Hi, my wife and I have decided to convert a raised dog kennel that the dog no longer uses into a coop. I installed a doggie door for him last summer and he's too good for the kennel now choosing to lay around inside the house. I have been trying to learn all I can about chickens the last couple of weeks and that's how I found you guys. We've decided that eggs will be nice but the main reason for getting chickens (3 or 4) is to just have them around as pets and bug/slug exterminators.
The kennel is one I built for my yellow lab and she lived to be 16 years and our standard poodle is going on 11 years so that's how old this kennel is. It's made of redwood and metal with a slatted metal rod floor in the 4' by 8' run. It has a attached insulated dog house that is 4' by 2' by 2' and when I put a new roof on a few years back I made a place for our adopted stray cats to lounge in and we called it the cat condo. We are down to one cat now and he also is to good for the kennel area and chooses to lounge inside.
We want an interesting breed but I had no idea there were so many different sizes and shapes. I've gone from thinking about bantam breeds and letting them roost in the house portion of the kennel to large breeds and enclosing the run portion, letting them roost there and use the dog house for laying. I am worried about them staying warm and comfy in the winter so that option would entail redesigning the run into a coop and that's the way I'm leaning.
Anyway, I'll post up some pictures of the kennel and maybe you guys could help me with a workable design. I think I'll be incorporating the Pullet-Shut door so the chicks can have their way in the yard! Glad I found you!
The kennel is one I built for my yellow lab and she lived to be 16 years and our standard poodle is going on 11 years so that's how old this kennel is. It's made of redwood and metal with a slatted metal rod floor in the 4' by 8' run. It has a attached insulated dog house that is 4' by 2' by 2' and when I put a new roof on a few years back I made a place for our adopted stray cats to lounge in and we called it the cat condo. We are down to one cat now and he also is to good for the kennel area and chooses to lounge inside.
We want an interesting breed but I had no idea there were so many different sizes and shapes. I've gone from thinking about bantam breeds and letting them roost in the house portion of the kennel to large breeds and enclosing the run portion, letting them roost there and use the dog house for laying. I am worried about them staying warm and comfy in the winter so that option would entail redesigning the run into a coop and that's the way I'm leaning.
Anyway, I'll post up some pictures of the kennel and maybe you guys could help me with a workable design. I think I'll be incorporating the Pullet-Shut door so the chicks can have their way in the yard! Glad I found you!
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from Alabama. Glad you joined us.
