Shed as a coop

[Suechooks]

The stuff you CAN buy from B&Q/ Wickes/Agricultural places is called Creocote - its a creosote substitute. Thats what most use and it works well.
In addition to RH's advcie I'd change the roof to Onduline supported by a couple of battens and some mesh/chicken wire. (Roofing felt is another favourite hiding place for redmite. ) If you do that you won't need to do any ventilation holes as there are ridges in the Onduline.

[SuzyB]

Here's a couple of my shed, its not quite finished yet.

The first was just as the frame was done. The second as a it work in progress and shows the idea my dad had instead of building nesting boxes. Im not sure whether they will go for it or not once they are filled but we'll see. Im hoping it does work as dad was so chuffed with his idea, I'll feel awful if they dont lay in there!

There is one low perch that you can just seen in the second shot, but also now two higher ones on the other side of the door way.

[chris]

That Onduline stuff - do you overlap panels - I'd need to lay them so the grooves run down, rather than across I'm assuming? I need to replace the roof anyway, it doesn't seem that expensive really.. and will save me the hassle of messing around cutting vent holes in... thanks.

SuzyB - I had a similar idea (using baskets with the front cut out up on a shelf as like that).

Next up - clipping wings. When I used to keep birds I'd leave 2/3 flight feathers at the tip of the wings (looks better - and also allows "some" flight but with drastically reduced power - can't get up high etc). Not sure how/if a chicken can fly but the wall that surrounds my garden is as I've said around 10' high from the road, with my garden raised up 6' odd - leaving a 4' odd wall around my garden. I've noticed that a lot of chickens I've seen have all their flight feathers cut off, is there reason for this?

[chris]

Also - would 3/4 chickens fit happily in that shed/bike store?

[lynda66]

There is one low perch that you can just seen in the second shot, but also now two higher ones on the other side of the door way.

you might find the perch is a bit narrow ...

[lynda66]

Also - would 3/4 chickens fit happily in that shed/bike store?

yeah theres plenty of room .... they tend to snuggle up at one end of the perch anyway

[lynda66]

Next up - clipping wings.

my fence round the garden is about 5 foot, they never bothered going over ... and i never clipped their wings

[chris]

you might find the perch is a bit narrow ...

Narrow - as in the width, or diameter? How thick to the perches need to be? I was planning on putting two in there, of different thickness...

[SuzyB]

you might find the perch is a bit narrow ...

Im pretty sure we used the measurements from the perches we have in the existing bought coop which the girls are fine on, but I'll double check when I get home.

[Suechooks]

That Onduline stuff - do you overlap panels - I'd need to lay them so the grooves run down, rather than across I'm assuming? I need to replace the roof anyway, it doesn't seem that expensive really.. and will save me the hassle of messing around cutting vent holes in... thanks.

SuzyB - I had a similar idea (using baskets with the front cut out up on a shelf as like that).

Next up - clipping wings. When I used to keep birds I'd leave 2/3 flight feathers at the tip of the wings (looks better - and also allows "some" flight but with drastically reduced power - can't get up high etc). Not sure how/if a chicken can fly but the wall that surrounds my garden is as I've said around 10' high from the road, with my garden raised up 6' odd - leaving a 4' odd wall around my garden. I've noticed that a lot of chickens I've seen have all their flight feathers cut off, is there reason for this?

Yes you overlap by about 2 -3 ridges - I haven't bought any for a while but it was about £10 a sheet last timeI bought any. Its a b....r to cut - the saw gets all gunged up so use an old one! make sure its well supported or it sags and then leaks - every 18" or so.
I use 2" x2" planed timber for perches and sand the corners off the top. Remember the birds rest on their breastbone as well as their feet so need a decent width.
Don't put the perches too close to the wall or you'll have ..er.....poo all down the walls! More than 12" I'd say (I speak from experience - mine are 12" away and are liberally spattered!)
A lot depends what breed you get as far as wing clipping goes. My Warrens rarely go far and the heavy breeds are unlikely to fly very high but the more flighty breeds or bantams could easily get over 4'.

