I think it would work. Its very important for hen houses to be dry inside so make sure there are no leaks, you also make want to add some sort of window. It looks like a good fixer upper! Good luck!

Looks like a fun project! A couple of small windows for ventilation covered with hardware cloth and a flap over each with hinges for opening and closing would work well.

Teacher-Mom--

I have one of these metal sheds in my yard -- I keep my lawn mower in it. It gets incredibly hot in the summer, even with the doors open. You will have to provide good ventillation or your hens will get sick in there. Are you handy? I think if the roof had a ridge vent it would make a big difference. And a couple of windows on opposite sides.

Size-wise it should be just fine for your little flock. And if you paint it and put a fence around their yard, it will be charming!

--Johanna

i think it will definitely work. always best to just use what you have and not fool around with a lot of new stuff. i agree, though, that they will get too hot in the summer, so by ventilation holes or windows, or whatever, do something.

have fun with your project!

my hens house is a resin shed,it has great ventilation,and is proving to be a good dry place for them throughout the winter

I think it would make a better playhouse for your kids. When I was little, I had a playhouse made out of the same kind of shed.
What wonderful memories!
Also, I think it is overkill for just three chickens.
If you were thinking of putting a larger flock in there, I would say it is worth all the extra work you will have to put into it either way.
I think your kids would appreciate it far more than your chickens will....
Just my opinion.....biased greatly by old fun filled days as a child :-)

I'm going to agree with songbirdmommy, to a point. Three chickens don't need a lot of room.

I think you could have your playhouse and chickens too! Think of what fun the kids would have if it were both. Give the birds a corner, and fix the rest up for the kids! The kids would make pets out of the chickens, and the chickens would give the kids hours of enjoyment.

Put your fence on three sides, give the chickens 1/4 of the room and let the kids have the rest.

Wow! we have an almost identical shed, although I think your is slightly larger! It has been our henhouse for almost six years now. Currently we have 12 hens that roost in there on a large closet pole that is strung across and a smaller perch. They are a mixed flock of banties and standards. Ours is a dirt floor though.
During the dry season (about 10 months out of the year here) I leave it open dirt floor so it is easy to shovel. When we get really soaked with rain I pack it with a thick layer of straw so it is very dry on top.
As for the heat, ours is shaded on the south side by trees and we keep the doors open during the day since they free range in the backyard.
It is ugly though and this summer I broke down and painted the most visible areas a deep brown with rustoleum and it looks much better.
As for having kids in there, mine aren't allowed in unless they are getting eggs. Their loud presence encourages the hens to not lay their eggs in there and since they free range, that means an easter egg hunt every day...
Good luck and have fun.

I thought about having them free-range, but we have a lot of neighborhood cats, and I'm afraid they would be a kitty snack.
I plan on letting them out to play with supervision,though!

My shed has a huge oak tree on the west side, which blocks most of the hot afternoon sun.

Actually, we have a lot of cats too. But I have never seen a chicken cowed by a cat. Even the banties fluff up their feathers and put out their wings and run at them. We've even raised free range several sets of babies and never lost one to a cat. (Our local neighborhood hawk did get one this year though)
My fear is a loose dog so we keep our backyard secure and have not had a problem yet.
But truthfully, we hoping to build a run soon since try as I might, even with fencing, they keep getting into the veggie garden and digging it all up.

Teacher_mom, even if the tree gives afternoon shade, you will need to provide some sort of ventilation to allow for ammonia and odors to dissipate. Chicken poop can REALLY stink, if it can't dry out and if there is no way for the smell to get out. Never mind that it is unpleasant to smell, ammonia is NOT good for eyes and lungs, both yours and the hens'. While 3 hens won't be as messy as 10-12, they will still produce enough poop that the house needs to have good ventilation, both by day and by night.

Uptomyeyeballs - thanks! That makes me feel better about the cat situation. :)

WOW! I wish I had one that big. I would use it. As one of you said maybe a nice window and some paint an you'll have yourself a great coop. I love mine, since I made it by myself and it is beautiful ahummm. I raised it off the ground so they could hide underneath in poor weather. I would really have liked to have one like yours to walk into.

Good luck. I think it is fine.......

My question would be is this your only option for chickens? if so, I'm sure you could make it work.

Personally I don't think a metal coop is ideal, I think the doors might get tricky w/litter on the ground. There should be more ventilation if possible. Also the echo might be weird when the hens start laying (these things may seem minor). I like the cement floor, it would be great if you could drop a prefab or build a shed right on top of your cement floor. I realize this would be pricey though.

Either way, you won't regret keeping chickens. It's a good idea to over plan the space needed, I can pretty much guarantee that you won't stop at just 3 :)

-Sheila

Shed could work, but even with shade it will get hot and prevent air flow.. vents will help. We have a fan in our mounted and hanging from the ceiling and it circulates air great. You would also need something for them to sit in thats shallow incase they want to cool off when its hot.

you could paint, but a little fence but be careful with your flowers as some common flowers are poisenous to the birds and to be honest.. my free range my back yard and have eaten every single plant bush and bit of green I have back there. .. good luck :)

Fence in an area on one side so that they can go outside. Make a door as low to the ground as you can, and lock them in at night.

--Jonathan