Are you looking for how to convert your horse stall into a safe and secure chicken coop? When raising chickens, having a secure and comfortable coop is essential for the health and safety of your flock, and what better way than to use an existing structure with some modifications! Here I’ll share my experience and tips on how I transformed a concrete horse stall into a predator-proof chicken coop.
A barn can be a great place to house your chickens, however, your chickens will need extra protections that your horses, goats, cows, or other barnyard animals won’t need. Even though having other animals may help deter some protentional predators, there are still plenty of predators that will bypass them to get to your chickens. Because of this you will want to create a safe and secure coop within your re-purposed horse stall.
In this post we will explore coop planning, specialized considerations based on your stall’s unique setup, along with strategies for predator-proofing your horse stall chicken coop!
Horse Stall Chicken Coop Conversion
Why a Horse Stall Makes a Great Chicken Coop
A horse stall can serve as the perfect chicken coop for several reasons. Horse stalls are typically spacious, providing plenty of room for chickens to move around, roost, and lay eggs comfortably. They typically feature solid construction, sturdy walls, and a secure environment that you can modify to protect your chickens.
Coop Evaluation and Planning
If you’re weighing options between different existing structures, several factors can help guide your decision-making process. Key considerations include location, weather, accessibility, and protection against potential predators.
How far is the potential coop from your house? Is it on the top of bottom of a hill? Will it be easy to bring food bags, water, and shavings? Setup can be such an important part for caring for outdoor animals, especially in the dead of winter or in the middle of a hot summer. This is why keeping your chickens within your barn can make life much easier for you as you will most likely already have easy access, areas to store feed, electricity, and water.
Understanding your location and the threats posed by predators is essential. Living close to the El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico exposes my flock to various predators like wild dogs, rats, hawks, owls, mongoose (which can carry rabies), and the threat of hurricanes. Knowing the predators in your location can help you determine your best setup.
Predator Proofing the Chicken Coop
As you contemplate repurposing your horse stall into a chicken coop, it’s crucial to tailor the setup to suit your unique need and address protentional entry points.
The type of flooring in your horse stall plays a significant role in determining the predator protection required. For instance, if you have concrete flooring like I do, you’re less likely to worry about digging predators. However, to cushion the landing for chickens flying down from their roosts, adding mats or extra bedding is essential.
If you have dirt flooring, adding hardwire mesh and digging it down 3 feet can help deter any digging predators.
How I Predator Proofed my Horse Stall Turned Chicken Coop
With the base and walls being concrete, I didn’t have to worry about anything burrowing in. As with most stalls, the top was completely open, so I needed to prevent something climbing or flying in.
For the top I went with hardwire mesh. Whenever you are predator proofing your chicken area, whether it be their coop or run, you will want to select hardwire mesh as opposed to chicken wire. Hardwire mesh keeps predators out, whereas chicken wire only keep the chickens in.
In order to completely cover the top with the hardwire mesh, my husband and father in law came up with the idea of building rectangle beams to frame the hardwire mesh. We lifted each section onto the top of the stall after building it. Then, we connected each beam to the next one, and finally, we secured the entire structure to the concrete.
We covered not only the top with hardwire mesh but also the stall door and window. This allowed airflow to still get into the stall without leaving room for predators to sneak in.
Coop Takeaways
I’m happy to share that all the chickens have been safe and secure at night! Reflecting on the process, if I had the chance to do it again, I would have started preparing the coop much earlier for the chickens. They ended up staying in their brooder indoors for much longer than anticipated while we completed the stall modifications.
The chickens mainly use the stall for laying eggs, pecking around during bad weather, and retiring for the night.
Want to follow along for more chicken happenings with Butter the rooster and his ladies? Follow us on Instagram or subscribe on YouTube!
In this post, we explored the process of converting a horse stall into a functional chicken coop. By making a few adjustments to an existing structure, you can provide a safe and comfortable home for your chickens.
[UP NEXT: What Do Chickens Need in a Coop | 8 Tips for a Happy Coop]
Hi there! I’m Jess, a backyard chicken keeper living on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. With my flock of 15 friendly chickens, my mission is to help others feel confident about raising happy, healthy, and super friendly chickens. My dream is that everyone gets to know the love of a chicken and experience the joy they bring to your life.
Leave a Reply