insulate the walls where there aren't windows to stop heat transfer.

I wouldn't bother installing a ceiling, put some ventilation as high as possible. Moist, ammonia laden air rises and needs to escape.

Not mentioned but...

Put roosts higher than nesting boxes so they don't roost (and poop) in nesting boxes.

Cover all openings in coop with 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth to deter predators.

The shed is wood. Thanks for the insight about the ventilation and ammonia laden air....

#1 Those breeds won't need any heat with those temps. They always wear a down jacket. Providing heat has several downsides.

#2 It isn't necessary but oh so nice to have especially in winter when you need to keep the water thawed. Also any work in the building other than in broad daylight is miserable with a flashlight. If you don't add it, you'll wish you had.

#3 A lot of people use it but I never insulate It gets below zero here too but the problem is. Worrying about the cold will kill your chickens. The reason is that if you close up the building and not provide sufficient ventilation it will only be a matter of time before your birds will develop respiratory problems. You need to shoot for at least a 1 Sq. Ft. opening per bird for proper fresh air. That means cutting huge windows into the building for 18 birds. If you do that, it makes insulating a waste of time and energy.

#4 I've had Black, Blue and White Giants. I built a little bigger boxes for them but they also used the 12X12 boxes. A couple times I saw them crammed into the smaller box along with an Orpington laying at the same time. I think that size is sufficient but I like them to be a little taller. Sometimes the hens like to stand up in there.

Another local chicken keeper built a nice coop with a covered run and roosts in the run. Their hens never chose to use the inside roosts but slept on the outside roosts all winter. And it was a cold one. Chickens are outdoor animals and need fresh air.

I do like the idea of converting a shed to a coop.

What are the downsides to heat?
Good thoughts about insulation.
We plan on building a portable roost so they it can be inside at night and outside during the day...or maybe we need to just build two roosts???

good points art
I have a building just like it with concrete floor and have tried everything for bedding and found pine shavings work the best and is easier to keep dry. Straw has a tendency to harbor molds and fungus, especially if closed up. 18 chickens produce a massive amount of humidity from respiration and feces. That moisture and straw aren't good for small respiratory systems.

To make use of the high roof I added a loft on one half and use it for storage.

Good thoughts about the loft...we have several other places/ideas for storage, but I'll pass this on to my husband.



Thank you all for your replies. We have finished converting the shelving that was in there into 14 nesting boxes...step one of the transformation is complete. (Once I figure out how to post pictures, I'll do that soon!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Save yourself some energy. With a flock, 1 nest per 3 or 4 birds is sufficient. I had 4 for 10 and they used 2. I had 3 for 12 and they used 1. Use some of that nest box space for more roosts. Make the roosts permanent to also save labor. Make the roosts at least 2" wide so they can cover their toes at night with their feathers. If you can see their toes at night the roosts aren't wide enough.

The downsides to heat other than in order to heat you can't have sufficient ventilation are:
Suppose you heat the coop to 30 and they're cozy at night and you let them out in the morning (the coldest time of the day) and they get hit with that -6 wind and wind chill. VERY stressful on the unacclimated chickens. You sleep in a warm bed in pajamas and put on layers and a big coat when you go out into the MI morning wind. A chicken wears the same down coat 24/7. Properly acclimated they feather out well and don't have the huge daily temperature swings you plan on subjecting them to.
What happens when the power goes out after they've been coddled - very stressful.
Heat and COOPING up contributes to humidity = frostbite and ammonia/fungal buildup = respiratory disease.

 

[Keggen]

We converted a shed into a coop and it's worked out well. I would not make a ceiling in yours, it will help with ventilation so you can put vents up high but not have to worry about drafts on the chickens.

We put 2 windows directly across from each other for cross ventilation, 2 roof vents, 2 vents on the back wall of the coop and one vent in one of the doors. Even so I've noticed I should add more ventilation this spring.

We live in Minnesota and our winters are cold. The shed is not insulated but using the deep litter method this winter helped produce heat and all but 1 of my chickens did just fine without heat or insulation. The hen that died was a smaller than normal Buckeye who was already considered a little less hardy than the others and it was bitterly cold.

I strongly suggest having electricity though. I like having a light on in the coop during the day just so the hens weren't cooped up on the coldest days in the dark. It wasn't to force more eggs but to just make it more comfortable for them. Plus it gives you more flexibility for doing things in the dark like repairs or just gathering eggs later than normal.

I agree with not adding heat. They will naturally acclimate with their feathers. On the coldest nights I brought them scratch to help keep them warmer inside and in the mornings I brought warm "slop" (varying recipes of oats, grits, water or milk, and maybe a few treats cooked up warm).

Why do you want an outside roost? I would probably just build one permanent one inside the coop so that they can go in when they are ready and not have to wait on you, and vice versa.....if you have to bring in their roost every night at dusk you have more responsibility. That's just too much work for me.

 

[Incukahlan]

We also have a shed converted into a giant coop. Inside there are different enclosures for our different age groups( we keep them separated for business) and we also have an outdoor area outside the shed entrance with a roof and fence going around as an outdoor patio kind of coop as well. We have 4 windows that we made. One in each wall. But not huge. We can open and close whichever ones we need to for ventilation and circulation of all the stuffy air that can easily build up.

We live in Arizona so getting to cold is never an issue, although on chilly nights for our little ones we simply have heat lamps. We also have electricity running out there (husband is an electrician *Bonus*) because it just generally makes things easier. You need to have a main light because you never know when you'll need to run out to the coop. We're constantly going in and out because of our business. At night I go take care of them before bed. So electricity is a must for us. We keep the lights on out in the coop longer for winter as well. We have been able to tell a difference with laying through the winter when you can provide light, since there aren't enough hours in the day of sunshine.

You do not need too many nesting boxes, just like chickencanoe said. They only need 1 every 3-4 birds. Use the space for something more useful. You can never have enough useful nooks and crannies in a coop I've realized. Anyway you can productively utilize your space is great. Roosting outside is not necessary. They will busy themselves with other things, or find something natural to roost on. No need to go through the effort of intentionally making them one for the outside, they may not use it. You'll figure it all out as you go along. You'll be able to see what works, what doesn't, what little tweaks need to be made. It will all come together and I'm sure you'll do fine. Good luck!

 

[ll]

Ours is the same size but not the ceiling height.
Maybe you can get some ideas from my page - good luck!