Can I use a Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate as a hen house

[ButtonquailGirl14]

That article about crates is only meant for temporary confinement/isolation.

Not seeing your pics.

If enclosure is predator proof why do you need the crate?

Would need to be a pretty big crate to hold that many birds.

x2

 

[MrPaw]

That article about crates is only meant for temporary confinement/isolation.

Not seeing your pics.

If enclosure is predator proof why do you need the crate?

Would need to be a pretty big crate to hold that many birds.

The article was indeed not directly related to my question but did let me know I was not crazy in thinking I could use them for chickens, whatever the application.

The crate would be to segregate new bantams from the standards in the same yard. These new girls are about 7-8 mo and I want to make sure they are as healthy as my girls thus the two week "you can see but don't touch" period. And it will be a safe place for them even after they are integrated in with the older, bigger ladies.

The size of my old original wooden coop was 48"wx24"dx24"h, and comfortably held my original standard size girls for several years. They only roosted in the coop. This dog crate is even larger and should hold 4 to 6 bantams. There are only two as of this writing. Remember, there is an attached 4'wx8'lx4' tall run attached.

Thank you for allowing me to explain so others can offer suggestions as they see fit.

 

[Willowspirit]

So if this is their coop, they need roughly 4 sq ft per chicken. If the interior sq footage provides that, then you have a guide to how many you can house. If they are babies you can get away with less room. Living too close to each other can cause feather picking, biting and fighting. You’ll want perches for them if they choose to roost. Just my thoughts.

 

[123RedBeard]

While I will always promote "more square footage" ... bantams don't need as much space as regular "large fowl" ...

 

[aart]

The crate would be to segregate new bantams from the standards in the same yard. These new girls are about 7-8 mo and I want to make sure they are as healthy as my girls thus the two week "you can see but don't touch" period. And it will be a safe place for them even after they are integrated in with the older, bigger ladies.

Oh, so it's for integration....good for see no touch.
But what you describe is not a disease quarantine scenario.
BYC Medical Quarantine Article

 

[Willowspirit]

While I will always promote "more square footage" ... bantams don't need as much space as regular "large fowl" ...

How much do you think would work?

 

[123RedBeard]

Since they are 1/4 -1/2 size of the "Large Fowl" ... 1/4 - 1/2 the typical stated 4 sq ft per bird ...

As I stated above ... you'll never hear me say more space is worse! In my opinion ... 6-10 sq ft for LF coop space is a "minumum" for ME.

My two dog crates are each 28" X 42" ... = 1,176 sq inches ÷ 144 = 8.1666666667 sq ft ...

 

[21hens-incharge]

The size of my old original wooden coop was 48"wx24"dx24"h, and comfortably held my original standard size girls for several years. They only roosted in the coop. This dog crate is even larger and should hold 4 to 6 bantams. There are only two as of this writing. Remember, there is an attached 4'wx8'lx4' tall run attached.

Your original coop was just 8 square feet?

How many birds did you have in there?

What about bad weather days? Did they just hunker down under a shrub?

My birds would picket, protest and fight. There would be big trouble here if required to roost in that amount of space.

 

[MrPaw]

Your original coop was just 8 square feet?

How many birds did you have in there?

What about bad weather days? Did they just hunker down under a shrub?

My birds would picket, protest and fight. There would be big trouble here if required to roost in that amount of space.

No, they were/are in a partially solid roof covered enclosed yard

So if this is their coop, they need roughly 4 sq ft per chicken. If the interior sq footage provides that, then you have a guide to how many you can house. If they are babies you can get away with less room. Living too close to each other can cause feather picking, biting and fighting. You’ll want perches for them if they choose to roost. Just my thoughts.

My mistake. What I call a coop is just where the roosting bar is. No food, no water, just sleeping. I personally do not see an issue. My girls free range every day from early morning until they come in to roost. If it's bad weather they stay in, their choice, under the roof and carry on. And they still crammed up together even in the summer, never using the whole roosting bar.

 

[MrPaw]

Thank you all for your responses. I did not intend for my current set up to be a cause for such mathematical concern. Let's just say I have what I need in order to answer my original question. Again thank you.