Converting dog pen?

[WestKnollAmy]

I have 2 10x10 dog kennels for chicken pens and am picking another up today. Sometimes they can be found really cheap. Thank goodness.

I do cover mine due to hawks and climbing critters. Not to mention some of my birds could fly out. I put 3 2x4x12 on mine then put dog wire over that and tied it all together and often put tarps over part of it for shade or winter protection.

I like to move mine some to let them have fresh grass and not be standing in their own waste so I do not dig down or anchor mine. Having said that, let me tell you that the 60 mph gusts flipped one a month ago so I have it now tied to a fence post.

I do build movable houses inside them and move those along with the fence. It is very easy to move the fence and I have a LGD to help keep critters away. Best investment...a LGD!

Edited to say that there is only one 12 ft board in this photo because I stole the other 2 for another project! They are back in place now because it works better with 3.

We also have 10x10 tractors that we can move and we put the 2x4x12 boards on that and PVC roofing. Those don't flip! They are way too heavy but the roofing will come loose at the corners with the wind, even though we use rubber neck screws. Again, no protection from digging critters but the dog seems to do the trick. Before the dog I did lose chickens to hawks and foxes when I was at home and letting them free range from these pens.

You can see more on my website. I have a huge page on housing that may help you some.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Heckel's Hens]

Thank you!!!

 

[debid]

Does anyone know if a chain link fence hole large enough for something like a skunk or opossum to get through?

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I only have four hens and clean my coop once a week. Scoop it out with a dust pan and re-line it with shavings. What I scooped out of the coop goes right into the composter which is also in their run. And the run is right up against the house. Never had a smell problem.

 

[nop169]

We use standard 10 x 10 kennels with a tarp roof. We usually keep up to 8 adults per kennel & we move the kennel every 3 days (hence the reason we use tarp roof) to a fresh spot. This way the grass is not killed out but the girls are in grass throughout most of the year. In late fall I move them to the garden space which is usually cover cropped with rye or oats for the winter. I use a pole across the middle of the kennel & drape the tarp "A" frame style to the inside & attach with electrical ties. Nest are mounted on kennel wall & feeder hangs from center pole. All I have to do is remove the waterer & drag the kennel to a fresh spot. The girls learn fast to walk with the kennel. I personally have never had any issues with any type of predetor getting in the kennel either through the wire or under the tarp. I love that they are on fresh grass, they eat less & I have no wood or nest on the ground for rats to hide/live under. Works very well for me and if you like a more artistic look than kennel only - utilize those yard sales for planters/signs & metal decor - my wife did! Overall cost for my 3 kennels was 65 to 75 dollars each off craigslist/iwanna & about 10 dollars per tarp (last about 3 years). Much cheaper than traditional built coop. Good Luck.

 

[lorihadams]

We used a 10x10dog kennel for a run but built a solid tin roof over it. I got tired of ripped tarps. We put leaves in the bottom of the run and even though the coop was completely enclosed inside the chain link we always closed the pop door securely every night. We have weasels and they can get through chain link and a racoon can easily reach through chain link and grab someone. I opened the door of the kennel during the day while I was home and let them free range. We would put 3 ft of leaves inside the run at a time and they LOVED it!

Here is a pic of the coop and run when we first built it...put a solid roof on later and painted it red.

 

[Zac's Flock]

I would definitely use the dog pen and build a coop either on the inside or outside. The smell factor always depends on how clean you keep your coop/run.

 

[cfdf]

I use 10 x 10 dog runs too. I have attached them to each side of my coop. To make them preditor proof I have added 3' tall 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom of fence and gate. On top I put bird netting to protect from flying preditors. I lock my birds up at night in the coop so the night digging critters don't get them.

I think you can see how I did it on my BYC page. So far it has worked out great for me. I am still looking for more fencing (waiting for a cheap one) to add on to my coop. Ideally I would like the fence to go all around my coop. As far as smell, I use the deep litter method. I put shavings in the coop. I don't use poop boards. I do go in from time to time (once a month maybe) and scrape the dry droppings off the roosts and anywhere else I see it. I do stir up the shavings on a regular basis burying the poop and the smell. I add more shavings on a weekly basis. I would say the shavings are about 12" deep in my in 8 x10. I have 9 chickens in my coop and 2 ducks. As far as smell goes about the only time I notice a smell is when I first open the coop up in the morning. The smell quickly goes away. I have most of my coop closed up for the winter but in the summer everything I can open gets opened...no smell at all then. My run has leaves, straw, sand, and dirt in it. One run is not covered (other than netting) and the other just has shade cloth on it over chicken wire. It has good drainage so nothing stays wet long. I might mention that I live in Central Texas so we don't get snow here. My coop/run isn't far from my house. I can look out my back window and see my chickens and ducks. I love the closenees of it. I don't free range due to the dogs in the area, especially my daughter's Jack Russell. Flies haven't been a real problem either. I do tend to clean the coop more in the summer...the heat can be really bad here. I don't know if this helps you any but thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in.

 

[TigerLilly]

I use a 12 x 7 kennel for the chicken run. I also have a 3 x 5 x 4h kennel that I keep a few pullets in until they start laying.
Then there's the 10 x 6 for the zebu & whatever goats decide to use it. All are covered either with wire or solid tops or a combination of both.
The goats also have x-lg dog crates to lay in, outside of the kennel.

 

[tiffanyh]

Ours is a dog run also. It is actually two dog runs, one skinny one for the banties attached to the larger one that was supposed to be for my dog. The shed has been redone to be the coop now - these are older pictures. I have the top lined with deer netting and everyone goes in at night so I dont line the bottom or side. I do line the bantam run though since they could sneak through the chain link.