Turning an Old Kennel into a Coop & Hutch

[mdperrine]

Hi guys!

I am new to this site and also new to chickens, so advice would be greatly appreciated. I am looking to buy a couple of chicks next month, but I would like to get started on the coop, even if they will be living in the brooder for the first 6 weeks.

We have an old dog kennel on our farm at the moment, it was built in the 70s. It has a concrete foundation with drainage on the outside, a roof and cage enclosures divided into 3 sections, they were intended for 3 large dogs. At the moment I have housed our bunnies there, but I would like to convert it to a chicken coop and rabbit hutch combo with separate runs. Would it be bad to have concrete on the floor of a chicken coop, should I just start from scratch elsewhere where drainage could be better?

Thanks in advance!

 

[DobieLover]

Hi guys!

I am new to this site and also new to chickens, so advice would be greatly appreciated. I am looking to buy a couple of chicks next month, but I would like to get started on the coop, even if they will be living in the brooder for the first 6 weeks.

We have an old dog kennel on our farm at the moment, it was built in the 70s. It has a concrete foundation with drainage on the outside, a roof and cage enclosures divided into 3 sections, they were intended for 3 large dogs. At the moment I have housed our bunnies there, but I would like to convert it to a chicken coop and rabbit hutch combo with separate runs. Would it be bad to have concrete on the floor of a chicken coop, should I just start from scratch elsewhere where drainage could be better?

Thanks in advance!

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Can you post some pictures of the kennels, inside and outside and provide some dimensions? You can certainly house chickens on concrete but you will just need to ensure that you have nice thick bedding to cushion the impact when they jump off the roosts to minimize the risk of foot injury.
It is also very helpful if you update your profile information with your general location as that is very helpful in offering building advice.

 

[mdperrine]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Can you post some pictures of the kennels, inside and outside and provide some dimensions? You can certainly house chickens on concrete but you will just need to ensure that you have nice thick bedding to cushion the impact when they jump off the roosts to minimize the risk of foot injury.
It is also very helpful if you update your profile information with your general location as that is very helpful in offering building advice.

Thank you for answering so quickly! It's evening here now, so I'll get a few photos of the kennels tomorrow morning. One kennel is 4x8 I believe, and there are three of them side by side on one foundation. We live out in the mountains in Bukidnon, Philippines -- so we have cobras of all kinds. The concrete is reassuring with that fact in mind!

 

[Acre4Me]

Welcome!

concrete base can be beneficial to keep out rodents that tunnel, and larger animals that dig. Straw or wood chips or sand can be potential items for bedding on top of the concrete. If you get a lot of rain, straw may not be best choice if it will be exposed to the rain. Chickens a rabbits can do well together, but mileage may vary depending on chicken temperaments and space.

 

[DobieLover]

Thank you for answering so quickly! It's evening here now, so I'll get a few photos of the kennels tomorrow morning. One kennel is 4x8 I believe, and there are three of them side by side on one foundation. We live out in the mountains in Bukidnon, Philippines -- so we have cobras of all kinds. The concrete is reassuring with that fact in mind!

With cobras around you will likely want to enclose everything with 1/4" hardware cloth or equivalent to keep them out of the chickens enclosures.

 

[aart]

I am looking to buy a couple of chicks next month, but I would like to get started on the coop, even if they will be living in the brooder for the first 6 weeks.

Definitely get started asap.....they can probably go out to the coop by 3-4 weeks if you manage your chick heat well....sooner if you can safely rig heat for them in coop.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined our community. Definitely go with the HC. Years ago when I lived in the southern US I had the unpleasant experience of finding a cottonmouth snake in the nest box. Too scary. I think a cobra would give me a heart attack. I suspect you get a good deal of rain in your area. That said, make sure you have enough covered area for your chickens to get out of the rain and wind. Best of luck.

 

[mdperrine]

Welcome!

concrete base can be beneficial to keep out rodents that tunnel, and larger animals that dig. Straw or wood chips or sand can be potential items for bedding on top of the concrete. If you get a lot of rain, straw may not be best choice if it will be exposed to the rain. Chickens a rabbits can do well together, but mileage may vary depending on chicken temperaments and space.

We do indeed get a lot of rain! As concrete is porous would it be better to lay sealed plywood down ? If sand is used, how often need it be changed?

 

[mdperrine]

Definitely get started asap.....they can probably go out to the coop by 3-4 weeks if you manage your chick heat well....sooner if you can safely rig heat for them in coop.

Thanks! I was also wondering how soon they could transfer, as they grow pretty fast and the initial brooder may start getting cramped. Our temperatures right now are about 19c at night and 29c in the day

 

[Acre4Me]

We do indeed get a lot of rain! As concrete is porous would it be better to lay sealed plywood down ? If sand is used, how often need it be changed?

would seem concrete would be the best, not sure I’d put down sealed plywood. With a lot of rain, I’d tend towards the chipped wood to cover the concrete. Also, as @Wee Farmer Sarah indicated, you’ll need to provide them cover to get out of the rain. In addition, I know that some people in rainy areas will use thick shower curtains during the rainy season to block the rain from blowing in on the side of the enclosure. But, you wouldn’t want to wrap the whole enclosure, just keep out the blowing rain from the wettest side.