It’s 12’ square and I think 12’ high at the peak.
I do not have chickens myself, but my brother does. Every 2-3 years, he picks up & moves the shed to another location, because the chickens shit constantly. Gets so bad he cannot keep up. You will not have that option, so stop & think in advance how you plan to keep the place clean. Depending on your tolerance for cleanliness, it may not be feasible to use the shed for anything else once you’ve had chickens in there for a few months.
Also, the chickens attract all manner of wildlife, from other birds who want to grab food, to snakes who want to steal eggs, up to downright predators who want to eat your chickens. Realize you cannot simply let them out in the morning & come back from work in the evening & expect everything to be alright.
I have the link below bookmarked because I was hoping to do this myself. Good luck and keep us posted.
https://www.pamsbackyardchickens.com/2021/04/how-to-turn-shed-into-chicken-coop.html?m=1
I’d put a workshop in there and simply build the coop next to it. The chickens won’t care that it has concrete floor and electricity but you’ll appreciate it.
Chickens will need some form of heat in the winter, yes?
Honestly I’m in Florida so it didn’t even occur to me. I’m glad you asked and others gave you better info!
To expand on the other person re: heat: not really but sort of. Dry and out of the wind, and make sure the water dish stays liquid (they make self regulating pads that are peck proof for ~$20).
Ive heard it’s actually bad to have the coop toasty, it screws up their biology to deal with the cold going from hot to cold.
I am in hardiness zone 4a in northern Maine. It’s gets VERY cold here. Water dishes will definitely freeze. They don’t have to be toasty, but I don’t think -20 or whatever is a good coop temperature?
YIKES. I’m where it can occasionally dip to - 8of but that is COLD.
Honestly, I’m going to say you should ask someone local, especially as there are breeds that do better at those temps. Also diet considerations.
I was originally going to echo building along side but at that temp I get it.
Some unsolicited tips: I imagine they may be pretty much staying in the shed all winter. You’ll need lights on a timer for any chance at egg production. Also be incredibly rigorous about pests. The raccoons here would reach under fences, pull the bird to it, and bring it out in pieces. Chickens basically live in a low budget horror movie.
Oddly there is, so far, very little wildlife in the area. I definitely expected a far different scenario. I have seen ONE deer in the back yard. And that’s it. Also, my neighbor across the street has chickens running around free all day. They don’t get eaten and they know to avoid traffic somehow! The shed has power, so I can just put some smart lights in there. I was thinking like a mini split to keep it above Hoth levels of cold.
Traffic I’m not surprised about, but carnivorous varmints I would have expected. The best thing you could do for your piece of mind is to show up with a few brews/muffins or whatever and peep your neighbors setup and pick his brain. I suspect they’ve lost a few birds to something like hawks at the least (it’s just part of free ranging at a certain point), but certainly they could give you input on breed selection. Looking at what their setup is will make you sleep better without worrying when it’s wicked cold.
I think a minisplit would be crazy overkill (and would also struggle at the exact point you need it not to!), and would go for some IR bulbs + the pad water heater I mentioned before. You probably need something but they really are crazy hardy. You don’t get to be that close to dinosaurs if you weren’t doing something right!
No. People have been keeping chickens in some of the coldest climates for ages
I suggest ducks. Stink less, less noise, can be trained to come out of the coop to forage in the yard and return… The only real downside is less frequent eggs.
I hear duck shit is much more trouble than chicken shit.
I can’t imagine something worse than chicken shit. I’m curious on what you think makes it troublesome.
I would like both. But, stupid question: do ducks not require a water feature?
A small trough will do. They don’t need to swim in it. I suspect the need will change based on the variety of ducks you choose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrrUBr6fdJU Nate has some videos about raising ducks that night help you decide.
