OT: converting a shed to a chicken coop

[Hilltopperny]

I went and picked up a dozen chicks yesterday. I had to knock down the old coop in the fall due to its structural instability. I have 3 decent sized sheds, one of which is where I'd like to put the chickens once ready. Any of you guys ever convert a shed to a coop? :beer:

[R3awak3n]

no but can't wait to hear about this. We want to get some chickens soon.

[CNY rider]

I have the plans for the coop you saw at our place, if you would like.
Doesn't help with a conversion though.

What kind of chicks did you get?

[Hilltopperny]

It's my first time raising them so I picked up a variety of breeds to see which variety does best in my region. We now have 2 buff orpington, 2 rainbow, 2 austrolorp, 2 silver Wyandotte and 4 red rangers.

I am trying to be budget concious with the coop and since I still have some usable lumber from the old one I'd like to try and convert one of the sheds to accommodate them. Going to start with a 25'×25' fence around the coop.

[Hilltopperny]

A pic of the chicks from yesterday.

[AngryScientist]

just goes to show how diverse of a state NY is!

i was out last night myself, and if i came home and told my wife i picked up a dozen chicks, we would be having a very different conversation. :D

[Hilltopperny]

just goes to show how diverse of a state NY is!

i was out last night myself, and if i came home and told my wife i picked up a dozen chicks, we would be having a very different conversation. :D

My wife and I have been discussing it at length since we bought the house. We go through a lot of eggs and some of the chickens are dual/purpose so if they aren't producing they may end up being dinner at some point:D

[Nooch]

My wife and I have been discussing it at length since we bought the house. We go through a lot of eggs and some of the chickens are dual/purpose so if they aren't producing they may end up being dinner at some point:D

*I* would love to do this.

My wife, on the other hand, not so much. I get from her the whole "what are the neighbors going to say" line...

But, we go thru a dozen eggs every other day. And she wants to eat more organic and local. So....

(Since it sounds like you had chickens before -- how much yield did you find you got? How much does it cost to, for lack of a better word, maintain them? Really interested in this and have no idea where to start)

[mistermo]

Chickens are great. I got four and found them to be the friendliest yard inhabitants. I live in a more "urban" setting, really something between suburban and urban. Backyard chickens have taken off around here. There's something tranquilizing about looking into the backyard and seeing four chickens roaming about, pecking, sleeping, doing their thing. They pretty much care for themselves.

[daker13]

My parents have kept ten or so chickens at their house since I was a teenager, pretty low maintenance animal. They live in northern NH and those chickens can handle some mighty cold (they do need a bucket warmer in the water bucket). They keep a light on in their barn and a radio playing at night, otherwise bears will try to bust in and eat the chickens. There's also a little door and every night my dad has to go out and lock it shut. They just buy regular corn and chicken food at the feed store (nothing organic, etc.) but these eggs taste better (and yolks a brighter yellow) than any 'free range,' 'organic' eggs I've bought at the store. The downside was that, for reasons I never understood, keeping chickens was considered less noble than 'regular' farming when I was in high school and one had to endure the occasional taunt of being called a 'chicken famah.'

[CNY rider]

We've raised chickens, both for eggs and meat, as well as other food animals at our place.
The layers are by far the easiest animals to have and maintain.
The primary start up cost and issue is building or buying a home for them. The size of it will depend on how many hens you want to keep.
Then you get some chicks, raise them inside to keep them warm for a month or two, and get them out to the coop.
Depending on what predators are around, you can decide if you need to fence them and how tight that fencing needs to be. In general, remember that every predator loves chicken!

We have found orpingtons, of different varieties to be our favorite layers. They are large, docile, very tolerant of our children, and excellent layers.
Australorps are my personal favorite.
Our hens are in an unheated but sturdy, well ventilated coop and have no trouble handling upstate NY winters.
Their grain is really not very expensive and in the summer they forage a bunch of their food.
We have 4 layers right now and average 3 eggs per day . Less during winter when the photoperiod is short.

[YoKev]

My inlaws converted a shed to a coop for 10 chickens.

Inside, they made some roosting perches, a poop deck, and a few "cubbies" with straw for egg layin'. They have a bowl heater in the winter and a light too.

If your chickens are free range be aware that they may drop their goods other places besides the coop. Keep an eye on where they are hanging out and be sure to check.

Also, they are down to seven now; three were carried away by hawks.