DIY Chicken Coop from a Resin Shed Kit
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มี.ค. 2021
- *** Updated tour video as of 9/2022: • Tour of DIY Chicken Co...
Are you looking to create a fabulous DIY chicken coop on a budget?! So were we! We needed something big enough to house our 22 hens without breaking the bank. We also wanted to to be attractive and long lasting. We researched and researched until determining our course of action.
Our solution was to transform a resin shed kit we purchased from Lowe’s into the chicken coop of our dreams. We used a Craftsman 7x7' Resin Storage Shed on a pressure treated wood base. We completed this project start to finish over one weekend- it really wasn’t hard! The chickens have been in for a few weeks now and they are loving it. We plan to add an outdoor enclosure soon as well as a sliding door. We also want to add a few more vents for more ventilation (there are already several vents in the coop).
Update Fall 2021: we have since added a door for them to get outside during the day as well as an outdoor enclosure. The coop has held up GREAT. We have had zero issues with it, the hens love it and it has been a fantastic investment.
The shed we purchased: www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-Co...
Nesting Boxes: www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pro...
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Ohmygosh, when he first opened the door I laughed because I swear that was a disco ball hanging in the coop and I was like "ooo so fancy!!" 😂😂😂😂
Gonna help you out here a bit. Your heat lamp is fine,the cage protecting is fine. Heres your tip, go buy a bit of hardware cloth, the metal 5/8 inch square stuff. Form a large piece within the cage and away from the hot bulb. Incase your hot bulb gets hit and breaks. It will happen. This will not only catch most of the glass, but also keep it from catching your coop on fire from hot glass falling on your bedding.
Thank you for showing off your new coop I'm doing the same thing and now I have an idea of what I need to do and buy to turn it into a coop. Greatly appreciate it ❤️
Bloody fantastic best wishes from the UK to you,your family and chickens great heart warming video. Thanks for posting much love.
We are doing almost the exact same thing right now! Just got our shed up yesterday. I will be making a few adjustments to my plans based on what I have seen here! Great work!
I am glad it was helpful! Excited for you and your project :)
Hi, I'm doing this now as well... One easy tip is to use the included self in the span of the doorway to keep the shavings in.. It works great!
I have been wanting to update my chicken coop for a little bit now. I've only had it less than a year but we did what we could with what we had and it works great but I want something a little better for them and after seeing this I plan on doing it this summer!! I have 16 chickens but definitely want a few more and it looks like there is plenty of room😊
We are also building one here in Texas; though I am worried about the heat & the varmints running around Thank you for the upload!
I like that it’s a team effort the whole family helping. Oh yea and I think you will be needing a few more nesting boxes. 😀
Thank you for the tour!
welcome to youtube good luck Tom
Looks a great job.thinking of doing the same for our girlies in UK.was going to drill some 70mm circular vent holes high level to advoid condensation and have cross flow of air
I love this idea! I am seriously considering this as an option for when I am able to get chickens.
It’s a great DIY option! I love that it can come together in just a weekend and should last a long time!
Looks good. You did a great job.
Great idea feller
Looks great! Would love to see a follow-up video with any additions that were made :)
th-cam.com/video/qY98jYuADP4/w-d-xo.html :)
This looks great.
I learned the hard way what going to cost you more is the coop when having chicken…i also learned you ll quickly fall in love with those birds…thank you for this video. My shade was just standing there doing nothing while i use my entire two doors garage for my 6 girls, i love love love this idea so off i go to Home Depot for more woods
Good job we did the same thing converted out shed to a coop 10x10 shed.
thank you this was very very helpful to me. Like the reinforcing too
Glad it was helpful!
Great idea
Exactly what I was looking for. We're in the city and we have one already and wanted something kind of hidden so ppl don't know its for chickens
I’m glad it was helpful :)
Thank you for this helpful video!
You are so welcome!
We bought this exact shed last year and basically did the same thing you did and built two French style doors inside the shed out of 2x4s with wire fence screen so that we can keep the main doors open throughout the day for our chickens. Still need to build the run and attach it to the structure.
One recommendation for you is to buy a plastic wire tie for the doors when shut because the bolt to lock it is way too short and can easily be blown open by the wind. Also caulk the skylights to help prevent rain from getting in.
There are a few modifications we will make this spring to make more use of the inside.
Looks good guys
Thank you! That is such a great idea to have the inner doors. We might add something like that to help with day time ventilation. I appreciate the recommendations- planning to do a little caulking this weekend as a precaution.
Did you round out the edges of roosting bars! To help on their feet?
