Hi bevwar
I'm new here too - been lurking for a while but just had to join when I saw your thread!
OH and I are also looking to start keeping chickens and are also looking at the options to convert the old bomb shelter in our garden! Ours isn't an Anderson one though - it's brick-built with a reinforced concrete roof. The walls and ceiling are over a foot thick so the internal dimensions are roughly 4' x 5' (1.3 x 1.5m)!
I've done a LOT of reading so far, so hope the plans sound about right!
We plan to:
- Grind a pop-hole through from one end (fortunately OH has an angle grinder!)
- Paint the inside with whitewash and industrial floor paint for easy cleaning (the ceiling is smooth, reinforced concrete, so no rafters or hiding places for mites), and use Hemcore (or similar) inside the coop
- Build a couple of nest boxes inside with a small hinged 'roof' so they're a bit darker
- Attach a few branches from an old apple tree we cut down for perches, with a large, old litter tray underneath.
- Replace the door with a home-made one that has a high mesh 'window' for light/ventilation.
- Build an adjoining, fully-covered run on an existing flowerbed, extending to about 5'x7' (1.5 x 2.1m), with multiple perches etc.
- The base will be slightly sloping (drainage) concrete covered with wood chippings, with a 'sandpit'
- The roof will be Onduline and the run panels/door will be made using 1"x0.5" weld mesh.(we have a big fox and rat problem, so I want it to be as proofed as possible!)
Will this set-up be big enough for 3 chooks if they are also let out into the garden for a bit when I'm back from work?