We are considering purchasing a TuffShed from HomeDepot and converting it to a coop. We aren't the builder types, though I'd love to take a few weeks off work and try it. We were going to have a window on either side and add vents on the back. Sound like a solid plan or totally crazy?
My neighbor did something similar recently, so far so good, but plastic can heat up & condensate...I would think as long as there is plenty of ventilation, vents and/or several windows you can open & opportunity for some shade from a tree or shrubbery & if you can add some predator proof pens for safety from hawks, foxes, raccoons or rats, it can work. Air flow is going to be an important aspect, as anything plastic can become quite stifling. I told my neighbor that when I built wooden coop #2, I put in windows at each side, north, south, east & west, so while I could close the window where the wind may blow rain inside (which you never want, a wet coop can become a sick coop fast), I still have the other windows I can leave open. So for years it has worked well for me, I check wind directions forecast for the day, in the mornings before work & can slide the 1 group of windows partially or totally shut where rain may blow in (only if winds are 20mph or more) yet leave the other directions all open for air. There is also the humidity factor of the chickens themselves, they put off A Lot, surprisingly. You never want to get moisture building up inside the coop. If you ever see condensation on your windows, or smell a nasty odor, that is BAD!
If you can take 15 min to scoop the poop board under the perch every morning, into a poop bucket for your compost heap, that helps. My neighbor had hers delivered about 2 months ago, so when we experience the upcoming July heatwaves, we will see how well it works...as long as there is enough ventilation & humidity does not get stuck inside, it should be ok. She asked me about fans...well if you want to use a fan as an exhaust to suck the humid, hot air out, as long as it's a sealed motor that can't clog up with dust, that is fine, but to have a fan blowing air in, for such a small structure, it would not be good to be blowing directly onto the birds themselves. I actually had a roof fan on my pigeon loft in the past, as heat rises, it would come on at a certain temperature to suck the hot air out...a good idea but the downfall was that the motor in that particular roof fan was Not a sealed unit, so dust ruined the motor. You have to be careful with fans...you need a sealed motor in dusty environments...a motor can overheat & possibly start a fire that way. There are fans used in horse barns, etc. that are sealed, I got some for about $70 each from
Amazon a few years ago. But they are set up to circulate air, & blow in the hallway of the larger coop. I can blow the air out of the coop or set on low to blow in the hallway, Not directly blowing air directly on any birds themselves. I know when I first got into coop building...it seemed contradictory & a bit confusing...we need plenty of ventilation, yet no drafts. The goal is no wind blown direct onto birds & no stale air building up heat, humidity or dust in the coop. A good guage is sitting in the coop yourself, hang out a bit, have a chicken on your lap to pet, fuss over, check over...there should be no extra humidity, no odor, no hot or stuffy air, if you feel comfortable, then it's comfortable for them, too. I learned so much information from this site, if anyone here has more useful or additional input, please chime in.
