Using a barn as a coop, questions

affacat

Crowing
12 Years
May 21, 2011
444
606
291
Oregon (Northwest, Clackamas County)
I had grand plans for building coop(s) this year to expand our flock (from 7-10 to 25-35) but lumber prices have really put a crunch on those.

My property has a 12×20 barn on it. It's old, but not 'antique'... more like a 20 year old tuff shed that has seen better days. We were originally going to demolish it because the previous owner had left seed and other food sources unprotected so the floor is covered (you have no idea how bad) in rat droppings. The roof is old, the siding should (but won't, not worth it) be replaced, the floor is warped, rat holes...

But! Necessity breeds invention, and I need a larger coop. So I've been working on cleaning it out (bleach, masks, googles... no Hanta virus for me!).

Some questions:

1) windows! Can i get away with just cutting out some siding and putting chicken wire over the hole to be 'windows'? Maybe put the wire on the inside and put the cutout on a hinge so I can 'close' it if we get extreme weather? (Pacific Northwest so weather is never too bad, though lots of rain).


2) I am thinking of rat proofing with a combo of wire mesh and the 'anti-rodent' Great Stuff (expanding foam, they make a special kind with bitter taste to deter rodents). It would only be in seams and holes and cracks... I don't think the chickens would bother with it, but does anyone know for sure?

3) the barn is currently divided into 3 rooms.... built in such a way they are hard to remove. If I put roosts in different rooms will the subflocks (roosters n ladies) self divide on their own? The main room is large, the two other rooms are medium (large walkin closet) and tiny (deep closet).


Anyone have other tips for conversion? I may invest in vinyl flooring because thats so much easier to clean and may seal in some of the old rat stink the bleach didnt kill off.
 
It's great to have an option in this day of high lumber costs and materials shortages.

1) windows! Can i get away with just cutting out some siding and putting chicken wire over the hole to be 'windows'? Maybe put the wire on the inside and put the cutout on a hinge so I can 'close' it if we get extreme weather? (Pacific Northwest so weather is never too bad, though lots of rain).

Not chicken wire, hardware cloth. Chicken wire holds chickens in but won't keep anything else out.

Yes, you can use the cutouts as top-hinged covers. There's a clever option for propping them open in this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/window-support-for-top-hinged-windows.74810/

2) I am thinking of rat proofing with a combo of wire mesh and the 'anti-rodent' Great Stuff (expanding foam, they make a special kind with bitter taste to deter rodents). It would only be in seams and holes and cracks... I don't think the chickens would bother with it, but does anyone know for sure?

Half-inch hardware cloth to the rescue again. Can you bury it 12" deep along the entire foundation to prevent more rodent intrusion? I'd normally recommend an apron instead of trenching, but you'll need to block all the existing tunnels.

Chickens are notorious for picking at foam and insulation so I'd be concerned about them picking at the Great Stuff. I'd say that anything you can cover with wire should be covered with wire. Or even metal -- roof flashing isn't too terribly hard to terribly hard to work with or too terribly expensive.

3) the barn is currently divided into 3 rooms.... built in such a way they are hard to remove. If I put roosts in different rooms will the subflocks (roosters n ladies) self divide on their own? The main room is large, the two other rooms are medium (large walkin closet) and tiny (deep closet).

My thought based on that description would be to use the big room as the main coop, to use the medium one as a brooder/isolation/integration/breeding pen, and the small one as your storage area (with everything in metal cans).

I can't say whether the flock would self-divide or not.

I think that your idea of using vinyl flooring is probably a good one. You might also consider old-fashioned whitewash, which is a disinfectant as well as a covering. Or, if the floor is tight enough, Blackjack 57. Most people use it as waterproofing, but I'd think it would be a great sealant for this purpose too. :)

Good luck.
 
Pictures please. My old setup was a converted stall and it really was the best setup out there.
16236218941203533491069178089152.jpg


Front door (we'd add a chicken door to a side, but this is human entry)

16236220077578790580669515888833.jpg


General state of exterior, note that blackberry bramble had literally broken inside up high and there are dead vines inside

16236220417686513540297375997971.jpg


New siding would be nice, but not happening (would paint tho)

1623622073845653849706094033275.jpg


From front, biggest room on entry, second biggest room in rear. Other, smaller area on right

16236221376151026134360474712205.jpg


Main room looking into smallest room (the smallest room has a door mounted in it for some odd reason.) Note raised floor... no idea why it is raised, but clearly rats love it

16236221746253055835348512708375.jpg


Peeking in smallest room, looking left. Rat poop and rodent eaten insulation. Wall is also insulted with board insulation.

16236222154367533256096971867348.jpg


Floor in smallest room. Note the 'clean' areas are only clean because i have been shop vac'ing it all. (Read note at bottom!). Basically, anywhere in this barn that appears remotely ok is only because i already put work in.


16236222540188309033260660521234.jpg


Smallest room to right of door is shelving (opposite that pink insulation.). Poop, insulatation, darkness. Note whole building was wired for electric at one point but previous owner cut it off somewhere.