Where are windows? aren't they suppost to have a window & vent? I hv a coop but regular one with screen for air. Not criticizing just asking. Great set up
Thanks for asking! There are two good sized vents at the front and back of the coop. There are also windows in both doors and skylights on the roof. We have plans to add more vents and a screen in the front so we can have the doors open during the day but just haven’t gotten it finished yet. Our hens spent the whole day in their outside enclosure (there is a door for them to go in and out during the day) though and are only enclosed at night so they are getting plenty of fresh air and sunlight during their days.
Did the chickens ever roost on the 2x4 where you hang the heat lamp? I've heard they love to roost highest possible and that 2x4 is not out of reach from them.
im doing this for my silkie flock in Alaska!
Hey we’re in Alaska and have one ! How did you prep for snow and insulate ?
Fantastic!
I’ve been watching chicken coop DIYs for a few hrs. This is a great idea, if I can find a cheaper/used shed. I do wonder if this will work for Canadian freezing winters and hot humid summers.
I can’t speak for Canada but it’s held up great in our Ohio winters and summers. No humidity issues because there is decent ventilation and for extra ventilation, we take the front windows out for the summer. In winter, it holds a decent temperature and water only freezes when it gets well below freezing.
Was wondering the same thing as I am in Ontario. We were thinking maybe we could stick spray foam in the walls and roof because our winters are so cold and damp.
For ventilation on the top sides leave them open.
AWESOME! Thanks so much for sharing! We're wanting to raise chickens and looking for the least expensive - yet strong and lasting - ways to build a coop. Love the shed and your reasons for using a resin one. Question: What am I seeing between the panels of the shed? - not daylight, right? Thanks again! (We're in Ohio too :))
Thank you! There are metal support pieces on the panels that snap together. That might be what you are seeing. There certainly isn’t sunlight- it’s sturdy and tightly secured. The panels are solid.
I only have a few chickens and want to separate the roosters from them. So I wanted to use a 4x6 as a separate coop for 3 is that ok?
Bought the same one a couple weeks ago after watching this. I will say it sweats bad. I had to put in a plywood floor with a vapor barrier under it. Now the sawdust isn't soaked daily, yes it sweat that bad. I'm going to install more vents.
Did you guys use pet door for access to the run on just cut a hole and make a door?
We haven't had any issues with sweating. It has been in place on our farm for 9 months now with no changes to the floor and is still holding up perfectly and we are super happy with it! We use a deep litter method and only have to fully replace the bedding every few months (previously we cleaned weekly but changed over to deep litter during the summer). On our farm, it stays very dry. Sorry you haven't had the same experience. For the summer months, we removed the front plexiglass window pieces to allow more airflow and that worked great. We just cut a hole in the side with a sawzaw and built a simple wood door.
How do you find the ventilation? I want to try a plastic shed as a coop using the deep litter method but I’m worried the plastic will encourage it to be damp. Your setup looks great! :)
We have not had any moisture issues. It has enough ventilation and does not seem to hold the damp inside.
I noticed in comments you added a door. Is it one that opens and closes automatically? Can you describe what you did? What type of pen did you build. How big? Getting first chicks this week and this seems perfect.
It is just a simple wooden door we built and slide open and closed morning/night. We did not want to make the investment into one of the automatic doors. We built an outdoor enclosure that is twice the size of the shed coop. It is partially a metal dog pen we repurposed and partially t-posts and chicken wire.
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Lol who's here after Ohio went viral on the internet 🤣 Thanks for the video!! Great informational video
This is actually something I was thinking about. I’ve been looking into converting the shed kits from Lowe’s into a coop. But I keep seeing the prices of the resin shed kits at Costco & Sams club.
Do you have this posted anywhere where you can put up pictures with dimensions & everything we would need to do this ourselves?
thestylishhomestead.com/diy-chicken-coop-from-a-resin-shed-kit/
How often do you guys clean up the floor? And what’s the best technique of any?
We do a modified deep litter method so about once a month or every other month. We just add fresh bedding in biweekly. The technique we use for the full clean out is to just scrap everything out with a snow shovel into a wheelbarrow (it then gets used in our compost for the garden). Then we add sweet coop freshener and fresh bedding. Its really very easy and doesn't take more than 15 minutes.
Cool idea, just wonder how it looks today? Any update
It still looks great and has held up perfectly! We haven't had any issues. We plan to do a follow up video this summer.
th-cam.com/video/qY98jYuADP4/w-d-xo.html
I love it but how do you keep it cool enough in the hot temperatures?? I converted part of my shed for my chicken coop but it stays so hot 🔥 inside...
It maintains a fair temperature year round. For summer, we increase the ventilation and also keep the chickens outdoor run available to them as many hours a day as we can so they can be in the fresh air and breeze. Also, our coop is strategically located in a well shaded area of our property which keeps the sun from beating down and the temperature lower.
