Dog kennel

[Redbirdacres]

We're looking to purchase a dog kennel as our chicken run. We have a prefab coop that will be placed inside. Looking for recommendations that won't break the bank. We will be placing it on one side of our barn and we currently have 8 layers (BAs and SGs). Appreciate your guidance!

 

[rjmyooper]

That sounds good. If it's chain link, I'm not sure how susceptible to predators you are, but you should probably wrap the lower 2' or 3' with chicken wire or better yet, 1/2" hardware cloth to keep them safer. Also, due to wild birds spreading the bird flu, think about a solid cover to keep any birds out, including the flyby droppings.
Good luck and welcome!

 

[Redbirdacres]

Any recommendations for one? I wish we would have purchased a couple months ago. Looks like we're going to pay a pretty penny more now

 

[Alaskan]

We're looking to purchase a dog kennel as our chicken run. We have a prefab coop that will be placed inside. Looking for recommendations that won't break the bank. We will be placing it on one side of our barn and we currently have 8 layers (BAs and SGs). Appreciate your guidance!

If it is up against the barn... I would try connecting it to the barn walls, so 1 side is barn, and the other 3 sides are wire.


Actually... I would probably make the coop out of part of the barn, and pop a pop door in the barn wall that exits into the chicken run. Extend the barn roof over the entire run.

If you scrounge then it helps hugely with cost.

Scrounge at the construction trash area of your dump... stop at construction sites and ask to look through their trash... comb the free pages on Facebook and Craigslist.

I have even gotten some pretty good fencing wire for free (come take down my fence, and you can have the materials), but usually wire and a few screws are the only things that I spend money on.

Sorry... I have never bought or used a dog kennel...

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

Look on craigslist and FB marketplace for kennels. They are often a fair amount cheaper than new. Just know how much new ones are, so you know if you are getting a good deal or not. 2x4 welded wire is SO much better than chain link if you can afford it. (It's much tougher and harder for a large predator to damage than chain link.

 

[Acre4Me]

We moved here a few years ago. Barn faces west. On the back side (east facing) there was a dog run the entire length: 50’x10’, but 5 ft chain link on one half and 3 fat on the other. We built the coop within the run and elevated it 2.5’. The coop is pretty secure, the fence could be breached, especially in the short side. We did build a roof over it all eventually. Chain link can work. But a roof is nice for shade snd weather protection. To keep the birds in, we purchased heavy duty plastic deer fence, and it works. We plan to replace the chain link with 1x2 welded wire, which we finally sourced in Jan. We looked for over a year, and were on a waiting list for it too at one place. We paid about 60% more than pre-Covid when we bought some for a different project.

Many people use chain link. It needs a cover though (rain/shade), won’t keep out rodents. But very common, and it is likely something you can find used and hopefully in good condition.