A wonderful dilema

[jonvee]

I stopped off at a friends place on my way through town. She told me she and her hubby were tearing down their old chicken coop to make way for some storage buildins they bought.

Being the scrounge that I am, I immediately asked her if I could take the coop off her hands. I even offered to help clean it out and haul off the junk. Ok - so I had an alterior motive with that one. You never know what else she wants to get rid of.

Anyway she said yes, I could have it. It's about 8' x 10' and looks like a little Amish barn. She's a decorator and he's a builder so all their buildings are well made and attractive..

So - here's my dilema. I've been wanting to build a greenhouse/potting shed and this would be perfect for that if I take off the wire and replace it with plastic, then outfit the inside to start seeds or grow transplants.

BUT - if I keep it as a coop I can move my girls out of the west side of our barn (12 x 24) which will give DD more room for her lambs OR even give us a place to raise a feeder pig.

And then there's the option of using it to raise meat birds.

What to do? What to do? Too many choices.

Hopefully I'll figure it out before the coop arrives.

[Anon001]

I'd use it for a chicken coop.

[momma_to_seven_chi]

I would also use it for chickens. You would have to thoroughly disinfect it to be used as a potting shed, and refurbish it. Chickens carry coccidiosis, so you wouldn't want raw vegetables or their roots being contaminated by any previous material in the shed. Plus, you can never have enough room for chickens.

[jonvee]

I goofed -- the shed IS a potting shed not a chicken coop. It just looks like a chicken coop. I took DD over to look at it today and got to really take a long look at it. It has shelves and cubbies for storage.

But, after thinking it over I think it will be best to use it for chickens and give the larger animals more space.

Thanks for the opinions. And, thanks for the info Momma, I didn't know about the possibility of contamination. Learned something new today. :D

[Lobo]

An old family story was that I had a cousin who as a child ate chicken poop. She would crack it open like peanuts and eat the 'nuts' inside. Her family took her to the dr's and he said 'don't worry about it. It's not effecting her. Kids have a natural instinct to get the nutrients they need that she is obviously low on.' She is still alive today and must have enough of the nutrients as she has given up eating poop.

Lobo

[silvergramma]

use it for both just make sure there is ventilation ... chickens can have the bottom for nesting in at night.. let them free range during day and lock in at night.. make benches for trays of seedlings above chickens,, birds will provide body heat for the plants at night...i would use corrugated.plastic sheeting alternating every other one with shaded or colored fiberglass sheets i believe thats what they are called home depot or lowes would have them.. dual use for the shed...we use banana boxes for our 10 laying hens that were given to us.. with straw in bottom..just make sure that you put up a protective netting of chicken wire around the seedling benches so the girls dont eat your goodies on the tables.. while they are in at night...good luck