16236223029607282428567967158840.jpg


Standing in main room, looking at back (medium sized) room.

16236223288166020127182600344876.jpg


Medium sized room, looking from door to corner. Fully insulated, previous owner seems to have been building a grow room
16236223695708128934544176653376.jpg


Back corner of medium room looking back at door

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Medium room looking towards front
16236224957351319352931569352677.jpg


Smallest room, better look at the bizarre door'd insulation subroom with a raised floor / rat hotel. The door you can see on the right is inside the smallest room, opposite those poop shelves
 
Note about rat poop! Do not shop vac rat poop unless you know what you're getting into (Hanta virus). I have bleached that rat poop 3 times, am wearing protective gear, and have a 50 foot hose so the shop vac is actually outside, round the corner, and not kicking up dust. All i have inside is the suction, all exhaust outside and far away.

It's gross work but honestly cleaning up a 10x10 raccoon latrine on a flat roof was worse.
 
It's great to have an option in this day of high lumber costs and materials shortages.



Not chicken wire, hardware cloth. Chicken wire holds chickens in but won't keep anything else out.

Yes, you can use the cutouts as top-hinged covers. There's a clever option for propping them open in this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/window-support-for-top-hinged-windows.74810/



Half-inch hardware cloth to the rescue again. Can you bury it 12" deep along the entire foundation to prevent more rodent intrusion? I'd normally recommend an apron instead of trenching, but you'll need to block all the existing tunnels.

Chickens are notorious for picking at foam and insulation so I'd be concerned about them picking at the Great Stuff. I'd say that anything you can cover with wire should be covered with wire. Or even metal -- roof flashing isn't too terribly hard to terribly hard to work with or too terribly expensive.



My thought based on that description would be to use the big room as the main coop, to use the medium one as a brooder/isolation/integration/breeding pen, and the small one as your storage area (with everything in metal cans).

I can't say whether the flock would self-divide or not.

I think that your idea of using vinyl flooring is probably a good one. You might also consider old-fashioned whitewash, which is a disinfectant as well as a covering. Or, if the floor is tight enough, Blackjack 57. Most people use it as waterproofing, but I'd think it would be a great sealant for this purpose too. :)

Good luck.

Thanks about the hardware cloth; i already have a bunch so will use that. Wasnt sure I needed it up that high but hardware cloth is the smarter choice.

I love that window idea, will recreate some version of it.

I didn't know chickens ate foam and insulation. I will keep that in mind. My biggest concern is the odd room with the raised floor and whatever secrets that raised floor hides.

I like the idea of using the back room for raising chicks a lot. We were originally thinking main room would be a temporary run if we went on vacation, but just using it as a coop might make more sense.

The small room is so gross right now I don't think of it for anything... my wife won't even go into the barn due to the odor, and that small room is just dark and foul.
 
Note about rat poop! Do not shop vac rat poop unless you know what you're getting into (Hanta virus). I have bleached that rat poop 3 times, am wearing protective gear, and have a 50 foot hose so the shop vac is actually outside, round the corner, and not kicking up dust. All i have inside is the suction, all exhaust outside and far away.

It's gross work but honestly cleaning up a 10x10 raccoon latrine on a flat roof was worse.

Are you in Medicine, or you watch Forensic Files? LOL
 
Good luck with it.

It's going to be a ton of work, but I think you'll have something wonderful once you're done because the bones of the structure and it's layout look good underneath the disaster.

For that entry, is there a loft up there or are the upper doors leading to nowhere? Converting them to wire would be great for upper-level ventilation.
 
Are you in Medicine, or you watch Forensic Files? LOL

No, I just end up cleaning up stuff a lot. I had to clean up a massive 10x10 and deep raccoon latrine at our last place. Turns out raccoon gangs like to poop in the same spot for years (like the flat patio roof we had and their poop contains extremely durable and long lasting eggs for a round worm that will basically destroy your brain if you inhale too many.

Research Baylisascaris if you're interested.

And now this place has/had a serious rat poop issue (already cleared out the workshop) which is Hants virus.

On the plus side, i don't really gross out so it's relatively easy work in regards to the job. on the other hand, i have no interest in dying or having my central nervous system attacked.... so it turns what should be an easy job into hazmat time.

Tldr: dont mess around with any animal poop unless you research it first
 
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Good luck with it.

It's going to be a ton of work, but I think you'll have something wonderful once you're done because the bones of the structure and it's layout look good underneath the disaster.

For that entry, is there a loft up there or are the upper doors leading to nowhere? Converting them to wire would be great for upper-level ventilation.


It is a full loft. I only looked up there once... it was relatively clean. It was during a storm and the door was flapping open in the wind so all i did was peek in and drive some screws into the door to close it.

I would love to convert that odd closet into stairs if i actually liked the barn, but as it is im the only one who sees potential, my wife wants it demolished as a threat to health and good taste...
 

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