Repurposing dog house- chick coop. Any tips?

[mefbrennan]

This is the doghouse I removed the roof and siding in this picture.

 

[mefbrennan]

This is my new siding! Still in progress but it's from an old fence my friend gave me.

 

[cknkids]

For dust bathing, consider a concrete mixing bin they're cheet ,$5.50, fro 24"x27'x 6"
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...crete+mixing+bin&storeId=10051#specifications

 

[shannacrew]

I like the siding! I'm looking forward to how this comes out.

 

[Stumpy]

That Mini Coop is adorable!

 

[gg706]

I also would leave the roof if it is shingled. I think I would consider adding a new nest box to the long side of doghouse with a plastic roof to open to collect the eggs. When building my coop I was planning on having a hinged shingled roof to open to collect the eggs....it was WAY to heavy to lift up and collect the eggs! I could have handled it but there is no way my kids could have opened the roof. I would put it up on some post stilts and add a big door to the front for easy clean out. And maybe cut a door halfway up and the whole length of the doghouse into the other long side of the dog house opposite the egg box and install the roost there...then you would have a door to open right by the roost to clean out the poo. Chickens poo ALOT at night! In my coop cleaning out under the roost is inconvenient and a pain. Reconfigure your coop to allow for easy clean out.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Converting a dog house to coop is as easy as adding some roosting poles and a door. Then you can either add a floor and put it on stilts for feed and water hangers under it or leave it on ground and put hardware wire around it laying horizontal for a foot out from bottom. This will stop predators from digging into the coop at night. Attach the wire to bottom of coop and put under sod or let grass grow though it or know if in a run will all be dirt soon enough so just put a layer of dirt over it to start.

Eventually you'll need a nesting box. You can simply put a milk crate in corner of coop with straw/hay in it or your could make a hole in side and attach a nesting box with lid to access from outside. If you attach a box make the hole 9 inches square, the box itself can be 12 inches square or slightly larger, with a 2 inch layer of hay on bottom. You'll think they can't fit in but they do, all feathers and small bodies, and they really like private secure areas to lay in.

 

[gg706]

Forgot to add you will need to add some windows for ventilation. Chickens need fresh air even in the winter. If there is not a enough fresh air the chickens are prone to sickness and in the winter the air can condensate inside the coop and drip down onto your chickens causing them to become cold and wet and adds to frostbite on combs and wattles as the water freezes again.

 

[mefbrennan]

Making this coop, though I am not done yet, has turned out to be so much easier than I ever thought it could be! Lot's of fun, and I have been trying to take pictures along the way.

As you can see on the left side here the nesting box area is not done yet. We are making one big door that folds down, within that will sit 3 small doors to collect eggs (or just to be cute and use the crystal knobs I stole off my old dresser) I made matching little planter boxes from left over piece of wood. I was pretty bored while my boyfriend was working on the angles for the run roof/door...




We haven't finished the roof of the run yet, it will just be wire. I made that door all by myself, I'm in love with it! I made my ladder out of all my broken scrap wood.



Every chick needs a pink wall, I may have however got a little carried away with the mural on the ceiling. It was my boyfriend's idea believe it or not! Only took 5 minutes, and I used leftover paint so why not?? Oh..the "chicken art" I know it's ridiculous but I don't care! I am going to put wire over the triangle windows up top and frame them out, perfect ventilation!



Picture frames for windows! If you didn't know this trick. Now you do, I stole the idea from my best friend "Kels" of Kelsey Marie Designs. Check her coop out here http://kelseymariedesigns.wix.com/kelsey-marie
She is somewhat of a crafting genius!

 

[AmpersatChick]

That's an insanely awesome coop, and you built it at lightening speed! We're collecting dog houses to put together for our first batch of 11 to arrive in May so this is very helpful. Also, I agree, your friend is a crafting genius!