Hoping to turn a huge unused dog pen into chicken coop, maybe??

[Angierob]

So as you can see--this is a big pen that hasn't been used in years. I have so many questions. first I know I have to cover it with tin...I have some--Not sure if it's' enough. Would the old dog house make a good nesting place for hens if it is cleaned out--It has cedar chips in it now.



I am thinking I need to rake--right? I mean there are lots of leaves in here. Should I be concerned about disease? I mean this pen has not been used in over 4 years. the mesh wire is tight enough to keep predators out--except maybe snakes. All input is appreciated because I have NO idea what I am doing but I will learn as I go and read as I go. My hope is to get 3 hens and 1 rooster..perhaps about 3-4 months old. Is that too old to teach anything? Must they stay in the pen all the time?? again--never ever done this but am soooo excited.. thanks ya'll Angie

 

[foreverlearning]

The dog house will be great for a nesting box after you get the cedar out of there (bad for chickens). You will have to build a secure coop for them. The leaves are fine, they'll love scratching in them. You will have to leave them in the coop/run for a few days so they know it is home then you can free range at will and they'll come back at dusk. You don't have to cover the entire run with tin but you could if you want.

 

[Angierob]

thank you so much for that information. after I clean out the dog house--I need to put it up high?? is that correct

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

Are you not planning on giving them an enclosed coop? What kind of weather does your area get? They really need to have a place to protect themselves and being out in the open will make them easy prey for predators. What are the walls made out of? Basically besides hardware cloth and welded wire predators can get through any kind of fence. I didn't make my chicken run predator proof but I did wrap deer netting around it and that alone stops the snakes (thank goodness). I think the dog pen will make an awesome chicken run, that's what I used, but I'd really build them a coop.

 

[Angierob]

well yes I am going to put tin over it and I was going to build them or use the big wooded dog house as an enclosed space.. an earlier poster said it would be a good nesting spot --so I'm thinking that is for the hens to lay the eggs. some of the terminalogy I am unsure of... I was thinking I could take the long black barrels that are bonded together (see the Pics in first Post) and make another opening at the other end and that would make them a good place to go hide or sleep or get out of the weather. I live in NC we have hot summers and usually mild winters (though this year we saw snow 3 times-thats crazy for NC) Anyway--I was thinking about putting the barrel home up high as well as the box---Most pics I see have like a slide or something maybe its a walkway?? the pen is made of heavy gauge steel--Nothing will get through it if it doesn't fit---snakes and stuff are my concern. The coyotes and fox will have a hard time getting past Reba-my jack russel--they couldn't get in the pen any how. I want to start with 3 hens and 1 rooster-- I think. Please look at the pics and let me know if you think I am on the right track. Notice the pen also has a back compartment...when my girl had puppies she went to the back of the pen I am not sure of the measurements but it's at least 20 by 20 in the front with a back part of about 5 by 20. there are 2 trees growing up in the pen--one is dead and we will cut the other is starting to turn green. the sides are at least 16 foot high--My dad always joked with my husband that we could cage bear....It was a huge sliding door in a very large warehouse...5 trips home and 2 weekends and my dog pen was born. we now have 2 small dogs and have no desire to pen them up.

I thank you so much for your feedback...I am so excited to start this project and I can't stop wondering how many and what kind....I still have so much to read. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

Yeah the dog pen is great, I wish I had one lol. I'm a visual person so sometimes it's hard for me to picture but I think what your explaining is at least a good start. Will you be able to properly clean the enclosed area and provide roosting bars in it? If they can't roost then they will sleep AND POOP in the nesting area, nasty habit.

 

[foreverlearning]

X2 plus you have to think about how hot it will get in there during the summer. Maybe have some wire doors for the summer and maybe a fan if you can swing it if the heat in the summer is too much.

 

[Angierob]

How high does the roosting branch need to be?? can it be a board or does it have to be a tree brancH? Let me see if I got this straight they will sleep on the branch....so the boxes with straw or hay are just for when the hen lays eggs?? I know I sound lost but sometimes reading so much can confuse a girl...lol

as for the heat in the summer... there is an outlet and water there---We use to put a fan out for our big dogs when it was terrible but honestly there are trees behind and in front where the sun rises and sets and it's quite shady in the summer...is the sufficient??

