Hello all...Im new and please tell me what you think

[pierce652]

I have been lurking here for the past few weeks since spending the weekend at a Inn/farm in New Hampshire. The place was great and geared toward kids with my 2 & 4 year olds loving it. We got there friday and the kids were given egg baskets to decorate. The next morning they woke up, milked the cows & goats, fed the sheep & goats, petted the bunnies and gathered egges from the chickens in thier baskets. Since then they have wanted chickens...moreover Ive wanted chickens. Secretly Ive wanted them for a few years. Tonight I got in touch with a gentleman who is giving away a dog house that came with his home. According to him it stands 5 feet tall. I think it will be perfect for the 3-4 hens Im looking to get. I will probably add on a nesting addition and obviously a run for the girls.

It has the vent, which is visible and also has a window on the other side which you cant see in the picture.

Please tell me what you think. Should I elevate it off the ground so they can get under it or just put it up on some low blocks. Im figuring easy at first and go with the blocks.

Here's the link.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2722373470061526145gURiHw?vhost=good-times

Did I mention its free!!! and I have 12 2x4's and 8 treated 4x4's to build the run with....all I need is 1/2 x 1/2 wire.

 

[rooster-red]

Looks like it will make a neat little coop, just add more ventilation and some roosts.

 

[ruth]

Welcome to BYC. Sounds like a great place your family visited. We are thinking about doing something like that here at our new (old) home/farm.

The doggie house is too cute and can be easily modified for chickens.

 

[CoopDelisle]

I would take it and run.....that would be perfect for a few hens. I always wanted chickens too, and now I have eighteen pullets and two cockerels. I cannot wait till we get our first eggs, which should be in about two months. I had a dream the other night that I put our chickens on ebay because we were moving, and someone wanted some because they didn't want to eat their own but would eat mine. I was crying in my dream and woke all depressed---sheesh, I tell ya, you will get attached to the little critters, lol!

 

[the simple life]

CoopDelisle,
Oh my gosh! What a dream, I am sorry but I started laughing when I read it.

I have never had a dream involving chickens in my life and then this past week I had a couple. So its good to know I have some company.
By the way I saw your coop and its adorable.
Pierce, you are so lucky to get that free and it will be great, it won't take that much work or materials to modify it either. Good luck with it and welcome.I have always thought of staying at that place in New Hampshire as well, there is one in Vermont too.

 

[pierce652]

Id love to know the name of the place in Vermont. As for this farm it was a great time for the little ones. There were so many activities that the parents were exhausted by sunday...and the food was awsome. Baked halibut on friday night, roasted corned beef for lunch on saturday with roast beef for dinner...and the kids loved the ice cream sundays for breakfast on sunday.

Here's a few pics from the trip

http://community.webshots.com/album/563445614uMfmwJ?vhost=community

 

[the simple life]

Its called the Tyler Place, I think you would need at least a week to do all of the activities offered.They also do a farm tour in the afternoons where you can go visit neighboring farms.I am really hoping to get there this year, although with two in college this year we may vacation in our backyard.

 

[Cetawin]

Oh that is going to make a darling little coop. Great for a few hens and very charming.

I would add some more ventilation, roosts, nest box or two and create an opening to clean it out easier.

If you raise it, raise it up enough for them to get under comfortably and wire around it and out a bit to stop diggers.

Good luck with it!

 

[GaDawg]

That looks like a wonderful home and you will only need one nest box for 3-4 hens.
When I first got chickens several years ago, they started laying in a old dog house before we knew what they were doing and so we just moved it closer to their pen and every day they would take turns going into the dog house to lay their eggs. Soon I knew which chickens were laying which egg.

Have fun!

 

[Chirpy]

Welcome to BYC!

That doghouse should work perfectly! You will want to add some sort of access door to the inside to help with collecting eggs and cleaning it out. It would probably be easiest to carefully take off the back or side and then reattach it with hinges and a lock.

If you want to set it up on something then I agree that it would be great if you could get it high enough that the chickens could get underneath it. That gives them shade and protection from the weather. It would also make it easier for you to clean - you wouldn't have to bend over so far. If you chose not to elevate it then no worries. If you only put it up on cinder blocks it's possible that other creatures will make their home under there so you will want to fence it or block if off so that rodents and snakes cannot get under it.

Have lots of fun!