Update: Having A kennel as a coop?

[BookWorm243]

Hello,
I had my Kennel Coop destroyed during a horrible storm, these storms are not that unusual. They have been in my garage and I just cant handle it any more so, my question is if you know of a very good way to hold down a Kennel coop so I dont end up with it flattened in a storm. I am wanting to set a kennel up for a coop again but dont want the same thing to happen again. I had three stuck in the red/pink nesting box, One in the woods, I had one stuck by the neck between to kennel pieces and I had 3 chicks scattered around the yard ( They All Lived) I had gotten plastic and rapped the kennel, but was wondering if there was something I could use and continue to use each winter and not have to buy more plastic the next year. I would love to hear about your stories and kennel turned into coops. I would also love to see picture. It does get into the singles, not to mention the wind chill.

My Kennel Coop

Inside the coop

After The Storm

You can see in this picture where the coop was, and that it ended up on the other side of the house.

Close Up

 

[Chicken Chat]

Poor chickens! That had to be traumatic for both you and them, but I am glad they were ok.

I think you almost need to weight that puppy to the ground. I am not sure what they are actually called but I think the concrete footings that you can secure to a building would work. They are the kind that you dig a deep hole, like the kind you use for a post, insert a cardboard like circular mold, and fill with cement, inserting a metal bolt in the middle. You could drill a hole through your kennel bottom pipe and slip the bolt through and tighten down. If you did that on all four sides, it would be very secure and would take a lot to pull free.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

WOW!!! I'm surprized they all survived.

If you have to use the kennel again, I'd attach it to the side of the house and add wood sides rather then plastic that may have acted like a sail to help the wind carry it apart.

Try to get some plywood pieces that you could drill holes in and screw with large washers to the sides of the kennel pieces. I wouldn't go all the way up the sides, as you want the wind to go somewhere and you still want some ventilation.

I would also make a coop for the birds to go in to sleep in at night. This you could make out of free pallets or used wood.

Below is a picture of a duck house I made to lock my ducks up in because they are in a kennel run that sits up against a fence that is not preditor proof. I have it covered in tarp on one side with bird netting over the other.

Good luck putting your run back together.

 

[Imp]

My Kennel is bolted to the garden shed on one side and the coop on the other.
Glad you didn't lose your birds.

Imp

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Another option if you can't attach the kennel to the side of the house is to put in T-Posts and attach the kennel to those in all the corners.

That's what I did for the duck run since the kennel pieces are not the heavy duty type and was giggly. My goats like to rub their bodies up against the sides of the fencing.

 

[chicks4kids]

T-posts are a great idea...you could also use 2 of those dog anchoring screw in the ground things (that you attach a line to for the dog) on either end of the kennel to keep it anchored down. We had to do something similar to this with our trampoline (only we used trailer anchors-30" deep) on either end so it wouldn't blow into the woods in the winter.

But the t-posts are a quick, easy, and cost effective way to anchor down!

 

[Klukkin Ken]

I would agree with staking it down. You might want to attach a couple of 2x4's over the top as well to make it more rigid.

 

[BookWorm243]

Thanks for the posts!

Chicken Chat: It was 6:30am, still dark with water puddled up every where not to mention the lightning storm going on. By the time I found my chickens they where soaked to the bone ( I was to ) Did not get any eggs for awhile but who cane blame them

Sweet Cheeks: I was amazed they where to they where all in shock the ones in the nesting boxes where not moving, one was missing in the woods, my poor Abby stuck between the kennel was just hanging there

and my lovely chicks had each found a hiding place on each side of the house

All in all glad they are still with me. That's a cute duck house. I would need to water treat the plywood? The bottom of my house is concrete block.

Imp: Like your coop

Thanks again for the posts the information was very helpful

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

~*Sweet Cheeks*~ :

Another option if you can't attach the kennel to the side of the house is to put in T-Posts and attach the kennel to those in all the corners.

That's what I did for the duck run since the kennel pieces are not the heavy duty type and was giggly. My goats like to rub their bodies up against the sides of the fencing.

I have a firring strip shelter covered with canvas tarps and plastic roofing for some of my feeders. I anchored it with T posts and bungee cords. I don't know if it will hold up against a storm- it's been there since summer though.​

 

[BookWorm243]

Any on else, Pictures? Thanks