Converting a dog pen

[harveyhorses]

Sigh, you guys are so nice to newbies
So, I have a chain link dog pen, unused for a few years but now my girls will have it as a home. It is 12 x 24 x 5.5 tall. ('m only 5'2) I have some random sheets of metal mesh wired to the top, and the area over the coop will have roofing also. I am planning on running chicken wire on the outside of the chain link, would 2' high be safe? Also running electric wire a few inches out and about 8 inches high. Fort Knox ain't got NUTHIN on this set up. The chainlink is buried about 6 inches. Our dogs were diggers.
The ground is just plain dirt. Do I need to put anything down over that? There are some mole holes that appeared in the last week or so. I was planning on some sand under the coop, and bedding under the 'big' roof.
If there is nothing to worry about, just give me time.
So let me know what I need to know (I am already pretty sure that 4 is not enough)

 

[Leyana]

I am so glad to find your post! I have the same question. I have a large unused dog pen as well complete with a good sized dog house. Very sturdy on the sides but I am worried about the (lack of) roof. I had two chickens in there a few years ago. They were very happy for about two months until they met an untimely and gruesome death. I am not sure what got in there perhaps a fox, hawk, not sure. My fence is 5 feet tall. So my comment to you is definitely get a sturdy roof. And my question to anyone with experience is what is a good material for roofing? I am very excited about having chickens again and now I have young kids that will really enjoy it but I don't want anything to happen to them. I live in NJ suburbs so not in the middle of the woods but we do have enough wildlife to have predators.

I planned to do something similar with the chicken wire on the outside to give them extra free range area to forage during the day, then keep them in the pen when we're not around to watch them.

So is "chicken wire" enough? I am thinking not since it only keeps chickens in but not necessaryily stronger, more agile animals out. Thanks in advance, can't wait to get my girls but I want them SAFE.

 

[Higins00]

I have a dog fence as my chicken run. I have chicken wire over the top overlaping a little and plastic ties that hold the pieces together from opening. I do have a suport stick in the middle so it dosen't sag when there is heavy snow. I have a roll of wire around the bottom but mostly for when I have small chicks in there while the big girls are out. This way they can't fit through the little dog wire holes. Dog fences are sturdy and with the electric fence you should be fine. I have hawks, racoons, skunks, fox, possoums, and cyotes. None have ever been killed while inside the pen, free ranging is another story. Good luck

 

[Leyana]

Good link in case you are like me and had no clue what hardware cloth is. I think this is at least what we need for the roof, is that what you already have? How did you attach yours? This video should plastic zip ties, I wonder if something would chew through them?
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1631541,00.html

 

[Leyana]

Thanks Higgins, good to know that chicken wire is effective with plastic ties. I might go for the hardware cloth to be safe but it's comforting to know you'd been ok.

 

[andalusn]

Until I was able to build a new coop for 5 mature hens w/roo I used my 6'x6x4' dog pen to house the birds. I laid a sheet of plywood over the top for my "roof" and inside I place 3 dog crates up off the ground and built a roost out of a pallet. They were very happy. The pen is now my nursery pen for young birds and broody hens as needed. With the mature birds I did not attach any other wire. I am on 5 acres and I can hear coyotes out back every night, there are rats and mice that run the barn picking up left over grain and I have seen racoons. To date I have not had any predator issues. I did cover the pen with the plastic mesh from Home Depot to keep in the baby peeps when the broody hen was living in it. Once they were two weeks old I opend the door full time so they could come and go as needed. So far so good. I guess the moral of my tale is that you can do fancy or what works to get you buy

Chickens seem to be very flexible.

Without the plywood roof, the hen w/peeps did not need it.