Using part of an old barn

[puddleglumWI]

With all the interior floor space, I could put in a brooder area for a broody hen to hatch chicks.

I also could put nesting boxes on one of the walls I am putting in, with access from the outside. It seems like I could use OSB/chip board for any paneling that is needed, to save cost.

 

[NatJ]

With all the interior floor space, I could put in a brooder area for a broody hen to hatch chicks.

I also could put nesting boxes on one of the walls I am putting in, with access from the outside. It seems like I could use OSB/chip board for any paneling that is needed, to save cost.

Yes to all points, except maybe the OSB/chip board.

Chickens produce a certain amount of moisture, and moist conditions can sometimes cause the OSB/chip board to come apart, especially if something picks at it. It might turn out to be fine, or it might not, but I would at least think twice before making a final decision.

My own experience with OSB coming apart was enough years ago that it might not be relevant now: they might be using a different glue, or have made some other change in the manufacturing process.

 

[puddleglumWI]

Is there any reason to make the walls solid in a coop contained inside a barn? Could the walls I am adding just be hardware cloth, properly framed of course, from floor to ceiling? Would the hens prefer a more enclosed space?

Looking at space in the barn again, the chicken tractor has been working acceptably but is a pain to clean out, being so low to the ground.

 

[NatJ]

Is there any reason to make the walls solid in a coop contained inside a barn? Could the walls I am adding just be hardware cloth, properly framed of course, from floor to ceiling? Would the hens prefer a more enclosed space?

Looking at space in the barn again, the chicken tractor has been working acceptably but is a pain to clean out, being so low to the ground.

I think hens prefer open spaces when possible.

When people build a coop with solid walls and a run with hardware cloth, the chickens spend almost all their waking hours in the run instead of the coop, and only go inside in really bad weather or to use the nests and roosts. Sometimes they make themself an outside nest and try to sleep on any roosts that may be in the run.

Since the chicken tractor is working inside the barn, I would expect hardware cloth walls would also work fine inside the barn.

 

[aart]

Could the walls I am adding just be hardware cloth, properly framed of course, from floor to ceiling?

I built my coop inside a larger shed, coop ceiling and walls all HC.
Only downside might be the dust from bedding, dander, etc gets all over everything in that shed.

 

[puddleglumWI]

I built my coop inside a larger shed, coop ceiling and walls all HC.
Only downside might be the dust from bedding, dander, etc gets all over everything in that shed.

Dust in the barn will be fine, but I probably would add a little wood around the base to keep them from kicking a lot of straw and detritus out of the coop area.

Is your shed tall enough that it was worth putting in a HC ceiling, rather than running the walls all the way up. Is there another benefit to an HC ceiling?

Thank you,
-pg

 

[aart]

Is your shed tall enough that it was worth putting in a HC ceiling, rather than running the walls all the way up. Is there another benefit to an HC ceiling?

Yes. Did you look at the article I posted the link to

 

[puddleglumWI]

Nope, missed the fact that there were some different colored words there. I will take a look

I like the separate area, I was thinking about a vestibule like that, could leave it open most of the time, but have it able to be closed for acclimation if introducting new birds, or putting turds in timeout.

 

[avjudge]

Is there any reason to make the walls solid in a coop contained inside a barn? Could the walls I am adding just be hardware cloth, properly framed of course, from floor to ceiling? Would the hens prefer a more enclosed space?

I missed this thread when it started last year. I would have said then, and you have probably figured out by now, yes, in cold weather it's great to have your coop inside a protected building!

Our winter coop is inside a corner of our barn (which has couple stalls for horses but they live outside; the barn is primarily hay/feed storage, tack storage, and work space). The first two winters we didn't have a covered run (just poultry netting) and once the snow came we used a 12x12 stall, bedded several inches deep, as a winter run. The chickens LOVED that.

A year and a half ago I built a hoop run behind the barn and last winter we had to force the chickens from their coop inside out to the run - they really preferred the stall! This winter wasn't so bad, they didn't try so hard to stay in, but 3 of our 4 remaining hens are too young to know that staying inside is a possibility. We still have to keep the barn doors closed or they'll hang out in the aisle in preference to the run.

But I really want them outside during the day because I'm willing to put up with the dust from nights in the coop, but not from them scratching all day in a stall.

So if you're in Wisconsin and are using the barn only for the chickens, and the dust on everything, everywhere, isn't an issue, you might even set up an indoor run space, if only for the nastier weather.

But to your recent question - I really don't know if all wire walls will bother the chickens or not! My coop, sized for up to 8 birds, is the back 3' of a 12x12 bay (i.e. stall space but with no front). The front/dividing wall is closed 3' at each end, then the middle ~6 feet (more like 5.5') is hardware cloth double doors. The roosts are tucked in behind one of the walls so they do have an enclosed space, but honestly I don't know if they prefer that. I built the solid walls because I have things in front of them rather than to give the birds privacy. My gut would say the birds will probably be fine with what you're planning, given where I've heard stories of them roosting.

 

[puddleglumWI]

So if you're in Wisconsin and are using the barn only for the chickens, and the dust on everything, everywhere, isn't an issue, you might even set up an indoor run space, if only for the nastier weather.

I think I will portion out 8-10 sq.ft./bird inside and also will build an awning over part of the exterior run so it remains relatively snow free. Sometimes the winds here drift the snow into places it seems like the laws of physics would prevent, but I'll do what I can. The rest of the run will have hawk netting, but be open.

Plenty of space indoors when the weather is crummy, and I'll throw them lots of weeds, grass clippings, and scratch in the run to keep them from being shut ins.