What is the black (rubber?) floor you put over the Plywood? and where did you pick it up at. Thanks!
It is a part of the shed kit. It snaps together with the walls.
So I see the heat lamp because the high is in the fifties- what adjustments will you make for the Sumer high nineties? Should I try to replace the doors with something else? I'm trying to dog proof it for my summer build but don't want the girls to heat stroke. Are the vents enough? What else should I do?
We use the heat lamp for very cold days in our Ohio winters- as in below freezing. Otherwise it maintains its heat well in the winter.
For summer, there are air vents built into the shed that provide airflow and we also remove the plexiglass from the two front windows for extra airflow. We don’t keep the chickens inside the coop 24/7 during the summer as that is not the safest not best way to keep chickens. They need fresh air and sunshine. Our chickens also have 24/7 access to a protected outdoor enclosure so they get ample fresh air and are very healthy and happy.
How do you clean the bottom of this coop? It must get pretty smelly if you are using sawdust and not sand? Is there a way to construct this shed by putting it without a floor and add sand on the bottom?
Hello! We clean it weekly with a pitchfork and put in fresh sawdust. Our hens also have a large outdoor enclosure so they are not inside the coop 24/7. It is also a plastic floor so it doesn’t absorb any urine or poop and we can hose out if needed once or twice a year. We have not had a problem with smell... thanks to frequent cleaning and good quality sawdust. The way the shed is constructed requires the floor. You also need to put a base under the shed floor to make it sturdy. Our base is made of 4x4s and plywood.
@@brownacrefarm Thank you so much for the update. Yes, I understand that they are not in there 24/7 but would think that the smell gets pretty strong. I like that the bottom is plastic though for easy cleaning! Thanks.
I have considered this but I think chickens need air flow. Are there any vents in this?
There are vents built into the shed we bought. We also take the front windows out of added airflow. Our chickens have an outdoor run they have 24/7 access to as well so they get ample ample fresh air and are very healthy, happy chickens.
What happens if More than 4 hens lay eggs at same time were will they lay?
The common rule is 1 nesting box for every 4 chickens. They never all want to lay at the exact same time so you do not need a box for each chicken. At the time this was filmed, we had baby chickens that were not laying yet so we had a few months after this video to deal with that. By the time they started laying, we had added a few more nesting boxes to accommodate the flock.
What’s the measurements of the wood nesting boxes thanks
Not exactly sure but probably about 10x10
What are the 2×4's in the back for? Bracing?
They are the roosting bars! They also do offer a little bit of bracing and stability but that wasn’t the main purpose for installing them.
That heat lamp keeps them warm in winter? Or did you insulate?
We use the heat lamp sparingly on extra cold days through the winter but otherwise, the coop holds a steady temperature. No additional insulation
What size wood did you use for the inside to reinforce?
2x4s
Has this size shed worked out for 22 full grown hens?
Yes perfectly. We did the math prior to selecting this size shed to ensure the size would be sufficient for the size flock we plan to keep
What did u put down for the floor it looks like black rubber or something???
It is the floor part of the shed. It helps to hold the walls in place. It is a plastic resin material
I'm in Cincy, did you need to insulate it? Also, how'd it do over winter?
We did not insulate and we are in Northwest Ohio. This has been up for two years and through two winters and it still works and looks great!
@@brownacrefarm Thanks!
How many birds do you guys keep in there?
We started with 22 but downsized to 11 because we weren’t using all the eggs. The coop is plenty big for a 20+ size flock though.
No windows? What about ventilation??
The building came with built in air vents. Ventilation is not an issue. We also take the plexiglass out of the front windows for additional ventilation and the chickens have 24/7 access to an outdoor enclosure now (we have added on a bit since making this video).
Would a metal shed work the same way?
I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t work similarly:)
Does it hold up good in winter?
Yes. We have had no issues through our cold northern Ohio winters. It retains heat well and shows little wear and tear.
How about ventilation? And a door
Ventilation is mentioned several times in the video as there are vents built into the shed kit. We made adjustments and improvements to the shed over time (this video was filmed as we built it and the day we put chickens in). I have two updated chicken coop tours that feature our additions over time.
th-cam.com/video/qY98jYuADP4/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/c4qq7HOGNZ0/w-d-xo.html
Very nice !
Be Encouraged . Be Blessed . EVERYONE ! In the Matchless & Mighty Name of JESUS CHRIST 🙏🏾🙌🏾🙏🏾
I'm curious...how much did you spend in total?
I’m sorry but I don’t have an exact amount nor is that something I feel is necessary to share. Material costs have also changed drastically since we completed this project
Nice! Automatic door?
