I am considering converting a greenhouse into a chicken run/ coop area. Looking for feedback please

[DocumentedPure]

Okay, so I have been planning on constructing a large area for lots of chickens. I have never built anything like this, and would like feedback from you wise people regarding this idea that I have. I know some things about the important factors on keeping chickens. Plenty of space, protection from predators, adequate ventilation, ease of cleaning, and reducing heat.

I want to have eight chicken runs in under the same area. This will allow the chickens to have 10x10 space for each of the runs, with spacious coops as well. I have been on the fence about a lot of chicken run ideas, and I was recently looking at building the runs around portable car ports. Then I got the idea of building the enclosed chicken runs inside of a greenhouse. It seems like a great idea, because the exterior would prevent predators from getting inside, both from the ground and from the sky. It would also prevent snow and rain from falling inside and wetting the sand. I also like the idea that I can lock it up at night and do not have to worry about thieves or kids getting inside.
Here are a couple links to the plans that I think would work great. Has anyone had any experience building anything like these?

https://www.monstergardens.com/stra...MI-azf2p6S1QIVVp7ACh0Ibw75EAkYDiABEgIa1fD_BwE

https://www.monstergardens.com/Goth...MI0uWB8qCS1QIVw4uzCh14ZgITEAkYCyABEgIai_D_BwE

I have two major concerns about constructing these runs. Would there would be too much heat or moisture to remove from the inside? I think that if I attached a large fan on the outside of one space, and allowed that fan to either blow or suck in fresh air, that it would push enough of the moisture outside. I live in a fairly dry climate. There is about 0% humidity throughout the year.

Would something like this work to cool it down enough for the chickens to survive the summer in a space this large, with the windows open and a ventilation fan? I would not want to use this unless necessary because of the humidity it would add.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hessaire...VSCOBCh1vCA54EAQYASABEgIz3PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I plan to bury hardware cloth along the outside, so that predators cannot dig below and get inside of the greenhouse. I also plan to construct a wooden frame inside, with doors that open up to each of the individual runs. I plan to use chicken wire stapled to the wooden frame in order to keep the chickens separated. I will have sand as the substrate inside the coops and the runs. I plan to have a light with a 12 hour timer, that has a darkness sensor so that they can have the 12 hours of light that they need to continue producing eggs throughout the year.

Any ideas? What do you guys think? Is there something I am missing?

Thank you so much for your time,

Farmer Cory John

 

[Pork Pie]

I can't answer your questions but this search may be interesting - https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/2176561/?q=Greenhouse+coops&o=relevance&c[title_only]=1

 

[kokonut]

I tried laying the whole base of the coop with hardware cloth. It was a pain in the neck. This last coop I put an 18 inch skirt around the base. I have frequent visits from raccoons, opossums, dogs and coyotes. None of them have been able to dig under. But one of the neighbors dogs got my Americauna when they free range.. That was a sad day. You can make a coop out of just about any thing. The chicks need a dry, windfree and secure area to roost and lay their eggs. Hope you have great success with your coop building.

 

[Christian Pedersen]

I would think it is possible with enough ventilation or using shade cloth on hot days.

 

[DocumentedPure]

Oh yeah, you feel my pain, I am going to have to hand dig a perimeter covering 120 feet ha ha OMG summer is too hot for this.

 

[Nardo]

I'm in Texas and it gets terribly hot here in the summer. My coop and hen house are connected and I run a fan with all the solid doors open, leaving only wire to vent. I have tons of ventilation and sometimes in the summer it is way too hot inside the greenhouse. In the Winter and the rest of the year it works great. Just from maybe late June to early September it's bad.

 

[henan-yinfeng]

Yeah, It's true. It is so hot in the summer, so need to cooling. But it is good in autumn and winter. The greenhouse has the following advantages:
1. Strong reflective light and heat preservation and rain prevention.
2. The use of black greenhouse film in winter can heat up the frost and snow. It can block and reflect most of the infrared (heat energy) inside the greenhouse to radiate outside the shed, so as to play the role of heat preservation.
3, supramolecular animal husbandry film can reduce ammonia in chicken henhouse.

 

[Nardo]

Yeah, It's true. It is so hot in the summer, so need to cooling. But it is good in autumn and winter. The greenhouse has the following advantages:
1. Strong reflective light and heat preservation and rain prevention.
2. The use of black greenhouse film in winter can heat up the frost and snow. It can block and reflect most of the infrared (heat energy) inside the greenhouse to radiate outside the shed, so as to play the role of heat preservation.
3, supramolecular animal husbandry film can reduce ammonia in chicken henhouse.

Supramolecular animal husbandry film is s new term for me. I will have to learn more about this. It looks like the firm selling this has their own line of product?