West Texas coop - questions and updates here!

I will add pics soon of the yard and shed. We intend on dual purpose birds only. I feel like i want to justify my flock size a little. We have five kids and three adults and we are making the transition to self sufficiency. The plan is to not drop below 15 egg layers and to process and keep the freezer stocked. We are intetested in adding goats before next summer. The shed was an optimistic hope at repurposing an already existing structure and to try to save some bucks, but starting from scratch may be our choice. My husband is a self taught carpenter. He is very capable.
I don't think you need to justify anything, you know what you need and who are we to judge? Besides, I'm sure you've heard of chicken math? I would bet MOST of us have more than we need, I do. Ours are dual purpose too so it's not like they don't have a reason to be here for one reason or another. I think the feedback you're getting is more about the number of birds for your coop size.

You mentioned using a tarp on the run. Yes! You can use that to block wind and rain and the flock can still roost there. Chickens roost in trees so it's not like they necessarily NEED a coop. That's more about us wanting to protect them at night when predators abound.
 
Since your husband is a carpenter, forget the shed. Build the three wall coop mentioned above.
Another thing to consider. If it were me, I’d buy meat birds and also buy production egg layers instead of doing the dual purpose route. You can divide the coop to keep two flocks side by side.
My dream coop is the three walled lean to type mentioned above divided into six sections for my various projects.
 
Chiming in from the heart of the beautiful Texas Hill Country here. IMHO I fully agree with what others have said about wood vs metal where sun + heat are concerned. But if you decide to use metal housing, insulate (and protect from chicken-pecking) not only the sides but especially the ceiling. Personally, I would not use metal, except for the roof of the coop, and only then, if insulated on the inside.

I would also add that shade, shade, shade will go a long way to helping your chickens beat the heat. Not just a couple hours of suncloth, though---I mean DEEP shade that comes from preventing the sun from cooking the ground. Big overhanging porch roof and a slatted side wall on or parallel to the run that provides air circulation but real shade. Find a way to plant a native tree species near the run to help with shade, too. Your chickens will benefit from being able to take shady dust baths. In summer, I wet down a portion of the ground next to my barn each day (in heavy shade) for my girls to simply cool down and dissipate some of their body heat.

Also, consider a safe, reliable source of electricity at the coop to have the availability of using fans and/or misters in the summer.
 
@sealer39 pics included.
Im really feeling like abandoning the shed at this point. The property is open mostly. I do have one decent sized tree i could try to incorporate...im doing some thinking and planning...ill report back soon!
Eta- deleted duplicate pics
 

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Howdy, im in central Texas and i think your set up will work for your desired flock size. Now let me be clear, that structure will be sufficient to house your birds, but is a death trap in the Texas sun. If you mess up one morning and dont let them out till 11 you will have heat stroke related deaths.

You will want to add ventilation by cutting holes in the metal and replacing it with hardware cloth. Also i would suggest three roosting rods, which at 6 feet each (from your dimensions) will be enough for 30 birds. (my six birds roost on one 4 ft rod happily)

Just to be clear there is a lot of disconnect between the idea of a chicken coop, and a chicken run, this structure you have described is only suitable as a coop, it is not livable in daylight hours and chickens must be let out at dawn.

BTW as a texan you will almost never have to worry about the cold, it simply never gets cold enough here (with exception) to matter to a chicken, over 100 and under zero are the danger temps (F)
 
Howdy, im in central Texas and i think your set up will work for your desired flock size. Now let me be clear, that structure will be sufficient to house your birds, but is a death trap in the Texas sun. If you mess up one morning and dont let them out till 11 you will have heat stroke related deaths.

You will want to add ventilation by cutting holes in the metal and replacing it with hardware cloth. Also i would suggest three roosting rods, which at 6 feet each (from your dimensions) will be enough for 30 birds. (my six birds roost on one 4 ft rod happily)

Just to be clear there is a lot of disconnect between the idea of a chicken coop, and a chicken run, this structure you have described is only suitable as a coop, it is not livable in daylight hours and chickens must be let out at dawn.

BTW as a texan you will almost never have to worry about the cold, it simply never gets cold enough here (with exception) to matter to a chicken, over 100 and under zero are the danger temps (F)
Thank you for your input!!
 
Since your husband knows how to build, I think building a wood structure from scratch would yield best result. The shed could be used for storage.

Also as far as your concerns about open air set up, cold isn't an issue unless you get well below freezing. Most chickens are perfectly fine roosting out in the open air and the traditional 4 solid wall type coop is more about protection from predators and weather. But a well planned open air coop can still provide those things.
 
Have visited Texas only a few times so my knowledge on your weather is very limited but I am in south Florida where it becomes very hot so had to deal with the same issues.
My chickens would pant most of the day so had to find a way to protect them. I build a coop under a tree which is 8’H x 8’L x 7’W with only one side of solid Wood wall. The roosting bar is along the solid wall. The other three walls are of hardware cloth. The nesting boxes are on the outside. The chickens also need multiple shade areas outside the coop.
My 5 pullets are drinking between 1/2 to 3/4 gallon of water per day
 
Progress! So we have decided to ditch the metal shed. Right now its a 16 x 16 square thats 8 ft tall. Hubby plans to make the top 4 ft and 8 x 16 ft the coop, with a ramp.
 

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Progress! So we have decided to ditch the metal shed. Right now its a 16 x 16 square thats 8 ft tall. Hubby plans to make the top 4 ft and 8 x 16 ft the coop, with a ramp.
Excellent decision!
You know chicken wire is not predator proof, right?
Turn those 2x4's on top on their edges to get rid of that sagging.
Will there be a solid roof?
 

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