Dog house as chicken coop?

[Agilityscots]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here--chicks are set to arrive next week--and I'm thinking about buying a dog house and modifying it into a coop for them.

What do you all think of this for four hens?

http://www.petco.com/product/11153/Merry-Products-Wood-Pet-Home-The-Stable.aspx

And would it be a problem if the entire thing is finished, even on the inside? (I'm assuming it's finished on both the outside and the inside). Maybe we could sand the inside if it is so the girls wouldn't peck at the paint/stain. I can't build anything, and my husband doesn't want to, so that's why we're not attempting to build a coop...and we want something cheap. I love that it has a door and that the roof is removable. So what do you all think?

Amy

 

[BeckyLa]

Very nice, would make a beautiful henhouse. But very expensive. I have put an add in the newspaper asking for a large doghouse and gotten several calls. I remember hauling away 3 very nice ones for free. Often someone's dog grows old and dies and the people don't want another dog so the house just sits there if they don't have a way to haul it off. You might have to paint it, but maybe it's worth a try??

 

[lakecountychick]

I think it's a good idea for 3 standard hens, with a larger pen or yard for them to go outside. It is quite handy if you can' build. I've heard rabbit hutches, the wooden ones can work also. but again I think each chicken should have 3 -4 sq ft Inside and of course a little more outside. I've gleaned these ideas from reading what so may of these smart people tell each other > Good luck You are on your way to a great life that teaches many lessons and it's so fun

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Very nice, at least it's cheaper then and Eglu, http://www.mypetchicken.com/Eglu_without_Chickens-c37.aspx
by a lot!! But I'd still try and get a free dog house. I saw a dog house one at the dump last time I went, really nice one all shingled and sided, shouldn't be that hard to get one.

It's worth a try. The Petco one is very cute, though!

 

[Agilityscots]

Really? I'm surprised at the comments about expensive...I thought it was a good deal! I guess I'm thinking in terms of what some people spend on their coops; it seems like a lot more. I suppose it's expensive if you consider that it would be cheaper to build something ourselves, but I just can't convince my husband to do it. He says that all my hobbies turn into back-breaking labor for him!!

I've posted to my Freecycle group and asked if anyone had a dog house they wanted to get rid of, but I only got one response, and it had vinyl siding. I think it would be a mess to cut holes into vinyl siding, don't you all?

Amy

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I made this one.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/2007-04-01/Portable-Chicken-Mini-coop-Plan.aspx

The run didn't turn out all that great but the coop itsef isn't bad. I have it inside of a larger dog run now.

Look on Freecycle in your area. You could most likely pick up a dog house for free. I did.

 

[herechickchick]

I Love it and what a steal, especially if you are like me and would have to hire someone to make it for you because I just do not want to build it, better things to do like play with chickens! BUY IT!

 

[PurpleChicken]

I've posted to my Freecycle group and asked if anyone had a dog house they wanted to get rid of, but I only got one response, and it had vinyl siding. I think it would be a mess to cut holes into vinyl siding, don't you all?

Naw it's simple. Cut the vinyl first with a sharp razor or Rotozip/Dremel.
Personally I'd drill out the corners of whatever hole you wanna cut and then
use a jig saw to cut through everything at once, vinyl, wood and whatever
is in between.

If you don't need another project, buying that house from Petco would work fine.
Keep in mind you will still have to build roosts and come up with something for
a nesting box. You may also have to assemble the dog house you buy.

One more thought. Petsmart is A LOT cheaper than Petco. See what they have.
You may also find a cheaper dog house at a discount store. Shop around.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/search/search_results.jsp?In=Dog&N=2035803&Ne=2

Good luck and enjoy the hunt. And​

 

[JackieK318]

I agree with most of the group. It's really nice, but kind expensive. I'm building a 12'x12' hen house/garden shed for around $250 ($300 if you count delivery of materials - darn mini truck anyway!) If you only want 4 hens, consider looking for dog houses. I saw three on craigslist one day for around $50 each.

 

[dangerouschicken]

I also built the Mother Earth plastic doghouse coop w/run (sort of). I like the coop, but with the run I had to use rebar to reinforce it. Also, I didn't cut any holes in the coop. Just using it like a regular doghouse. You can just lift it up (it separates in the center) when you want to gather eggs. I got it on our local version of Craig's List for $5.00