Using a dog kennel as a coop

[cereall]

I want to get the above 10L x 10W x 6H kennel from Petsmart to use as a coop. I'm planning on putting 1/2 inch hardware cloth over all the chain link and using it in a 2 ft skirt around the bottom. I've been having trouble finding A-frame covers. Does anybody know of any frame that has a cover strong enough to keep out raccoons for about $100 or less? Or would it be better to buy just the frame and get a strong tarp separately?

 

[ChickNanny13]

How handy are you? You could construct a roof with 2x4 & roofing material, I'd think a raccoon will tear through a tarp. Or wire the top and then tarp over but depending on your weather conditions that may not be a good idea. More will peep in with suggestions....

 

[feedman77]

I use a dog kennel for breeding and brooding turkeys.

I arched cattle panels over the top. Then stretched a tarp over that. So that gave me a top height of 11 to 12 feet. But I wanted the height for higher roosts.

I had one pen get deformed in a 80 plus mile an hour wind but it still functions.

No coon problems ripping thru the tarp yet. 1 have rehomed 9 coons, 5 possums, and a couple cats since spring came around.

For most 10x10 pens they sell universal tops for a little over 100 dollars.

 

[cereall]

How handy are you? You could construct a roof with 2x4 & roofing material, I'd think a raccoon will tear through a tarp. Or wire the top and then tarp over but depending on your weather conditions that may not be a good idea. More will peep in with suggestions....

I thought about making a cover out of corrugated roofing, but I need to be able to disassemble it and that wouldn't work. The weather here is pretty mild though so I don't need to worry about snow or extreme weather. I found these nice looking ones at home depot and the fabric looks tough in the closeup.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Looks good!

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Hardware cloth on the top with a tarp over it will provide better security against coons than just a tarp will.
I would prefer a small welded wire like 1"x1" or 1/2"x 1/2" rather than hardware cloth.