Ive got a couple of them. I like them a lot; I may get a few more. I got mine at Lowes. I ran hardware cloth inside about 4 foot high to keep raccoons from reaching thru, and I secure the door at night, but so far its worked great for me.
Has anyone used a chain link dog kennel for their chicken run?
- Thread starter JenMT
- Start date
My girls went through the winter in a 10' x 20' chain-link enclosure. We got the panels on CL. We ran hardware cloth around the perimeter and either down a trench or out as an apron. That covers all the connecting gaps except part of where the door hinges. We topped the whole thing with a 10' x 20' tent from CostCo (about $200). So far the tent is the only protection we have up top, but since the flying predators cannot see through it, it's worked so far.
Advantages: quick to set up, I can walk in there upright and the girls can spread their wings, I can hook stuff to the walls, tent top keeps out the rain & snow, and tent sides can be lowered in cold weather. You can padlock the latch.
Disadvantages: Cost, unless you get a deal or have some laying around, snow load can bring the tent down unless you keep on top of it (and would be a threat to a wire roof too).h
Advantages: quick to set up, I can walk in there upright and the girls can spread their wings, I can hook stuff to the walls, tent top keeps out the rain & snow, and tent sides can be lowered in cold weather. You can padlock the latch.
Disadvantages: Cost, unless you get a deal or have some laying around, snow load can bring the tent down unless you keep on top of it (and would be a threat to a wire roof too).h
my 6 girls are in my old dogs (rest his soul and God bless him) 12X12 dog pen/kennel - thier coop is inside of it as well and they have PLENTY of room in there!
We took chicken wire (regular) and ran it all the way up the entire panels and hooked it using zip ties - then ran it across the top of the entire pen as well to keep birds out. From there we took hardwire cloth on the bottom 1 - 1.5 feet of the pen, zipped it the same way to secure it on, and bent it outward to prevent any critters from digging INTO the pen. We also placed 1X6's along the bottom (darn neighbors dogs..ugh) so that nothing could get in or out (chickens dig you know)
.
on top for shade we use a green car tarp (matches the trees LOL) secured with bungee cords all the way around. This keeps the rain off and the sun off in the summertime. When it gets tatty, we just replace it. Works beautifully. For snow load issues, we've "tented" the top (wire and green tarp) using a "T" (piece of wood in the shape of a T, secured to their coop and then Popped up, making the entire top a tee-pee of sorts); when it snowed this year, we just made sure to go out and brush off all the snow when it got over an inch. Worked out fine and nothing caved in - we recently got 12 inches not too long ago and it did just fine with brushing it off every few hours. Rain just rolls right off and past the pen. HINT: Get a tarp BIGGER than your pen is - that way any rain will roll off and not get your pen muddy inside.
Also they have an outdoor sandbox to play in and an outdoor roost so they can sleep outside if they want or inside - their choice.
We took chicken wire (regular) and ran it all the way up the entire panels and hooked it using zip ties - then ran it across the top of the entire pen as well to keep birds out. From there we took hardwire cloth on the bottom 1 - 1.5 feet of the pen, zipped it the same way to secure it on, and bent it outward to prevent any critters from digging INTO the pen. We also placed 1X6's along the bottom (darn neighbors dogs..ugh) so that nothing could get in or out (chickens dig you know)
on top for shade we use a green car tarp (matches the trees LOL) secured with bungee cords all the way around. This keeps the rain off and the sun off in the summertime. When it gets tatty, we just replace it. Works beautifully. For snow load issues, we've "tented" the top (wire and green tarp) using a "T" (piece of wood in the shape of a T, secured to their coop and then Popped up, making the entire top a tee-pee of sorts); when it snowed this year, we just made sure to go out and brush off all the snow when it got over an inch. Worked out fine and nothing caved in - we recently got 12 inches not too long ago and it did just fine with brushing it off every few hours. Rain just rolls right off and past the pen. HINT: Get a tarp BIGGER than your pen is - that way any rain will roll off and not get your pen muddy inside.
Also they have an outdoor sandbox to play in and an outdoor roost so they can sleep outside if they want or inside - their choice.
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I have one that I am currently using, it is comprised of several sections that I got off CL. I used the plastic fencing for the top and I will add some more of it along the bottom to keep them from poking their little heads through the wires. I used zip ties to wire the fencing together across the top. They have a secure run inside the larger one that they sleep in at night that is raised up off the ground. As my neighbor on one side has a privacy fence on the other side of my chain link fencing I just pulled the plastic fencing down to the top rail of it and secured it there.
Unless the chain link is not secured to the frame properly, there is little any dog or coyote can do to get through it. I have about an inch of dirt on top of paver bricks under the run so I don't have to worry about things digging under neath it.
Unless the chain link is not secured to the frame properly, there is little any dog or coyote can do to get through it. I have about an inch of dirt on top of paver bricks under the run so I don't have to worry about things digging under neath it.
love mine. Would really like to have a smaller one that I could make into a tractor. Look on Freecycle and craigslist to see if you can pick one up for free or cheap.
- Thread starter
- #16
Thank you everyone for all of your responses. I missed one today on CL. It was gone in 30 minutes of posting....darn it.
We figured if our two labradors couldn't get out in the ten years they used it, with a little extra protection nothing could get in and get our chickens. Visit our page and take a look, we topped ours with used fencing to protect from hawks. We had the used fencing but I'll bet you could get some from craigslist for free or very cheap. We also ran 3"high chicken wire around it attached with zip ties. We use more of the leftover fencing, around the bottom, pinned with landscape pins as protection from digging critters.
- Feb 27, 2008
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Here is my kennel panel run, coop too for that matter....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=40760
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=40760
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I had the exact same question. I typed in run fencing in the search area for this site and got lots of ideas and lots of pictures too.
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