Dog House Coop

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PupPupChick

PupPupChick

In the Brooder
5 Years
Aug 8, 2014
21
0
22
Foley, MO
I've wanted chickens for a long time - and am very excited to be getting a small flock from a friend of mine! I wasn't planning on getting them so soon, so I didn't have a lot of money set aside for a coop - so I decided to make the best of what I could. I have numerous dog kennel panels that I'll be using for a run (at least a 12' x 12') and I began scouring CL for something inexpensive I could make into a coop. Wednesday evening I stumbled across this beauty:

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It's 51" x 51" and 51" tall at the peak of the roof - there's a layer of insulation between the wood and the siding. A friend of mine is going to put a door for cleaning on the back as well as shuttered windows (with hardware cloth for when they are opened) on each side, and a lockable door on the front. I think it's a great start, and it only cost $60!

For nest boxes I found a few milk crates - I'm stoked about this new project, and will post pictures as we go!
 
I've got a similar setup to yours. My hen house isn't a dog house (great idea BTW) but it's almost the exact same size. My run is also 12'x12'. My hen house sits inside my run more towards the back. Mine has 4x4 legs so it's about 2' off the ground. You might want to set yours up on cinder blocks stacked up. Just a thought. For nest boxes I just used some scrap wood. I used 2 scrap 2x4s to make a rectangle in one corner. Then I used two plywood scraps (on in the middle as a divider, one on the end) to separate the space into two next boxes. I used more scrap 2x4 for roosts. Oh and I cut an egg door behind the nest boxes to make my life easier. It's not glamorous or as nice as a lot of the set ups on BYC but it works good for us. We've been using this set up for 5 years so I think you'll be really happy with yours. That vinyl siding will hold up to a lot of abuse too!
 
Thanks BabBay! I am getting 2 Seabright Bantams, 2 Australorps, 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Americauna, and 1 Copper Maran Rooster.

Thanks for the suggestions skunknchatter - unfortunately my coop/run area is on a bit of a slope, so we aren't sure if we are going to be able to prop it up on anything to get it off of the ground without digging and cementing post holes (which we don't want to do) - but cinder blocks to prop it up is a great idea if we can get away with it. I have scrap 2x4s that I am going to use to make roost, and I found some free milk crates that I think would make great nest boxes because they will be easy to get in and out. I am really excited about it :) it should hold up pretty well to whatever weather and other forces get thrown its way!
 
My dad came over on Sunday and was nice enough to help get the coop finished enough to be in working order!

I had some chain link dog kennel panels that we built up around the coop, I burried wire around the edges to discourage prearranged digging in. I plan on adding a roof if sorts with a shade tarp and some deer netting to deter any flying predators. I lined the entire run with creek gravel to make cleaning a bit easier, the run is almost 12' x 12', but I hope to let them free range in the yard he days I am home. I found 2 old tires to make into dust baths. We cut window holes and used the wood we cut out to make hinged shutters, I added 1/2" 19g hardware cloth, fastened with deck screws and washers, and also added a door that can be locked at night. On the inside I made two roosts with 2x4s and 4 nest boxes cut from milk crates. I'm really excited to use my starter coop - that all in all only cost me $230 from start to finish!
 
Hello all! Just an update with the coop :) the flock has really made themselves at home, and things are working out nicely. I made one of the no-waste feeders out of a 5-gallon bucket and everyone loves it!

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I added a 2x4 in front to keep the shavings from getting kicked out.
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I put straw in their milk crate nest boxes.
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I made them dust baths by filling old ties with equal parts dirt/topsoil, builders sand, wood ash, and DE - they are a big hit!
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Drainage in the run is great, thanks of the gravel - my only issue is that I feel (thanks to the humid and rainy weather) the the inside of the coop is staying damper than I would like - so I've been changing out shavings way more frequently than I anticipated - others than that, things are going wonderfully!
 

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