# Thoughts on this shed please...



## Sarah1up (May 1, 2020)

Good morning everyone! I have 18 chicks that will need housing soon. We were planning on building a coop but it occurred to me the other day that this little motorcycle/shed add on to the garage might work. It is about 9 by 10 feet and fully insulated. I would need to put linoleum on the floor, finish the walls, and of course add the usual coop necessities like a door, window screens, roosts, and nesting boxes. There is a mini garage door that rolls up in front for cleaning and on the inside to the right there is a door into the garage. So the big pro for me is of course, no walking through rain or snow to check on chickens daily. But I'm afraid I may be missing some big reason that I wouldn't want to do this. We were planning on tearing it down in a couple of years anyways and putting a driveway down around the house, so I'm not concerned with the potential to ruin it. Any thoughts or things I'm missing?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's big enough, just. You probably shouldn't add any more but for an instant coop it's ideal. Slap plywood up for the walls. Birds can't eat the plywood. 

One of the things I dislike most is having to go out in a downpour to take care of the critters. 

Where would you put the run?


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## Sarah1up (May 1, 2020)

I am not planning on adding any more chickens... I was only supposed to get 6 to 10 in the first place.... Thanks for the plywood advice, I wasn't sure what to use! I was thinking the run could just go out to the left a little bit and then stretch back behind and maybe take advantage of the house as one side. It just depends on how far out and back we want to go but there is plenty of space there.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

We talk about chicken math here all of the time. It's one of the dangers of having chickens. TomC went to get just a few. He did. Then he took his wife and daughter with him to the feed store one time, they now have nearly 100. That's chicken math.

Make sure you give yourself a way to get into the run. It's not uncommon for one or two to be airheads and not want to go in.


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## Sarah1up (May 1, 2020)

Well, I can now tell my husband about TomC and he will be thankful we only have 18


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I started with three. By the time I sold out I had over 100. Yep, chicken math.


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## TomC (Apr 9, 2020)

Sarah1up said:


> I was only supposed to get 6 to 10 in the first place....





Sarah1up said:


> I have 18 chicks that will need housing soon.


Chicken Math Strikes Again!!!


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## TomC (Apr 9, 2020)

The space you have there is great. Like Robin said, a little plywood on the walls and your in business. My only concern would be ventilation. If those windows open up, put some hardware cloth over them and maybe add a screen door made of hardware cloth. That should do the trick. I say hardware cloth because typical window screen will get shredded and raccoons will tear right through chicken wire.


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## Sarah1up (May 1, 2020)

Hardware cloth was my plan for the Windows for sure. I need to look into the roof ventilation but from what I could tell, it was all done well. Thanks for the tips!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No, he means like ventilation. Having a vent near the ceiling or through the roof. During Winter it's one of those really important things to vent out the moist air that collects with all the warm bodies inside. Helps keep frostbite at bay. 

At least that's what they say. I live where frostbite isn't an issue. And I had birds with itty bitty combs.


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## Sarah1up (May 1, 2020)

Yes, I think the whole thing is properly ventilated but I need to look a little closer. There are holes at the top into the garage attic and it looks like to the exterior on the other side but I’ll need to get a ladder to see for sure. All good stuff to keep an eye on.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

if the windows have hardware cloth covering them that will be fine ventilation wise, just keep them cracked in the winter (open and close as necessary to keep the moisture down inside) otherwise, it would make a great coop. I'm actually jealous! it's perfect as you have planned it. (not as it is because, obviously, you need to finish it but you addressed that already so I'm just babbling)


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Which makes me think that the wire needs to be movable, either hinged to swing up or in a slide rail to be able to get at the windows.


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## Sarah1up (May 1, 2020)

Good advice, thanks! I was concerned that I was missing some big obvious reason that I shouldn’t use that shed because I’m really excited about not walking out in the rain or snow to check on them. I feel positively spoiled and I very rarely spoil myself.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Every single one of us has wished we did something different when building our coops or when setting them up. Hopefully we can make things just a touch easier for you.


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