Honest opinions wanted about garage coop

[1stepcloser]

The deal is we don't use our attached garage for anything other than storage. I have been seriously considering adding a pet door and roughing in an enclosure. Sort of like a dog run and using THAT as their hen house. I would have easy access to gather eggs, they could get in from crappy weather with lots of room to move around, easy to lock up at night, etc. DH is game (whodathunk that one!). But the thing is we probably won't grow old in this house. Eventually we will have to resale. I am thinking a doggy door in a garage wouldn't be a big a great sell point. Then again, I kinda don't care. LOL

Basically, can you invision what I am talking about and would you do it? (Just as a quick reminder, I am not allowed to have an "exclusive" ***as in standing alone*** chicken structure as per our lovely city government.)

 

[95yj]

Sounds like a good idea, if someone is really bothered by it couldn't they just hang a new door? Or are you putting the chicken door in the actual garage door? I'v seen lots of good garage coops, go for it.

 

[1stepcloser]

There is not door facing out to the backyard so we would be installing just a doggy door. But yah, good point. We could easily frame in a new door when it is time to sell! YAY!!!!!!!!

 

[rancher hicks]

Honestly, you'll sleep better if you sell and move now. For the amount of work and money spent, it's just not worth the hassle. Then what will you do if your illegal and someone finds out? If you sell now and do an even trade in this market, what does it matter, if in the end you are more content? I suggest you talk w/ a realtor and survey that option first. You may be pleasantly surprised. I know we were.

 

[Casey3043]

I have a detached garage which I use to store tractors and mowers. I built my second coop (after the free standing one) inside this because it was easy to do. You already have a roof and walls. Plus it's very secure from predators. I just cut a little hen door in the back wall and added a roofed over run outside. It's great and very easy. You just need to frame it up with 2 x 4s and put chicken wire on them. Add a roost and nest boxes (I bought covered kitty litter pans) and there you are. I do close the hen door at night and lock the other garage doors.

On stormy nights you'll be glad your babies are safe and dry.

Rancher Hicks, I understood her to mean that she CAN have chickens, she just can't have a free standing chicken coop. Selling and moving is quite expensive, especially in this down market.

 

[andalusn]

I like the idea of at least checking your options to see if you can sell/trade in this market. You just never know. A friend at work wanted to be out in the country and a family in the country wanted to move closer into town. They traded and she's thrilled. As for the dog door. Putting in a nice professional dog door kit would look good, and more often than not home buyers have dogs and would not consider it a bad addition unless you made it an eyesore. The key to having a garage coop would be how clean you can keep it and if you needed to disassemble could it be done quickly enough and not give the impression "you kept chickens" in the garage. That could be a mental turn off.

 

[MissJenny]

I am thinking of doing this very thing. It seems more secure to me and one less thing in the yard. My intent would be to cut a pop door into the side of the garage wall. I would build an actual coop inside the garage. The garage is not insulated , so just a frame covered with wire would not be especially warm. If I end up doing it this way I would build it tall enough that I could go in to clean it.

It's still in the thinking stage -- my chicks won't come till April, so I have time to consider and re-consider...

Jenny