No it's just one we open and close manually. See it here: th-cam.com/video/qY98jYuADP4/w-d-xo.html
Did you add a small door for the chickens to go in and out or do you leave the Big doors open all day? If you added a door can you please show a picture?
We did add a small opening for them to go in and out during the day to their enclosure. We are also adding something to be able to open the big doors during the day for ventilation while still keeping the girls safe from predators and enclosed. It’s still in progress but there will be another video to show all the updates (including the door) as we continue to customize this to our needs!
@@brownacrefarm thank you! We are thinking of using this idea and appreciate the reply.
I was thinking about doing this and then was worried that there wouldn’t be enough ventilation ?
there isn't
There is sufficient ventilation and our chickens have done very well and remained very healthy in this coop for over a year. There are two vents built into the shed and then we also open up the front windows to allow additional airflow when the weather is above freezing and we have a door for them to get into the outdoor enclosure that is open all day. Our chickens have a very large outdoor enclosure where they spend the majority of their time as well.
There is also the option to easily add additional vents into the structure. We might add one or two more this summer.
@@brownacrefarm thank you for your response.
I would think Resin would be too hot in summer and too cold in winter. It does look nice though.
We have had no problems. We’ve used it through 2 summers and 2 winters now. It maintains a good temperature year round.
@@brownacrefarm thanks for letting me know. Good to know.
You should get more appropriate sized roosting bars. 2x4 is too big for their feet. It’s uncomfortable to sleep. Also doesn’t water get bedding wet with water jug inside?
Actually in cold climates, the 2x4s are recommended because the chickens can spread their bodies and feathers over their feet and it helps them avoid frostbite. Smaller bars they can’t cover their whole foot and can get frostbite on their toes. We also have added smaller round roosting bars since this video and our chickens all prefer the 2x4s and ignore the other roosts. And no, the water doesn’t spill and cause wet bedding. We have had no issues with that.
Can you give an appropriate cost?
Given how drastically prices have increased and changed since we did this, what we paid is likely no longer an accurate estimate. I have the exact shed linked in the description so you can see the current cost and the wood is just basic treated (outside) and untreated (inside) lumber from lowes. Sorry!
I am in the process of building a 4 ft x 3 ft coop. Material is about $700 ($450 in lumber, remainder in metal roofing, paint, hinges, and screws). On top of that, $250 hardware cloth and some accessories (Feeder, water heater, water drinker, brooder etc...). One step further, adding electrical to the coop would cost me another $150 - $200 (wires, exterior electrical boxes, GFCI outlets, conduit, etc)...
$700 + $250 + $200 = $1150 (Material cost on 4 ft x 3 ft). Tax is not included yet.
I have some plexiglasses so I don't have to buy. Otherwise, those are expansive.
I start my chicken farm
How is it holding up for you?
Great! We have had no issues. I am planning to do an updated video to show how it's working after a few months in action
That's To Many Chickens For A 7 X 7 Space !
Given the outdoor run they had access to (double the size of the indoor coop), and the recommended square footage per bird we were told by our vet, the chickens had adequate space and were very happy and healthy. We have since downsized the flock because we had too many eggs for our small family and with current high feed prices, simply did not need so many chickens.
Chickens coops in 2021 wtf is going on !
Your project is still at 1,000 $ easy ! That shed is what 779$ on sale ! Few hundred in lumber !
Best best is what i am doing looking for something built last year that did not sell !
But best believe iv'e considered a shed !
We purchased all of our materials for this in Fall 2020 when material prices were lower. Our total investment is well under $1000 because the shed was cheaper when we purchased and lumber prices had not yet skyrocketed. We are very pleased with the final product for what we have invested into it! It’s been working out great and we think it is a great chicken coop!
@@brownacrefarm CONGRATS !
Faults I see to help you:
1) rats & mice will chew through plastic in no time.
And my I never use plastic bins for my grains.
2) I see zero air flow my friend. This makes for the perfect growth for mold in the winter & over heat the chickens in the summer. Airflow is very important.
3) No run. While I will free forage my chickens in my backyard, they also have a large run to keep safe from preditors.
4) Too many chickens for that coop size.
I have chicken safe rat traps I've caught a few and the fight continues.
Good luck, I hope you find my points helpful.
Well thank you so much for the unsolicited advice and for pointing out so many “faults”! What a pleasant way to open a conversation 🙄 This is a video of day ONE with this coop at its most basic level and it was stated in the video as well as the description that additional modifications were yet to come. I have TWO additional videos (both linked in the description) featuring all the of the additions we have made including additional ventilation (though the initial coop did have ventilation so there was significantly more than zero air flowing), a large run, and more to make our hens happy and healthy. We have had zero pest or rodent issues in the years since building this, the coop is still in near perfect condition and our hens have lived a happy and very healthy life :)