Advice on Converting Shed

Beware you don't create a Red Mite paradise.  Felt roofs and polystyrene insulation maybe a wonderful way of construction but inaccessible surfaces are perfect homes for mite.  Mite and parasites may not loom large in your plans in your enthusiasm to get stuck in but once you've got an infestation you'll forever regret not paying more attention to making your house with less nooks and crannies and easier to clean.  It's a case of decide in haste and repent at leisure.  A few hours spent at the planning stage can save many hours of work in routine cleaning and maintenance latter.

First read the advice on this site on house design and on Red Mite control.  The Stickies area should have lots.  There's a lot more to designing and building successful chicken housing than you might imagine and what looks good to you might not be ideal from your chx perspective.  Personally I'd say that buying a shed to convert isn't the best starting point unless you have selected one which is made from the right materials and is easy to convert for ease of maintenance.  Ok if you have an existing shed you can cheaply convert you might accept a few compromises but it seems you are now committed so hope you don't live to regret it.

Regards

Sorry to be a bit negative about your shed and I'm sure that it is possible to make chicken heaven out of one but you need to do your homework.  Personally being more traditional I prefer a purpose build house made of wood with soft wood shavings as litter to soak up the droppings and I don't like the chx to walk in it so I have a slatted floor that they walk on and the droppings fall through where the litter is and they don't have access.  I also prefer a smaller cosy house as chx keep warm at night by huddling together.  Large airy sheds aren't as warm in cold winter conditions as smaller houses.

I have four houses 3 Forsham Cottage Arks Lenhams 504 (mid size house) which is all wood and extremely well thought out.  One is 10 years old and still perfectly sound.  The 4th house is a cheap "ebay" house which I got as a broody coop or isolation house for sick individuals.  I do live in the country though with lots of space (13 acres), so my chx spend most of the time foraging in grass runs and only go in the house to lay or roost.

Regards

Mine live in the shed, they very rarely get red mite. I just paint everything with paraffin to get rid of them. I have them on deep litter and a droppings board.

Personally being more traditional I prefer a purpose build house made of wood with soft wood shavings as litter to soak up the droppings

............ Basically, a shed.

Meant to say that we lined our shed 2 3rds the way up all round with hardboard and the floor is covered with old lino covered with wood shavings.
We haven't had any red mite (might regret saying that now ) and the shed will be warmer for the winter.