Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Hi folks, I am new in this field. I have an outdoor shed in the backyard where I keep some of the tools and equipments. When we bought a new garden shed the old one is left unused. The old one that we have is a Highland Gable model 10*8 garden shed. But it's roofing is damaged and is attacked by termites.

Is it possible to make a chicken coop out of it? Or should I build a new chicken coop in my backyard? I would like to know which is the best material for the chicken coop roofing. I found in an article that metal roofing is safe to use and can be worked in all temperatures. So shall I go for metal roofing or do you have any other suggestions??

What are the things to be considered for building a coop? What about the cost breakdown for building a new one? Please help me with your ideas and thoughts. Thanks in advance for any help.

the biggest considerations with a coop are
1) ventilation
2) reducing wind in the winter/cold months
3) safety for your chickens
4) a place out of the weather (rain etc)

beyond that, you can pretty much build with anything.....i have seen people use old pickup truck bed toppers as a coop! my coops are simply 8x12 sheds with a plywood shingled roof (left over from reshingling my house actually). if you use a metal roof i would put ply under it so you don't get condensation on the underside of the metal in the fall/winter/spring. the ply will help with the heat transfer through the metal too, both in summer and winter, helping to keep the coop cooler/warmer respectively. you want windows or some kind of vent that will move air without letting wind blow straight through in the cooler months as well. in the summer i open everything up wide to let the wind in for cool for the birds. other consideration-are you going to have a pen outside/range them outside? if so, then you don't need as much room inside for them because they will likely only roost in there at night and spend most of the days out and about.

cost: if you have a dump nearby you should be able to find what you need free or almost free LOL.
if you have renovation materials left over you should be able to find what you need free or almost free. if you don't and are building brand new your coop can cost as much as you want it to! ;-P

i would check for structure on the shed. if it is rotting out, save yourself having to rebuild and repair and build a new one. if it's salvageable, the fix what is rotted, get rid of the termites (the chickens might help with that too), burn any of the termite infested wood, repair and replace......if the structure is basically ok and it's just the roof trusses, or something like that i would make sure the termites aren't through the whole thing, and just replace what is needed to be replaced.

one thing you might consider is this nasty thing called "chicken math". you have a 10x8....that's good for 12-15 chickens with ranging outside give or take.....(standard chickens, not banties). are you going to want more than that? WHEN will you want more than that? i can pretty much guarantee that you will likely want more than that (that's the definition of chicken math....). it's worse than chips. you can't have just one....or ten....or twenty! LOL. somehow i ended up with a 40x80 barn with a loft and 15 pens and 5 horse stalls (4 with turkeys; 1 with horses) and 3 additional coops. and yes, my name is kathy, and i have a problem....and no i don't really want help with it....yet.....LOL.
it started with 10 chickens...and a trailer coop 8x4. several years ago.
so, build bigger than you think!!!!!

As Kathy said for comfort & less mortality need good ventalation. . Luck

Garden sheds make perfectly serviceable coops, and if the structure is good, it's easier and cheaper to replace damage than it is to build from scratch. Tin is a good option, if the roof truss are reasonably solid and you can evict the insects, it can go on right over top of the shingles.
Windows are great, the more/bigger windows it has, the more natural light gets in and the better your hens will lay when days get short. If the windows open, even better, because chickens give off a lot of moisture as already stated, and all sorts of ilnesses flourish in damp conditions. Any openings for airflow should be covered with weldwire / hardware cloth . Chicken wire is good at keeping chickens in, but terrible at keeping predators and food thieves out!! A rat or a least weasel can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel, and raccoons will tear chicken wire or regular household screens in no time flat. Raccoons also will tag-team to pull off loose boards or cladding, and will figure out how to open door latches and loose windows, so locks for night time are a good idea.

Thank you all for the kind concern and time. So ventilation is the main thing I have to consider. My old shed has windows in the right and left side. So do I need to have ventilation on the top? From that windows, natural light can come inside.

Ross, I like your idea and that it what exactly my old shed look like... But there is no ventilation or gap at the top of the shed.

Kathy, great information. Chicken math??? I am a novice in this field. So, I am thinking to have around 10 chickens. Is 10*8 coop a good idea? Also, share some useful tips for raising the chickens. Looking forward and have a nice time.

You can put vents from lumber store in gable ends at peak . Plus in side wall 16-18"off floor .

Chicken math - wellllllll. I started a few years ago with 10 chickens in a tractor for eggs. Oh dear, they're fun , have personalities so. This year I have 11 mutts and a rooster for free ranging alarm. A trio of Blue Columbian Wyandottes in a secure coop and dog pen. 6 Wyandotte babies under on e broody, 12 in another pen /coop, hoping for 5 more on the way under another broody (broodies are too much fun). Now hubby said that it was better to build coops as supports for his solar panels so who am I to argue? Total coops - 4 egg layer, original tractor, 3 additional broody coops and a large shed/coop in a double paddock for the turkeys. Nobody has yet mentioned that chickens are "Gateway Livestock". So now for turkeys - 1 Tom, 9 females, 11 youngsters (down from 17 as some have been sold).
My name is Gill and I have a problem, so does hubby so no help there LOL!

Thank you all for the suggestions and advice. I am in the starting stage of repurposing my shed.

Gill, that is quite interesting... Will keep all these in mind while setting my new one.

ha ha. chicken math. i started with an order for 10. they sent 12 (2 packing peanuts) all were girls. then i discovered heritage breeds. then i discovered i liked chickens. then i discovered more breeds. then i discovered that i could actually MAKE new breeds, and make new lines for breeds with some genetics background that i have....and it's a long slippery steep slope from wanting 10 chickens to routinely having about 80 plus replacements and roosters.....
and yes, they are a gateway bird. for turkeys.
and chicken math morphs into turkey math.....
ha ha