Building a 4x8 Coop inside 10x10 dog kennel

[drinkoj]

I am looking to build TimM's medium sized Coop design for our 8 Leghorn pullet chicks (yeah it was 6 when I signed up last week, then 1 died, and wife said we need at least 3 from the same nest to prevent the 1 week chicks from possibly killing the single newbie. I think she just wanted more).

As of right now I plan on raising the coop 18" above the ground and placing it inside the 10x10 dog kennel with chicken wire along the sides and on the floor of the run area; have the posts/bricks already on hand. Also will be adding a 24" poop board with roost inside. This is our first time raising chickens and have the water/food/lamp/pine shave bedding already in use.

Please give advise, as I'm concerned I need to place the Coop outside the kennel and just use the 10x10 kennel as the run by itself.

Here is what I am seeing as materials needed and costs to build this (if left blank I have them already):

	#	Lowes	HomeDep	Total
Pressure 2x4x8	4​	$3.98​	$4.17​	$15.92​
Ext Floor/Roof Ply 4x8x3/4 (common pine)	2​	$34.57​		$69.14​
Linoleum
Ext Wall Ply 4x8x1/2 (common pine)	8​	$28.57​		$228.56​
2x4x8	26​	$3.14​		$81.64​
Roof Material
I-Hook
Drip Edge	2​		$2.44​	$4.88​
Shed Window 14x21	1​	$31.98​		$31.98​
Exeterior Wood Glue	1​	$10.00​		$10.00​
Framing Square
Roofing Felt
Chicken Wire
Galv Framing Nails (*5 lbs)	1​	$20.00​		$20.00​
Deck screws
			Grand Total	$462.12​

 

[aart]

Please give advise, as I'm concerned I need to place the Coop outside the kennel and just use the 10x10 kennel as the run by itself.

Not sure exactly what you're concerns are but....
If coop is raised you're not losing any run space inside run,
but it may be hard for you to access coop openings.
Another concern is height of run vs coop and covering run to protect from predators.
Is tha close?

Not sure where you plan to put chicken wire, but do not put it anywhere a predator needs access barred.

 

[drinkoj]

Not sure exactly what you're concerns are but....
If coop is raised you're not losing any run space inside run,
but it may be hard for you to access coop openings.
Another concern is height of run vs coop and covering run to protect from predators.
Is tha close?

Not sure where you plan to put chicken wire, but do not put it anywhere a predator needs access barred.

Yes, those were my concerns.

The chicken wire I was going to use for above protection on top of the kennel and work it around the pitch of the roof along with a tarp. Also as a ground guard to protect from predators, but I'm guessing that isn't a good idea.

I have a few rolls of 1"x 2" , 14 gauge cage wire in the run and extending about 2 feet outside of the kennel, would that work? I don't want to dig a trench around the enclosure.

 

[rosemarythyme]

For chain link you really want to get either hardware cloth or small opening welded wire (no bigger than 1/2") to surround at least the bottom few feet of the run. Mainly to prevent coons from simply reaching in, or rats, weasels from walking in without even having to climb.

Aproning with the 1"x2" can work, if that's mainly for larger predators. If mice/rats are an issue you'll need smaller openings.

 

[0die]

8 birds contained in a 10x10 run is way too many IMO. do they get to range outside the kennel?

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I would have the coop outside the run since you have that many chickens also because if you put put the coop in the run 18" off the ground they are liable to decide to lay eggs under it, making it difficult to gather them up. Put a few obstacles in the run so they have a way of getting away from each other in case they decide to have a chicken fight. Leghorns are not that big so they might be alright for a while in the space you have, it would be nice if they could get out and free range some to stretch their tail feathers. They love to fly so maybe put a chicken swing or places to fly up to in the corners to check out and get a good seat away from others when they need it.

 

[drinkoj]

8 birds contained in a 10x10 run is way too many IMO. do they get to range outside the kennel?

No they will not get to free range, as my Australian Shepherd puppies would try to herd them and end up killing them. I've been told this by the breeder; risky to do.

I am now considering putting the coop outside the kennel and just building a 16" hardware cloth tunnel to the kennel itself do to some things mentioned here.

Question: How in the heck do ya'll afford all the hardware cloth I see on these coops and runs that are completely covered in it? I'm looking at $600-700 in materials just to build the coop without even dealing with fencing materials.

 

[pozees2]

10x10 = 100 sf, which is > 10 sf per bird, so I think it's enough run space. Chicken wire will not be effective as a deterrent to anything wanting to get in. We have our birds in chain link runs with chain link across the tops, used top poles and assorted other hardware to make supports across the tops to keep it from sagging. The issue with a 10 foot wide run is that, here at least, we were only able to buy a 10' wide roll in heavier gauge, and it was HEAVY. We've often talked about moving that run, and all I can think of is whether we could even do that across the top again - we're older than we were when we put it on the first time, and I'm not convinced we could do it LOL. That run started as 10x10, now it's 10x14.

DH said if he had it to do again, he would use 6-foot wide rolls, doing a small overlap to connect them tightly. We also cover the runs with shade cloth in summer. Around the bottoms of the runs, except across the gates, we have wire-backed silt cloth attached - it is windy often here, and dry, and dusty.

We could never come up with a way to put the coop outside the run and give the birds access through a side of the run that we were satisfied would be secure, so the coop is inside the run.

Good luck, hope to see pictures as you work through your project!

 

[aart]

I am now considering putting the coop outside the kennel and just building a 16" hardware cloth tunnel to the kennel itself do to some things mentioned here.

Sounds like a good plan.

Question: How in the heck do ya'll afford all the hardware cloth I see on these coops and runs that are completely covered in it? I'm looking at $600-700 in materials just to build the coop without even dealing with fencing materials.

Keeping chickens is cheep, housing them is not.
I sold some stuff to afford my coop, but I only the bottom 2' of my run has HC, just to keep chicks and bedding contained.

 

[drinkoj]

10x10 = 100 sf, which is > 10 sf per bird, so I think it's enough run space. Chicken wire will not be effective as a deterrent to anything wanting to get in. We have our birds in chain link runs with chain link across the tops, used top poles and assorted other hardware to make supports across the tops to keep it from sagging. The issue with a 10 foot wide run is that, here at least, we were only able to buy a 10' wide roll in heavier gauge, and it was HEAVY. We've often talked about moving that run, and all I can think of is whether we could even do that across the top again - we're older than we were when we put it on the first time, and I'm not convinced we could do it LOL. That run started as 10x10, now it's 10x14.

DH said if he had it to do again, he would use 6-foot wide rolls, doing a small overlap to connect them tightly. We also cover the runs with shade cloth in summer. Around the bottoms of the runs, except across the gates, we have wire-backed silt cloth attached - it is windy often here, and dry, and dusty.

We could never come up with a way to put the coop outside the run and give the birds access through a side of the run that we were satisfied would be secure, so the coop is inside the run.

Good luck, hope to see pictures as you work through your project!

Thank you. I was thinking about using some left over chain-link fencing that I have to use as a canopy fence cover OR using the 1"x 2" welded fencing I have to do the job. We already have a tarp over the enclosure which we will use to provide shade.

What do you think about using 1" holed chicken wire, wrapped around the 10x10 chain link fencing? That would almost always create a spacing within the fence of about 1/2". And then adding 2' of hardware cloth to the ground outside the kennel?