 

[foreverlearning]

It can be anything off the ground from 6 inches to 3 foot. If you go over 3 foot high (from the floor) and have heavy breeds they can hurt a leg jumping down. That being said, I have a really heavy rooster that likes to roost higher then that off the floor so I made my bedding as soft as possible and make sure he has room to fly down instead of jumping. The roost can be a 2"x4", a 1" or larger dolly, a tree branch or anything else that is wide enough for them to either get a grip on or to lay their foot flat. Yes, the nesting boxes are just for laying eggs. You can put an Easter egg, wooden egg, or even a golf ball in there so they know that is where the eggs get laid. Only you will know if that is cool enough. Check it often in the summer compared to outside heat and decide for yourself. I live in an area where an open air coop with wind is still hot for mine so I sometimes add a fan with a mister as well as have cool water for them and frozen bottles laying around.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What you are talking about is sort of a hybrid, not really a cop and not really a run, but a combination of the two. Nothing wrong with that. Many people do it that way, especially in warmer climates.

What chickens need for housing is protection from predators and protection from the elements. Those can be provided many different ways and are somewhat dependent on your conditions. Predators can get in different ways. Some predators like coyotes, foxes, or skunks can dig under the fencing. It’s not that hard for a lot of things to just push under the fence if there is a tiny gap. I saw a possum walk under a fence like that once. It sure didn’t look like there was any room but it didn’t even slow down. A common low work level way to fix that is to use an apron. Lay about 18” to 24” of wire around the outside, fix that to the bottom of your wire, and you’re done. It’s pretty common to bury that about 2”, which means take up the sod and put it back on top. That keep sit out of lawn mowers and weed eaters. If that held dogs, you may already have that.

If that will stop a bear you are doing better than 99.9% of the coops people on here have. Big dogs, big boar raccoons and such can tear most hardware cloth and a lot of welded wire. It depends on the gauge of that wire and how it is attached. Don’t let people tell you that you have to have hardware cloth. What you have is probably safer from serious predators. It’s really hard to make a large coop that size safe from absolutely everything without breaking the bank. Snakes, mice, rats, and some members of the weasel family can probably get in. That depend on the size of those holes. Snakes that can get through those holes can eat eggs and baby chicks but should not bother your adult chickens. Your chickens would love for smaller snakes to visit. They love playing keep-away with them and eventually eating the small snakes but unfortunately snakes big enough to eat eggs are safe from chickens. For rats and mice, keep that area cleaned up as best you can and don’t leave a lot of hiding places for them to raise a family. A trapping program may be beneficial, just see how bad it gets. Keeping rodents down will help keep snakes away. If you get a weasel you have a problem. It’s hard to do much with them if they show up but the good news is that they very rarely show up.

I can’t tell if that has a top on that or not. Lots of things, like bobcats, foxes, raccoons, and possums can climb that fence and get in. Obviously owls, hawks, and eagles can fly in. You might consider putting a top on that, I’d suggest something like 2” x 4” welded wire, but if you have trees, leaves could collect up there and a snow or freezing rain could cause it to come tumbling down from the weight.

Most predators are more active at night. That doesn’t mean a bobcat, fox, raccoon, or coyote won’t hunt in the day. They will. But they are more likely to be active at night and have more undisturbed time to get in. A very common strategy and one that I use is to have a predator-resistant run and a predator proof coop and lock them up at night. That pen is a lot more predator-resistant that what I have.

I’ve seen chickens sleep in trees in temperatures below zero Fahrenheit. They are not on a dead tree limb overlooking a bluff squawking defiantly in the teeth of a blizzard. That would be in a Disney movie. They were in a protected valley in a thicket and able to move around to get out of a direct wind. They do need some protection from the elements.

I’m not sure how strong those posts are. If you cover them with a solid wall, will a wind blow them over?

If you can provide a shelter for them that gets them out of a direct breeze and will protect them from predators, you should be in great shape. That pen is a huge asset. I’d certainly use it. Good luck with it. I think you are off to a great start.