Using part of an old barn

[ChookaPete]

Hello all,

I have been back on the family farm for about 9 months, and am once again thinking about getting chickens. There is an old dairy barn here, that hasn't been used in decades, but water and electricity still run to it. I am tempted to build a nice big run outside onto a corner of the barn, and repurpose enough square footage inside to act as a spacious coop.

There are lots of openings here and there in the barn that I would need to close up, but I am quite sure I can make it so racoons possums and cats can't get in. I can't keep weasels and rats from getting in though, so I would be looking at building some walls inside and hardware cloth all around to make sure the chickens are safe. A coop inside the barn.

I would be out of the wind while feeding, watering, collecting eggs, etc. and wouldn't be carrying buckets of water since there is a water spigot in the barn. I also could have fantastic ventilation of the coop with huge tracts of ventilation, as the barn itself is a wind barrier. It also is big enough and has a little draftiness so that humidity shouldn't be a problem.

Anyone using part of a barn or other big building as a coop?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
-pg

Yes I am. I have a 6 metre x 6 metre tool shed in the corner of my backyard. Approximately half of it is what I call the 'coop', where they roost at night. The shed keeps out the wind, which is important. The floor is concrete. On the floor I have put straw to catch all the chicken poop that falls during the night. Every now and then I muck it out to replace with fresh straw.


During the day they forage throughout the backyard and the front yard. I have been planting more fruit trees so they have plenty of shade.

 

[puddleglumWI]

Yes I am. I have a 6 metre x 6 metre tool shed in the corner of my backyard. Approximately half of it is what I call the 'coop', where they roost at night. The shed keeps out the wind, which is important. The floor is concrete. On the floor I have put straw to catch all the chicken poop that falls during the night. Every now and then I muck it out to replace with fresh straw.


During the day they forage throughout the backyard and the front yard. I have been planting more fruit trees so they have plenty of shade.

Shade is definitely something I will have to figure out, as the run will be on the south side of the barn. I will have a large awning where the autodoor is, but I may need to add more shade.