Help me convert this to the perfect chicken home! (pic)

[chicken-owner-31]

Now that I know what kind my chickies are, I need to get them out of the house! (When they are old enough, of course.) I have an old dog kennel that was here when we moved here that I would like to convert to a chicken home. I have read up on it a little, but am SO not the creative type. Help me branstorm?????

So far my ideas are to make it taller somehow, and clear the tree branches and put something (deer net?) over the top. There is hotwire that lines the inside, but I am going to move it to the outside to keep my dogs out. (They haven't eaten anything yet, but they are big time chacers and I don't want to risk it.) For the shelter, I was thinking of "raising the roof" so to speak. And then of course insulating it.

So, does this sound doable? I would like to get 2 or three more, would this be big enough? It's about 15x15. Any extra ideas or tips? Thanks!

 

[ChickMomma]

I would think if you could raise the other side of that structure up some (but leave it a little slanted for rain run off) that you would have a good start. Put in a floor and then sides. If you did not need a structure that big you could leave the roof down like it is and just add sides. It just depends on how many birds you have!

 

[Poison Ivy]

I would raise the roof a little and close it in. But you could leave the dirt floor and just bury some wire around the bottom. Add a door and a window or two and your set pretty good. Post picture when you get it done. Good Luck

 

[chicken-owner-31]

Thanks for the ideas! The structure itself was the one I was most lacking ideas about!

So I have done a little bit of reading up, but what purpose does burying the wire around the bottom serve?

I do want to raise the lower end of it a little bit, but want to leave it tall enough to get into for cleaning and whatnot. I was only thinking of having 5 chickens or so total, do you think it is big enough for 5 ?

How would you make the fence taller? I don't want to have to take out the t-posts and replace them, but I might have to, because I can't figure out how to make it taller.....

Hmmmmm.....I am so un-creative!

 

[justusnak]

What a great starter project you have there. Yup, raise the back....put in a few 4x4's for support, and close in the sides and front. Leave an opening for a people sized door....and cut a smaller door for the chickens. Like a doggie door. Burying the fencing around the inside of the coop, helps keep predators from digging inside. As for raiseing the fencline.....I would just go get a few taller posts...and place them in between the ones already in place...and add another row of fencing. Just make sure you wire the 2 fences together, and maybe overlap them by about a foot. Im not sure if I explained this well enough...hope you get what I mean. LOL

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

I'D JUST PUT SOME 1/2 INCH HARDWARE CLOTH ABOUT TWO FEET UP FROM THE BOTTOM TO KEEP HEADS FROM POKING OUT AND ARMS AND PAWS FROM POKING IN. SIDES AND WALLS WOOD BE NICE to close in the coop.

SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS DIDN'T REALIZE THEY WERE ON

 

[CarlaRiggs]

Tuper,

I'd suggest using the 'roof' as sides for your coop. You'll probably need to buy more materials for the sides/door/ventilation screening. Get something else for a new roof. It will make the coop more substantial and provide better protection for your hens.
If you only have a few chickens, you can easily get by with a 4x4 foot coop. However, most people on this forum seem to get hit by the 'chicken bug', and end up with more birds than originally planned!
I don't know if you have many predators in your area; the fence as is looks as if it would keep out dogs, but allow other smaller animals in that could kill the hens.
Good luck!

 

[palabeco]

You could buy some 6 ft long plastic pipe that could fit right over the posts already there. You really should get new fence with smaller holes.

 

[MissPrissy]

If dogs have lived there in last year I would suggest tilling up or at least turning over the soil and putting out some DE or a light dusting of sevin dust for fleas or ticks that might be lurking and to freshen up the soil. With winter coming you could layer in a thick bed of leaves or pine shavings and as they scratch and dug through it over the winter it will start to compost and this spring you can turn it over again and the soil should have a good recovery.

I suggest covering the current fence with something with a smaller hole. I swear by hardware cloth but it gets expensive. So maybe some smaller welded wire and the hardware cloth around the lower 2 ft of the fencing. Also on the outside I would lay down a barrier of chicken wire to help prevent predators from digging under.

The wooden structure could be raised on the low end and closed in with a door on the tall side and a window or two with a roost pole and a nest box or two for a tight winterized hen house.

Good luck with whatever you design.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

WOW!

What a great start you have!
This is very doable

To make it taller yes, raise the side touching ground. (((But if you are only getting a few you could leave the side down add insulation board to that metal add 3 walls, cut out a door add a window (or pieace of glass for light on the south side) & a roost!!!

I only say this because with a few with less space it will stay warmer with their body heat. Although once you get one most people get addicted!!!

Clearing the tree branches than add a few higher poles (can be anything you have laying aroound) then have bird netting (or as you said deer netting I have never seen this but if it keeps hawks out it will work) hanging from there to fence!

and you mentioned moving the hot wire to the outside of fence so dogs (& anything else out)

You are set

What kind of chicken are you getting???