Turning an Old Barn into a Coop

[Maryh97]

So I hope this is in the right place. I got it of the chicken business when I moved to Alabama a few years ago because I didn't wanna move my 20 chickens all the way down here. But I've missed having them and impulse bought myself a batch of chicks.

The place I moved to has an old barn and I've decided to use one part of it as an open air coop.

It gets super hot even in northern Alabama and so I wanted an open air coop to get plenty of ventilation, and also this part of the barn is in near constant shade, which, paired with some hanging fans, should make them pretty comfortable in the coming months.

This is the space in working with. It needs some more cleaning up to get the junk the previous home owners left behind, and the ground needs some leveling.

My question is, for anyone who has open air coops or a similar kinda set up, what kind of flooring I should put down. My guess is a layer of gravel or sand but when I tried a sand bedding coop in TN it was a big pain in my rear. Any other suggestions are also welcome. I'm not a builder, so I'm just trying to work with what I've got. I will be constructing a run out to the side and back of the barn as well, which should be at least 40x20 starting out with hope for expansion later on.

 

[saysfaa]

I'm totally green!!! What a wonderful space!!!

Gravel is a nightmare once the poop starts working into it. Sand works in some climates but I don't know which climates.

Wood chips always work - at least I've seen hundreds of accounts of them working well and none of them not working. Even better is a mix of many textures of tree products (leaves, twigs, chips, etc), or similar mulchy stuff.

 

[Sally PB]

Wood chips always work - at least I've seen hundreds of accounts of them working well and none of them not working. Even better is a mix of many textures of tree products (leaves, twigs, chips, etc), or similar mulchy stuff.

Second this!

Since you're going to be in a hot climate, look into "open air coops." You have the ideal set up already built, just enclose the front with hardware cloth, and add some ventilation at the roof.

 

[Hermits Garden]

Oooh, color me jealous. What an awesome area to work with! Make sure the roof is sound, then add some posts, some hwcloth, and you've got a wonderful open air coop!

 

[blackdog043]

Put wood chips on the ground, make it 3 - 4 inches deep to start. To that add, yard/ garden waste, some dried leaves, twigs, pine straw, straw, ect... keep it more wood chips but make it a nice mix of things. The chickens will have a great area to scratch and dust bath in, it won't smell and you shouldn't have many flies around, as long as you keep adding stuff as needed, when it breaks down. The poop dries out and breaks down with everything else.

My old run


New run, just getting started.

 

[Percheron chick]

Wonderful starting point. Think of all the chickens that it will hold...
It looks like water runs right down the middle of the shed. That should be the first thing you address. It probably is rain runoff so you might need to extend the overhang, add gutters, dig a trench or French drain...
I'll vote for wood chips as well. You look to have an abundance of free leaves and wood chips. Free and on site are always good.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

From another Alabamian, welcome! Can't wait to see how this comes along for you. What chicken breeds are you raising?

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome!

That's a great structure to start.

I'd open up the gable triangle on the closed end if possible and then use 1/2" hardware cloth for wire walls where there isn't already metal. Maybe putting wire on the top 6-8" inches of the metal walls too for maximum airflow.

This is the build thread for my Open Air Coop. I don't have the article finished yet because I wanted to use it at least through the winter before writing it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/large-open-air-coop-in-central-nc.1443812/

And this is my article on chickens in a hot climate: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

I agree in re: wood chips in a Deep Bedding or Deep Litter system. Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree trimming service.

 

[Devorah]

Put wood chips on the ground, make it 3 - 4 inches deep to start. To that add, yard/ garden waste, some dried leaves, twigs, pine straw, straw, ect... keep it more wood chips but make it a nice mix of things. The chickens will have a great area to scratch and dust bath in, it won't smell and you shouldn't have many flies around, as long as you keep adding stuff as needed, when it breaks down. The poop dries out and breaks down with everything else.

My old run
View attachment 3069603

New run, just getting started.
View attachment 3069604View attachment 3069612

Do you keep the feeder in the run overnight or take it in?

 

[Acre4Me]

@TJAnonymous might have insight too - live in a similar climate