Converting dog pen?

[Heckel's Hens]

Any advice welcome!

We are trying to decide between the following 2 options for a coop and a garden.

The coop is a pressing issue, and will be built next month. The garden can wait, but we'd like to get it going this year!

We already have a large dog pen attached to our garage near the house. It has 6 foot high chainlink fencing around it. I was wanting my garne in there, b/c it is close to the house, but now I'm wondering if we shouldn't just make that into the chicken run and build a coop inside.

If we do that, do I have to line all of the chainlink with chicken wire, or just up to a certain height? What would you use to cover the top fo the run? (We have hawks.) Do you all dig the wire into the ground a foot?

This is so confusing!

Our other option is a large area we cleared about 60 yards behind the garage, but that would be entirely from scratch.

THANKS!!!!!!!!

 

[nhnanna]

Heckel's Hens :

Any advice welcome!

We are trying to decide between the following 2 options for a coop and a garden.

The coop is a pressing issue, and will be built next month. The garden can wait, but we'd like to get it going this year!

We already have a large dog pen attached to our garage near the house. It has 6 foot high chainlink fencing around it. I was wanting my garne in there, b/c it is close to the house, but now I'm wondering if we shouldn't just make that into the chicken run and build a coop inside.

If we do that, do I have to line all of the chainlink with chicken wire, or just up to a certain height? What would you use to cover the top fo the run? (We have hawks.) Do you all dig the wire into the ground a foot?

This is so confusing!

Our other option is a large area we cleared about 60 yards behind the garage, but that would be entirely from scratch.

THANKS!!!!!!!!

We use a chain link dog pen for a run. Hubby built an 8x8 coop and put a pop door right out to the run. We used chicken wire to cover the top as they always sleep in the coop at night. Hope this helps

 

[chick-in-florida]

We use the dog kennels for our chicken runs. we attach several together since we have many chickens and then just cut holes in them so they can go from one to the other. We built a coop on the outside of one. That way there is more room in your run. You don't say how many chickens you have. We cover the top with cheap fencing because hawks are always a problem. We also put 4 foot chicken wire from the bottom up the sides.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

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That's a good idea. I have several... hmmm..

Yes, cover with some kind of netting or wire to keep hawks and climbing critters like raccoons out. NOT tarps because they will sag under the weight of rain or snow.

 

[Heckel's Hens]

Thanks for the advice! Here is the BIG question, I guess:

How close is "too close" to the house? For smell reasons.....

The run would be about 20 feet from my back door. Gross?

PS. I have 13 pullets now and hoping ot hatch a few more next month.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Heckel's Hens :

Thanks for the advice! Here is the BIG question, I guess:

How close is "too close" to the house? For smell reasons.....

The run would be about 20 feet from my back door. Gross?

PS. I have 13 pullets now and hoping ot hatch a few more next month.

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My two current chicken "kennels" are smack against the house. We look out from our basement windows (we have a walk-out) into the two chicken coops. LOVE being able to see them like that. The smell isn't all that bad, if you keep it relatively clean.​

 

[Heckel's Hens]

Quote:
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My two current chicken "kennels" are smack against the house. We look out from our basement windows (we have a walk-out) into the two chicken coops. LOVE being able to see them like that. The smell isn't all that bad, if you keep it relatively clean.

That is good news! What do you do to clean? How often?

 

[ARose4Heaven]

If you have more than 10, smell can get to be an issue. And as chicken math happens, future expansion will be necessary. The 60 foot option is looking better. Can you move the dog run to make use of existing materials in the new area?

And yes, you will want to put 1/2" hardware cloth 8-12" below ground level to keep out burrowing vermin.

 

[chick-in-florida]

clean it every day! keep the droppings in a bucket with a lid if you don't put it on the garden or compost it right away. why wouldn't you clean it every day? the most poop is at night wherever they roost so it's easy to scrape up.
i like them close the house so i can see them and make sure they are ok. there are worse smells than chickens i think.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Cleaning: I put hay down for the winter, add more hay regularly, scrape poo off laying boxes and such for the compost pile, and then, every couple of months, give it a thorough mucking-out. Deep litter method. Then start all over again.

In warmer weather, still scrape poo off daily, but do a complete cleaning much more regularly than winter. Take the laying boxes and such out to hose down and let dry in the sun.

In summer, you need to be more vigilant because of the flies the poo will attract.

Really depends on how many chickens you have and how you set up the area.

Edited for typos, etc.