Advise on shed converting, please.

[lettucegrow!]

Hello, I know lots of have converted sheds into coops and am hoping you could share hints and tips or any do's and don'ts that I might not have thought of. Has anyone got pics of their creations as being a bit of a visual learner I like to see how things have been made.
I really wish I'd done this first time round. We thought that as we were complete novices at this chicken keeping lark it would be best to buy a ready made coop but the one I have is already leaking and not very sturdy at all. It definitely will not last another winter. So hoping to gp bigger and better and add two more girls.
Ideas?

[Bramble-Poultry]

In the one shed we just cut a hole in the side for them to come and go from and then created a sliding door to shut them in and put perches in.

In the other one we just leave the door open and another one we lined it first with polystyrene and hardboard to insulate it, but you have to seal all the joints with silicone as this create an ideal red mite hiding place.

we have a shed that is split across the width into two using 2x1 timber and netting, we then have a run off each side so we have one lot of chooks in the back half of the shed and one lot in the front - each having a different run - we just popped a door between the two shed halves so we can get in and clean.

The ducks have an old childrens playhouse that came off freecycle

Not rocket science - and much easier than a ready built coop, cheaper too.

Hmm we have lots of sheds it would appear!!!

Now aunty Mos shed is the best that has laminate floor!!!

[Snadger]

I have one large shed with two windows in it, a walk in door and a pophole at the other end. It has two roosting bars at 2 foot and 4 foot and there food is hung from the ceiling and is a galvanised feeder which takes a full bag of feed.
My next coop is basically a large packing crate with pophole and nesting boxes on the side.........all within a huge shed.

My 'octagon' coop is made from 7 doors so its actually a septagon and has an elevated floor about 2 foot off the ground. It has a single nestbox by the door and a single roosting bar 2 foot above the floor. It also has a hanging galvanised feeder in it.
I have just aquired a ramshackle 6X4 shed which I intend using for another coop. This will be mounted on a double thickness of breezeblocks on each corner giving a gap of about 20 inches under it which the chooks can hide under in bad weather and will also deter rats. This will free up my greenhouse for the summer!

[Glutton4...]

We put external nest-box units on our shed/coop with access from inside, and lift-up lids for me to retrieve the eggs. Pop-hole in the main door (which is at the left side of the long wall) and four perches across the inside of the right-hand end opposite the nest-boxes. Make sure the nest-boxes are lower than the perches, or they'll roost in the nest-boxes and they'll need cleaning out twice as often (they poo a lot at night)

[MaureenHall]

Now aunty Mos shed is the best that has laminate floor!!!

Thanks Bramble Yes, it really has!!! and the other one has vinyl floor tiles, so much easier to scrape, sweep and wash out!

One shed has external nest boxes accessed from inside by the chooks and hinged lids to make it easier for me to collect the eggs. unfortunately, it was also easy for Mr Fox to lift the lid and gain access to the coop so they're all padlocked down now and I just go inside the coop and collect the eggs from there. I leave the shed doors open during the day so they can come and go as they please, no real need for pop holes unless you really want them. I've put perches about 2' off the floor in each

[Bramble-Poultry]

Snadge - we want pictures of your septagon door house!

do you need to paint one door different so you know which one to open to go in??

[Snadger]

Snadge - we want pictures of your septagon door house!

do you need to paint one door different so you know which one to open to go in??

I've put some on before but here's some especially for you Bramble! Its white now though!

[RedThorn]

for the perches, try 2x1" timber for the cross pieces and 1x1" for the long piece, put together in the shape of a capital I rest on floor, easy to remove for cleaning both the perch and the floor

[lettucegrow!]

Thanks all, lots of inspiration now can't wait! I have a week off in March which is purely for me and my garden. Looking forward to getting sorted out and a new home for the girls.