Feeder doors keep closing when I walk away

[amateurkeeper]

....has anyone done this before?

 

The fella and I are planning on buying a wooden shed for the end of the garden and converting it into a large coop for our ever growing brood!! Am curious if anyone else ever done this before and have any advice?

[Patricia W]

I think if you look in the Eglu, cubes and runs section and look at the very top, you'll see a thread about walk in runs(WIR). I think in there are also examples of sheds being made into hen houses.

 

However, you might find someone pops along soon and gives you more specific advice - sounds an interesting project.

 

Tricia

[Guest]

Yes I have Look on the cube,houses section.

 

Advice. Some hens may decide sleeping in the corners is better because it is new. I got an old book case and put lips on the shelves so the hens and eggs don't fall out. I am still in process of putting perches in.

 

Have a look.

[Guest]

....has anyone done this before?

 

I was considering doing this but I decided against it for a number of reasons...

 

Firstly a shed in a sheltered garden is fine, but a shed in an exposed field is likely to collapse and blow over in the high winds we sometimes get.

 

Secondly I find sheds quite flimsy, and the cheap feather edge ones split and the panels come apart quite easily, which is fine for keeping lawn mowers and bikes dry, but probably not very good at keeping determined foxes out over several years.

 

Thirdly chickens are only about 1.5ft high and it would be a lot of wasted space, even if you put raised perches and nesting boxes in, there will still be a lot of wasted space. That's fine if you don't mind it, but I prefer things that are more purpose built.

 

Fourthly shed's can be quite expensive depending on what type you go for. A typical 6x4 shed could cost you £150 for a cheap and nasty one and then you will still need to build a run on top.

 

I've built several chicken coops for less than £50 and I find they fit my requirements perfectly after carefully considering every possible option. However that probably won't suit everyone and saying that I do know of a couple of local cash strapped farmers who use converted sheds and it works for them because of the numbers they have. But even they have said they aren't happy and would prefer to put them in something more purpose built - but for their size operations they would be looking at barns not coops!

 

Hope this helps...

[amateurkeeper]

Thank you all for the advice - have had a look at the recommended thread and there are brilliant ideas on there - am leaning more towards a larger WIR and hen house than a shed now. Now I just need to convince the man that it's a good idea

[amateurkeeper]

Um, has my thread been moved to a different topic?

[Guest]

Oh I just realised your in peterborough

 

I live in chatteris near march and ely

[Cinnamon]

Um, has my thread been moved to a different topic?

 

Yes,as its about hen housing,its been moved to the appropriate section

[Jools]

I agree with the "reasons not to convert a shed" post. I know lots of traditional keepers do, but I wouldn't be happy with the thin, flimsy wood and its habit of warping, splitting and generally not being very durable. If you buy a top quality shed to convert, then you might was well buy a top quality poultry house in the first place.

 

I'm also not a fan of full height houses because of the waste of space and additional opportunities for red mite. I wouldn't go for anything bigger than 3-4ft high, but I would raise it to make cleaning out easier and to give the chooks somewhere to shelter from bad weather and to keep their food dry.

 

However, you will get dozens of different answers to this!

[Guest]

I converted a brand new one. It is full height and doesn't have perches at the moment.

I love it and so do my birds. The reason why I have it is because my pekin's can be in there when it is raining or snowing and it means they aren't cramped in a house they can still run about. I say go for it. You need to try everything and not go on what people think who haven't tried it. Not everything is a text book thing.

[Jools]

Yes, experience is a wonderful thing.

[Roobaloo]

I converted my shed into a WIR! We were going to make a house in it too but as I have a bad back, I needed something that would be easy to move and clean (hence the eglu!)

 

We didn't buy the shed, it was already in the garden when we moved in...originally we planned on removing it so the chicken run could go there instead...but as it was a pretty big, sturdy shed (it looks like someone was paid to install it rather than a DIY job)...with a concrete base...all the hardwork was done!! So we ripped out part of the sides, leaving the frame and added the mesh...easiest and cheapest WIR (£20 for the wire!!)

 

 

 

It's great as it allows a lot of air and light in but gives great protection from the elements and other visitors

 

We now have more hanging baskets on it, so it's very green!

[beach chick]

that looks fantastic roobaloo, weren't you lucky?!

[Roobaloo]

Thank you!

 

To be honest, it's the only good thing about that garden!! It's a terrace house but the last 3 houses (ours included) are stepped back...so we have fairly large front lawns (and it's open plans so we can't use it for anything ) and small back gardens...the rest have next to no front garden and nice back ones!! Grrr!!

 

The previous owners also decided to put a massive conservatory in the middle, so we have a 3 and 4ft, unusable gap down either side...rather than building it to one side so there's a decent space...

 

THEN...they put the doors opening into the centre of the garden (rather than one of these side gaps) so the doors then take up more space....add the oversized shed with it's door also opening out into the center of the garden (the big panel in the second picture used to be the door...we moved it round the side!) and a garden gate that makes a perfect triangle of doors! So we had nowhere to sit or put anything in the garden without it getting in the way of the doors...when we got the hens, the (rabbit) run was wedged down between the conservatory and the eglu sat in the middle of the garden!

 

We had a week off work and I decided the shed would have to go! We ripped up the floor boards and realised in was paved underneath...we then started taking some of the cladding out and realised how strong the framework was...and the idea blossomed from there!!!

 

The conservatory is coming down next year!!

[amateurkeeper]

Wow Roobaloo, I've just seen your post and your shed/WIR is amazing!! The other half and I are going to sit down and design ours this afternoon and am definately using yours for inspiration

[Plum]

Are you sure the conservatory can't be converted as well

[Roobaloo]

Are you sure the conservatory can't be converted as well

 

Strangely enough, the thought crossed my mind this week as the girls keep sneaking in there when it rains (ignoring the open run door!! ) I keep finding them on the clothes horse (with the clean washing!!!) or on the sofa! ...or tapping at the back door...

 

Though, I would still like a conservatory...a chicken poo-free one at that!! If only to be used as a Utility room for walking boots and chicken feed...so we're going to give the conservatory away and put up a much smaller lean-to one...which will give us a 3rd more garden for the girls!

 

Wow Roobaloo, I've just seen your post and your shed/WIR is amazing!! The other half and I are going to sit down and design ours this afternoon and am definately using yours for inspiration :D

 

Thanks!! I love it so much! It's looking great now as we've got hanging baskets heavy with cherry tomatoes and a herb box hanging off it...so it's looking very colourful!!