My husband got out of the hunting dog business and we thought we could convert them into chicken pens. Each pen has a door in the floor that opens up to the fenced in yard below. Next weekend we plan on building their huge run. So far, the chickens are very happy. Already laying eggs! Each dog kennel has had a door cut out in the back so we can reach in to the nesting boxes. What do you think?
Converted dog pens
- Thread starter Andrea72
- Start date
My husband got out of the hunting dog business and we thought we could convert them into chicken pens. Each pen has a door in the floor that opens up to the fenced in yard below. Next weekend we plan on building their huge run. So far, the chickens are very happy. Already laying eggs! Each dog kennel has had a door cut out in the back so we can reach in to the nesting boxes. What do you think?
Very cool setup!!!!
mjanderson437
Songster
Very nice! I like the up off the ground design. Its fun taking one thing and converting it to something else!
My chicken coop is also a converted dog kennel. It isn't up off the ground though. It was originally 4 separate runs that I took down the fence between to make one large pen. I took the plywood off the front of two of the houses, one for nesting and one for roosting which they don't do in the house anyway. I'm thinking about opening up the other two houses as well. I have to go in the coop to get my eggs because the back of the house is made of a laminate that's pretty hard to cut and I haven't asked my husband to go to the extra trouble. In retrospect, I wish I had left one of the gates fenced off as the hens rush the gate trying to exit into the yard every time I open the gate. I may go back with chicken wire and make an 'airlock' to avoid this.
My chicken coop is also a converted dog kennel. It isn't up off the ground though. It was originally 4 separate runs that I took down the fence between to make one large pen. I took the plywood off the front of two of the houses, one for nesting and one for roosting which they don't do in the house anyway. I'm thinking about opening up the other two houses as well. I have to go in the coop to get my eggs because the back of the house is made of a laminate that's pretty hard to cut and I haven't asked my husband to go to the extra trouble. In retrospect, I wish I had left one of the gates fenced off as the hens rush the gate trying to exit into the yard every time I open the gate. I may go back with chicken wire and make an 'airlock' to avoid this.
- Feb 11, 2013
- 10
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Very nice! Great way to re-use something you already had.
Fantastic. We are trying to use as many things recycled as possible, including a recycled dog kennel and leftover bits and bobs for shelter etc. It kind of fits with the theme of stuff I get for our house too, recycled, old, vintage and re-furnished.
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- #6
Thanks everyone. I can't wait until it's all finished. It might not be fancy but it's not too shabby, I don't think. And the chickens are now separated by breed. I'll post pics as we go! My shipment of silver laced wyandottes arrived last week. Got to get their home ready! 
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- #7
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- #9
Cool! Love the reuse!
Gonna have separate runs for each breed too?
Any predators there? Might think about 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth to replace the cyclone and 2" x 4" on the coop walls.
Gonna have separate runs for each breed too?
Any predators there? Might think about 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth to replace the cyclone and 2" x 4" on the coop walls.
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