[lynda66]

Im pretty sure we used the measurements from the perches we have in the existing bought coop which the girls are fine on, but I'll double check when I get home.

oh ok lol ... xx

[lynda66]

Narrow - as in the width, or diameter? How thick to the perches need to be? I was planning on putting two in there, of different thickness...

i used 2" x 2" with rounded corners .... but in the run lots of tree branches of different sizes to perch on .... and their place of choice was about that diameter they seemed much less comfy and stable on a narrow perch.

[Hilary B]

Perches need to be higher than the entrance to the nestbox. Once they get the idea of perching, most chooks like to perch as high as is on offer. Onduline is great stuff, as long as it is well supported. If the shed is only 3ft(ish) deep 'across the way' of the corrugations, one intermediate support will do fine. Make sure there is plenty of overhang at the 'up' edge, and if possible something for water to drip off at each channel (otherwise it can dribble back down the underside and get into the shed).
A box, on its side (so the opening is sideways, not from the top) will make a good nestbox, as long as you can achieve one that is not mite-friendly. If you have a source of plenty of cardboard boxes of the right size, disposable nestbox may work (a 1ft cube is a good shape for a nestbox), discarding it as soon as it is getting messy, and in any case every 2nd week (or more often if feasible), burning the old one to eliminate mite problems. Cardboard is comfy, and makes for a dark space, even if daylight gets into the shed.
A 'permanently available' run can be a good idea, as long as it is truly secure, which realistically means some sort of roof (mesh is OK, the net-like stuff sold for fruit cages might do, but if there is an earth floor to the run, you may prefer to put a rain-shedding roof over to reduce mud).
If you have a roofed run wing-clipping is not needed, if not, I would trim the 'primaries' on ONE wing. If it's done right no-one can tell until she flaps her wings, and she can still use her wings to help her reach the perch, but not get enough lift to escape (some smaller types seem to fly pretty well whatever you do, short of trimming ALL flight feathers short!)

[jessmorris]

Hello,
thought I'd chuck in my pennyworth to the discussions!
For venting my house I don't think a plastic thingy would work. Hens generate a huge amount of heat with all them fluffy feathers. I've sawed out 'windows', just slots really (12" x 4" roughly), in the walls of my coop, lined them with 1cm wire mesh to keep rats out and then made a slidy door on the outside so I can adjust the temp summer and winter. Hens can die from heatstroke, tho they will sleep in trees if its really roasting.
I just use a cardboard box as a nest box, tho' they don't fancy the shredded paper I'm using to line it and are laying on the floor at the mo!

After problems with red mite I wouldn't line my coop. Its also so wet up here that I would think that damp would creep between the layers of hardboard, wood, lino etc. Might work in the sunny south tho'!

I chuck a couple of blankets over the coop if its VERY cold.

Good luck with your venture!

JM

[chris]

Thanks both for the updated replies. I'm going to go with the Onduline stuff, as that'll create enough ventalation, I'm sure after looking at it in more detail. I'm going to run mesh over the roof once removed, so no mice/rats can climb in through the channel holes.

Good point about the water run off.. I'll run some small guttering.

I was planning on having a partially covered run (i.e first part from the shed will be covered so they can sit outside when it's raining if they like whilst I'm at work), then a foot or two after that, just be open mesh (do they bath in rain? My old cockatoos did!)

Why should the nextbox open sideways rather than from above? I was planning on using some plastic tubs/crates - sort of similar to this (http://www.swiftind.co.in/images/pla...ate-48-2-2.jpg) - can't find exactly what I mean, but with the front cut out so they can walk in. I figured mites won't be able to hide in them, or would solid sides with a roof be better? (I could turn upside down I guess..) I was planning on putting two shelves in the above picture.. such as the attached picture - just off the top of my head.

Brown = shelves
Red = nest boxes
Purple = perches
yellow = ladder/ramp
Blue = door to run
Light green = run

Or something...