What would you do to make this safe/livable for chickens??

[skodegaard]

I need help because I don't know where to begin! We just bought a house outside of city limits on about an acre. It has a shed/barn type structure which used to house chickens (many, many years ago) but more recently has been used simply for storage (by the previous owners). I want to transform this back into a chicken coop but I'm not sure where to begin! I'm hoping all your expertise can point me in the right direction. Here are some photos:


The outside of the coop - obviously the blue building


First thing you see when you open the door - the wood slats on the left are the inside of the door.


The inside off to the left. The ground here is dirt with a bunch of asphalt/tar type paper.


Here I'm standing in the dirt/asphalt paper area looking into the area right behind the wall you see when you enter.


A shot of what the roof area looks like.


There is a type of barn door here, but the bottom portion has been vinyl sided over.


Here you can see the top part of the barn door, but no bottom as it is underneath the siding.


Any help/advice is much appreciated!! Thank you!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I would divide it up so you can have a storage area for feed and supplies that one inevitably accumulates over time.
I would cut in much bigger windows covered with hardware cloth or expanded metal to keep predators out. Screen covering that would also keep flies and mosquitos out. Figure out how many birds you can fit into the space (4 sq' ft' per bird) and then calculate 1 square foot ventilation per bird minimum. Adequate ventilation, year round, prevents lots of respiratory disease.
You might add a smaller door just for the chickens. I have a building like that and I just use the man door for the chickens. Wherever they go in and out, situate the roosts and nests so they don't have to walk under the roosts when going from the door to the nest to keep them from tracking through feces.
I would give it a thorough disinfecting(some diseases can last many years).

 

[skodegaard]

Thanks for the input! I have a large garage/workshop also, so I'm probably going to use that for storage so I can maximize chicken living space. I definitely want to cut out some more windows for ventilation. I'm most curious as to what people think I should do about the floor?

 

[StephieSky]

Thanks for the input! I have a large garage/workshop also, so I'm probably going to use that for storage so I can maximize chicken living space. I definitely want to cut out some more windows for ventilation. I'm most curious as to what people think I should do about the floor?

Excavate it if at all possible. The miscellaneous materials that make up the flooring are great for harboring parasites, damp and fungi. That floor looks like the enemy within.

If you can't rip it out down to bare earth or a solid flooring that is easily cleaned, dose the floor heavily with a something like Sevin 5% and then cover it with sand is what I would try. I'm really liking the sand. Even the slugs and snails avoid it! Yay! I wouldn't cover it with another raised floor - thats just going to make it even more hospitable to coop invaders and parasites.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I would pull up the pavers. The cracks are good places for pathogens to hide. Either go with soil or pour concrete and smooth it so it is easy to clean and disinfect.
Then use deep litter (pine shavings) which don't have to be changed very often.

 

[skodegaard]

Yeah, the floor is definitely going to be the bear of the project. What is Sevin 5%? I've never heard of it.

 

[skodegaard]

The more I think about it the more I like the idea of concrete. I think I'm going to research that avenue more.

Thanks you guys for all the input!!

 

[4 the Birds]

Looks like a great start for a great coop! You could add bleach and water in a pump spray bottle and mist things down if you have concerns; Otherwise I would build a predator proof run attached to the coop. This will allow you to leave the coop open to the run and your family can be gone for the weekend without fear of losing chickens. If the ground drains good around the coop then I would leave the floor as is and add plenty of pine chips for a deep floor bed. If it does not drain well then the floor can get muddy after the chickens scratch away the bedding in spots. Then you will want a floor that is up and stays dry (mine is up 4" off the ground... wood planking). I would also get some deer netting and cover the roof area above the rafters; Otherwise, chickens will be roosting up high and bombard anything below a rafter that can be roosted on. I would cut holes or slots high on each wall with a storm flap so that you can adjust air movement and or close flaps according to the weather. Build some nest boxes and add a few roost bars and chickens and you are on track to start having fresh eggs daily!!

 

[off-grid hen]

Since you already have the floor under control, the only thing I would suggest is to add more ventilation. Try cutting windows/vents in the gable ends of your coop and cover them with hardware cloth. Then I would make sure there is a cross-breeze, so windows/vents on all 4 walls of the coop. I personally would install sliding vents down toward the floor, maybe a foot off the ground. If you make the lower vents so that they can slide closed, you can close some (but not all) during the winter. Not sure where you are located, but ventilation was the first thing I thought of besides the floor.

 

[off-grid hen]

Sorry, I missed what you said above about adding ventilation.