Using a dog kennel for outdoor run

[dsqard]

They are locked into the run but I do not close the pop door unless there is going to be really bad weather. I know I am running a risk with predators but I forgot to open the pop door one morning before I went to work and I worried more about them being locked up in the coop all day. I would really worry about it now that it is warm enough for me to leave the water outside in the run.

 

[mommathea]

Here's what we've done for fencing
Don't mind the mud and mess - it's very early spring of last year and we had so much snow - everything turned into deep mud and the girls free roamed during the day.

It's hard to see, I thought I had a better photo but couldn't find it. The coop is raised. With 2 sides covered with wood, and the front and other side is in the encosure of the fence. That way the coop isn't stealing ground space in the fence, they have shelter under the coop. (we've fenced off under the coop for the juvie birds before.)

 

[Ladymaran]

I keep looking for a dog run, but man, they are expensive, and when they are not (craigslist), someone always beats me to it! My coop already has a 'run' for my five chickens, but there is no grass there so I am hoping that a kennel on the lawn would provide safety and grass for them to freely roam when no one is home. Of course, the top would be covered.

 

[catsmithpuddin]

I just added a kennel to my coop. I just butted it up to the coop and cut a access hole in the chainlink and stapled it to the door on the coop. For a top I just got some of the bird netting you put on fruit trees and stretched it over the top of the kennel. 8 dollars at lowes. It will stop a owl or hawk and keep the girls in.

I'm in the sticks and have coons, fox, skunks, grinners, and all the other critters around not to mention the stray dogs and ferrel cats. I started the day I built their first coop "marking my territory" around the coop and have never had a problem with preditors. Just something to think about for a new chicken owner.

 

[onthespot]

Just a note, coyotes can grab the bottom of most cheapo Home Depot dog kennel panels and rip that stuff away without even blinking or bracing their hind end really hard. I use chain link myself, most of it is heavier stuff, older, not so fancy looking, but really sturdy. Some panels are flimsy, and if a coyote came in the back yard, I just hope it tries a sturdy one first and gives up. Plus there is a lot of large dog activity in the yard, and lots of suburbia around, so hopefully not so much with the coyotes. Racoons, possums and skunks are around though. They can pull parts of your birds through the chain link and eat what they can reach. It is very gory to find in the morning. reinforce anywhere that they can roost next to chain link with 1/2" hardware cloth so nothing can reach in and grab a hunk and eat it. Oh, and

 

[mcostas]

I use a dog kennel for a run, it works great and is so easy to make predator proof. I got the cheap lowes 10x10 one with the rolled chain link, which worked out great cause there are no gaps between panels. I put square welded wire on top and a hardware cloth apron around the bottom. I wound up getting the tarp top which worked out great cause I use the bar that supports the tarp to put wire to support the wire top.

Here is a far off view so you can see how it is in it's surroundings

You can see the wire top better in this shot. You can't see the wire that comes down from that bar but it's there

Here you can see how I treated the "seams" of the wire top. I used cable ties for pretty much everything, and lots of them.

Right now I am using my chicken tractor coop but I need to make a new one soon, I have more pullets. I want it to be outside the pen, like that one, but large enough for 5 large hens. I don't have much room to go backwards but I figure it would be ok to go sideways. I am going to make it taller so we don't have to stoop for cleaning.

anyone have any coop plan suggestions?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I also use dog kennel panels. To attach to wood you can go several ways:

1. Drill a hole right through the panel and use a lag bolt and washer (Sturdy but not real flexible for adjustment)
2. use Conduit strap its u shaped and has holes on each end for fastening to wood. Very inexpensive
3. use fence fasteners for chainlink posts to attach wood cross pieces. (expensive but professionall looking)
4. Use Chainlink tensioner straps. They form a loop around the post and come together designed for a bolt through you can run a lag bolt directly through these with a washer.
5. panel clamp use half a set of panel clamps to clamp down on the kennel panel using one side then lag bolt through the hole in the center. I havent tried this myself so Id experiment with a two by four to see if it works.

My whole coop is made of Kennel panels and old garage doors. Am getting ready to pull it all down and rebuild so that have four times the space. In this case I may be using my existing pipe corral as one wall of both the coop/house and run. They are beginning to make fasteners that will allow right angle connections between pipe corrals so this may get interesting.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Thank you for these closeup pix I have seen your run before but now I can truely see how you are accomplishing the roof. This gives me ammo for doing my own roof which I have been puzzling over some time now. I have to cover 24 x 24 feet and need to do it with canvas because I am the only one doing the construction. I like the way you control the edges.... Does it poof up though when it gets blustery?

 

[mcostas]

We had some bad wind recently and it seemed ok. My tarps are folded in half with a board in, they flop a little. The wind comes from the sides of the tarp, not sure what would happen if it came from the front.

I forgot to mention, The tubes at the bottom of the run are attached to wood. I'll take a pic tommorrow.

I live in a suburban area, for predators we have hawks, coons, possoms, and kitteh's. I have 2 doggies but they are chicken friendly. One of them tried to dig under once to get at a piece of bread but the hardware cloth apron stopped her.

 

[foxygoober]

We have a dog run connected to a wood shed for our coop. The wood shed is metal with two doors. So one door leads to the dog run and the other is a door for us. It's worked well, we can shut the dog gate, but never do because there is wire over the top to keep out predators.