[17AndCounting]

I've been given some more chickens and so I need to get a new house/coop for them. I'll consider anything, if it needs a bit of work/fixing up that's fine.

Budget is a bit tight at the moment unfortunately!

I'm near Tunbridge Wells.

[Tala Orchard]

I was in the same position a few months back and somebody I know suggested the site Preloved.com.  We ended up buying a garden shed for £25.00 8 x 6 shed has made a great coop.  Put it on skids from tananised timbers cut a poop in the door and built perches across the rear wall and used an old book case inside for nesting boxes.

Best buy of the year todate.

Tala

[ZaktheLad]

I keep my 8 girls in a garden shed too and wouldn't go back to keeping them in a chicken coop now.  So much more space, much more air and ideal for keeping the nest boxes at one end whilst leaving plenty of space for the food/water and perches.  Definitely an option worth considering and a lot cheaper to boot. 

[17AndCounting]

Thanks! I've had a look on Preloved and enquired about a shed, hopefully it's still available!

[ladyK]

This is a great idea!
I'll keep that in mind as I think I will have to replace my current coop sooner rather than later (the cheap ones are not worth the - still considerable - money!)

Could you possibly post some pics of your converted sheds? I'd be particularly interested to see the inside arrangements of perches & nest boxes.

[ZaktheLad]

I'll take some pics this evening and post.

[ellied]

With all the red mite issues this summer, would a plastic shed be worth looking at or do they need the wood for insulation in winter?

[Daisys Mum]

I've looked at plastic sheds but I think condensation can be a problem

[ZaktheLad]

Also I would think plastic not ideal in hot temperatures as we have experienced for some weeks this summer.  I imagine a plastic shed would be unbearable hot.  At least wood does "breathe" which enables air to flow through freely.

[bloomer]

when i was using a wooden shed type construct at the previous house i used some small louvered plastic panels that i cut into the wood work to allow some much needed ventilation...

[Bramblecot]

We used a shed and I found it much easier to keep clean than the coops.  If you put wire over the window, you can leave it open in hot weather, and the louvre vents help too.  The nest boxes were moveable so they could be taken out to disinfect.  Just have to watch out for vermin making their home underneath

[ZaktheLad]

We get lots of sparrows underneath our shed that collect any titbits that have fallen through the smalls cracks in the floorboards. We also have a hedgehog that has made its home under there 

[ZaktheLad]

Here's my garden shed converted to chicken house...

[ladyK]

Wow, looks fab. Thanks for posting these!
How many hens do you house there?

Does the secong pic show the perch - one long one under the window?

[ZaktheLad]

I only have 8 hens in there but space for plenty more.  There are 2 perches, one under the window and another under the nest boxes.  You could easily add more if you had more hens.