Using a barn as a coop, questions

My wife wants to do nest boxes inside, I want them outside since i hate trekking through chicken poop just to get eggs.

Maybe you can attach them to the inside of one of the exterior walls, and cut an access panel in the wall. Your wife can walk inside and pick up eggs from the inside, and you can walk outside and open the panel to collect eggs.
 
So many options available with the space you have! You could use the back room as the nesting and roosting area, the small room for brooding, and then replace the top half of an exterior wall in the big room with hardware cloth for more ventilation. Of course you'd want ventilation and light in the other rooms also, but the roosting area would be protected from wind, and they would have a place to spread out in the big room on days you can't let them outside. Then, on the top of the wall that divides the back room and big room, you could add additional ventilation with cut outs.

Sorry, I'm rambling and day dreaming. I would love the space you have.
 
So many options available with the space you have! You could use the back room as the nesting and roosting area, the small room for brooding, and then replace the top half of an exterior wall in the big room with hardware cloth for more ventilation. Of course you'd want ventilation and light in the other rooms also, but the roosting area would be protected from wind, and they would have a place to spread out in the big room on days you can't let them outside. Then, on the top of the wall that divides the back room and big room, you could add additional ventilation with cut outs.

Sorry, I'm rambling and day dreaming. I would love the space you have.

Oh, wow. I never thought of adding cutouts to the wall between the main area and back room! That's a perfect way to add ventilation without adding windows to the roost room (which was what I was going to do). I might still add some vents to the roosting area...

I'm not sure about using the back room for nesting though... think I might do that in the main room, left outer wall (under cutout windows).

I'm so glad this site exists, such a great way to brain storm!
 
Just attach to building and go out from building about 2 feet on top of ground tamping down and Holding it down with landscape staples (Steel 6"). So much easier than trenching and works great.

I certainly agree it would be easier. @3KillerBs was concerned preexisting tunneling may be an issue... and there is definitely a lot of tunneling in the general area (the previous owner had a garden next to the barn, and we ripped up the aging weed barrier and found massive tunnelling everywhere.

Hmmm... my wife wants to plant some sunflowees next to the barn to gussy it up.... anyone know if they can root through hardware cloth?
 
Hmmm... my wife wants to plant some sunflowees next to the barn to gussy it up.... anyone know if they can root through hardware cloth?
They probably can.

Almost anything can grow roots through hardware cloth, although I suppose carrots or large tree roots might get skinny spots where they go through it. But I don't think sunflowers grow big storage roots like carrots, or giant woody roots like trees.
 
Yes can understand didn't realize there was still so much rat activity. Not sure how deep a rat will tunnel dawn not sure if trenching will keep them out either. Sounds like your going to have to do some heavy eradication also. And keep all your feed and supplies rat proof, like storing feed in steel garbage cans. The less they have to eat the less desirable for them to want to get in. But you have a great building to make very functionable for your chickens and yourself. Love to see what your finished project looks like. With all the knowledgeable folks on BYC willing to give you all the advice you could need I'm sure it will be very nice and functionable. Good luck and have fun.
 
Might be a good idea to start eradication of rats now before you have to worry about chickens getting into traps or poison.

Yes, I have been. This infestation is from previous owners. They left feed and seed out in and near the outbuildings we have and all got rats. We've been feeding the chickens in a separate area, and always keep our feed in metal cans. We've also been trapping... traps did well at first, haven't caught anything lately so I'm hoping that means our efforts have been rewarded.
 

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