Please ! need all the help: converting a child’s house bed into a chicken coop.

[DobieLover]

how do I insulate this (we’re in New England with cold winters)

You wouldn't. You'd work to get ventilation and draft blocks in it.
You will need to put a pair of equally spaced studs in the back so you have something to install a piece of exterior grade siding on. I would frame out two more windows on that side too. Install the windows top hinged front and back so you can suspend them open during the heat of summer for breezes that will blow right through and across the chickens.

I like @rosemarythyme's suggestion to roof over the existing structure but I would use a tinted polycarbonate to keep the weight down, permit light to enter, have a slippery roof that is not easy for critters to climb on and would not be thermally conductive and condense water during winter that would not only drip back down on the bird but onto the wood to which it is attached which is likely just painted kiln dried.

Buy sheets that will extend about 3" past the roof slats for a bit more overhang. Unsupported polycarbonate won't hold weight so you don't want to go too far past the wood support.

Also as Rosemary suggested, the entire structure should get 2 coats of the best quality exterior grade house paint that you can afford to protect the wood. I would also get some of these

to put under each leg to keep the entire structure up off the ground where it will rot faster.

I would also build bump out nest boxes with a front panel drop access vs. one where you have to lift the lid. When you have to hinge the back of the lid (box roof) where it meets the siding, it always leaks where you attach the hinges because you cannot effective flash the siding/hinge joint.

 

[Clucking confused]

Thank you so much ! I am going to look at those nest box options now because yup I was thinking flip up. Thanks ! About how much do you think the add ons will run ? If you had a general idea ? If it stays under $300- $400 we’d be ok.

 

[Clucking confused]

$300 is a decent price for the bed for sure, however, everything that you will have to add will add at least $100 if not way way more. This is a well built piece of furniture, make no mistake. However, the floor, roof, 3 sides, and the door will have to be redone/have additional materials put on. Also a nest box and roost will need to be added.

That being said, this is a decent base. But if I was doing a coop from scratch I would do things differently. I say this having built this exact bed and a big coop

I personally would try to find a used shed or maybe even children’s playhouse or something. However the bed house is insanely adorable!

Thank you, the adorableness is winning me over . I was guessing $300-400 with add ons. We shall see haven’t bought it yet . Thanks so much !

 

[DobieLover]

the adorableness is winning me over .

That should never be the deciding factor. You have to have a properly designed coop that is spacious enough for your birds. If you are willing to have to stoop to work around in there, great. I'm too old for that!

As for the price to convert, I don't know the price of materials in your area. Here, I'd pay $400-$450 for the lumber for the nest boxes, window frames, the roofing with closures, caps and screws, a sheet of the thinner T1-11, 1 gallon of exterior paint, hinges and plexiglass inserts for the windows, hardware to hang the windows open... oops. Forgot about the door. Add another $75 for that. Oh crap! Forgot about a roll of 1/2" hardware cloth to secure the windows and to cover the gable vents you would need to cut out. Uh oh. Just took a better look at what is being offered and you'll need at least a second possibly third sheet of T1-11. There's another $100. Keeps going up...

You don't have an old shed you can convert all or part of into a coop do you? I would also talk to local shed builders. Sometimes they have an old shed they need to remove from a customer site before delivering the new one. You might be able to score one for the price of the delivery.

 

[Clucking confused]

That should never be the deciding factor. You have to have a properly designed coop that is spacious enough for your birds. If you are willing to have to stoop to work around in there, great. I'm too old for that!

As for the price to convert, I don't know the price of materials in your area. Here, I'd pay $400-$450 for the lumber for the nest boxes, window frames, the roofing with closures, caps and screws, a sheet of the thinner T1-11, 1 gallon of exterior paint, hinges and plexiglass inserts for the windows, hardware to hang the windows open... oops. Forgot about the door. Add another $75 for that. Oh crap! Forgot about a roll of 1/2" hardware cloth to secure the windows and to cover the gable vents you would need to cut out. Uh oh. Just took a better look at what is being offered and you'll need at least a second possibly third sheet of T1-11. There's another $100. Keeps going up...

You don't have an old shed you can convert all or part of into a coop do you? I would also talk to local shed builders. Sometimes they have an old shed they need to remove from a customer site before delivering the new one. You might be able to score one for the price of the delivery.

No old sheds unfortunately, I was thinking on the clean up to convert the large back opening to some sort of lift open door or something and have that as the clean up area. Or would I still be needing to kind of crawl in there to clean it out on a weekly basis do you think ? If I have to crawl in there for an annual deep clean okay. Again thanks for your time and insight so much appreciated !

 

[Slothinc]

I agree with @DobieLover, they have a much better vision for what should be done to this to convert it, and yeah it’s going to be really expensive. Is your budget $400 more after you purchase this? So $700-$800 total? If so, I would think there are many options that require way less work for that price range.

The other thing is that opening the back for cleaning might help, but the edge around the back comes up at least a foot off the floor so you couldn’t scrape stuff straight out. The only place you could scrape stuff straight out is the door. Because the sides and back are built up.