What is your experience using a plastic shed for a coop in all seasons?

[3riverschick]

Hi

,
What is your experience using a plastic shed for a coop in all seasons?
I am thinking of using one and can sure use some input.
Thanks,
Karen

 

[aart]

Where is Legonier?

 

[chixmaidservice]

just guessing by her screen name... Pennslvania.

 

[chixmaidservice]

Hi 3riverchick, I considered a recycled plastic coop, then quickly ended up w/ too many hens for the limited square footage. The plastic structure is now filled w/ nest boxes and I went to a larger wooden structure for nightime protection. I do not see why you could not use one tho. Just make sure you drill in way more high ventilation holes than you think you'l need. I believe a wood coop will absorb a little moisture from your hens breathing and poo, but the plastic will not. Trust me on this... your hens will not suffer in winter from cold any where near as much as they will suffer being locked in a humid, unventilated coop. Keep the roost out of a draft, but open up as much of the top area as you can and of course w/ a plastic structure you will not be able to use lights or heat lamps for fear of melt/ fire. That is not a bad thing, by the way, as your hens will grow their own down coats and adapt to the low temps. My flock survived all the polar vortexs last year w/ no heat. Making sure they have unfrozen water is more important. I used a heated water bucket out in the run, w/ extension cords back to my garage. Kept it outside to reduce moisture evap inside coop. For summer, try to add some hardware cloth covered windows or a screen door to your plastic palace so they don't swelter, and of course if you can arrange for the coop to be in tree shade during summer that would help cool it for night as well.

 

[3riverschick]

Thank you chix! Just what I wanted to know. Never thought of having a heated bucket outside. Yes, we are in western PA.
Best,
Karen

 

[chicknshrimp]

We us a 7x7 rubbermaid big max shed as a coop and have an attached run. We turned the preexisting shelf slots and hardware to put in 2x4 roosts and have placed nest boxes around the sides. We cut a hole to the bottom right side for our automatic chicken door which lets them into and out of the run at am and pm. We replaced the stock plastic windows front and back with hardware cloth and will be adding more hardware cloth cutouts for winter ventilation.

We've only been using it 3 months but so far we like it. As someone else said it isn't as forgiving with moisture as wood so you have to put in more ventilation than you think you'll need. It is a little warmer in the sun than our wooden one was but it hasn't been too bad, its shaded most of the day during the summer. It's much roomier than what we had and after we build a barn we will turn it back into a shed. We love that we can walk into it for cleaning etc and the flock seems to be happy with it, the roosts are higher and they like that. And it was super easy to make and easy to clean.

Hope that helps!

.

 

[Jami F]

Good pictures. Just got mine assembled. Did you put more holes for ventilation? I haven’t drilled any yet. Also, they free range and won’t stay in much. Do I need some sort of heat light for bedtime?? I got worried when I read of about it melting! My hens are sleeping and pooping in nest boxes instead of perch! What can I do???