Topic: Converting a dog kennel to a poultry shed.......?

[dgillings]

I am planning on converting my dog kennel which he has never used (a wasted buy on ebay) to a poultry shed. I have a fenced off area in my back garden which would be perfect for hens to be safe with the addition of a little chicken wire.

Can people give me an idea of how to convert this dog kennel into a coup? I know that it will require a perch for them but how high? What diameter? etc.

I will convert the current dog entrance into something big enough for me to get into to clean it out, but how big should the hens entrance be?
Where will they lay? Do I need to make a nesting area?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

[GodfreyRob]

I am planning on converting my dog kennel which he has never used (a wasted buy on ebay) to a poultry shed. I have a fenced off area in my back garden which would be perfect for hens to be safe with the addition of a little chicken wire.

Can people give me an idea of how to convert this dog kennel into a coup? I know that it will require a perch for them but how high? What diameter? etc.

I will convert the current dog entrance into something big enough for me to get into to clean it out, but how big should the hens entrance be?
Where will they lay? Do I need to make a nesting area?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

Perches need to be at least 2inchs diameter (or across) so that the birds can easily grip them. Maybe 15 inches long and 1 foot apart (I made mine into a sort of removeable ladder supported at both ends).
The height off the ground will vary with the type of bird you are keeping. Some birds (like Silkies) are reluctant to go above 18ins off the ground, whereas other breeds will happily jump/flap up to 6feet off the ground (like my Cambars).
Average of 2/3 feet is ok for most breeds.
Putting a removeable tray a few inches under the perches makes it easier to collect most of the droppings.

Each nest box needs to be about 18ins cube - about 1 foot off the ground is good. The boxes should be dark (the hens like privacy and it can deter egg eating too) - so place them in the darkest corner of the shed (make a rear outside access is good - you don't have to go into the shed to get them).

A pop-hole for the hens need not be too big for a small number of hens - about 18ins square will be big enough.

I would consider lifting the whole shed off the ground - on stilts as it were. Then you can put the food and drink under there and hte hens can have a bit of shelter in rough weather. If yu do this a ramp is enough for the birds to get in/out. Here is my shed off the ground:

And the perches:

And the nest boxes (they never used the right hand one so I use it for storing stuff:

[jonny211]

I like the look on those Silkies faces there.... like 'oi we were laying, close that door and stop taking photo's'  ;D

[dgillings]

GodfreyRob you are a star - that is brilliant!

I always visualised the perch as being across the way (the opposite to yours) are they quite content to sit facing each other then?

Tomorrow (as the light has left us now) I'll take a couple of snaps of the dog kennel and upload them to this thread - hopefully you can advise that what I have planned will leave me with some content and happy chickens! I shall definitely, now, be raising my coup up - I love the idea of putting the water and food underneath - much easier than what I did have planned - and much more frugal on resources  ::)

If your hens are quick happy to jump/flap up to 6ft do you have a problem keeping them in an enclosure or is it all sides enclosed - i.e. top as well?

[dgillings]

OK so here we go:

This is the Dog Kennel as it is - with the measurements drawn on in red (all measurements are in inches - I can't do the other ones!)


and this is what I am planning on doing


I was thinking that I'd block in the existing door and make that entire side open out like a door so that I can get in to clean the coop. I'd then make a chicken opening on the reverse side to the nest boxes.

The whole thing would be raised up for the chicken feed and water to go underneath.

Is the length of 38 inches suitable for 3 nest boxes? Just over 1ft per nest box?

How many chickens do you think would be comfortable in this coop?

Any further advise?

[Old bird]

Hiya

My nest boxes aren't separated and I have had up to 12 laying in the area - so probably not necessary to divide them up!

I raised mine up on a pallet as suggested by GodfreyRob and it is brilliant.  Mine is a bit larger than yours but the extra dry space underneath is a complete boon!  I have 2 hooks underneath to hang food for them and they loved the fact that they had a dry space to hang around in on a wet day!

Just an idea but would there be any chance of you putting a hinge on one side of the roof and use that as your access as you already have a decent pop hole!

I cannot guess how many you could get in there - not good on those sorts of things and also it depends on the size of the chickens you choose!

Good luck anyway.

Old Bird
 ;D

[GodfreyRob]

GodfreyRob you are a star - that is brilliant!

I always visualised the perch as being across the way (the opposite to yours) are they quite content to sit facing each other then?

Tomorrow (as the light has left us now) I'll take a couple of snaps of the dog kennel and upload them to this thread - hopefully you can advise that what I have planned will leave me with some content and happy chickens! I shall definitely, now, be raising my coup up - I love the idea of putting the water and food underneath - much easier than what I did have planned - and much more frugal on resources  ::)

If your hens are quick happy to jump/flap up to 6ft do you have a problem keeping them in an enclosure or is it all sides enclosed - i.e. top as well?

The hens don't seem to mind facing each other - they don't have fixed perching positions either - they seem to form different friendships over time although the silkies stick together more than the rest.
The Cambars love to roost in the trees and would rather spend the night in the neighbours pear tree in the top most branches (thats over 25 feet high!).  I have to have a roof on the run or else they would be off.

As they only sleep in the hut (and nearly always prefer to be outside in daylight) you could get 5 hens on a set of perches 36ins long I would have thought (unless they are really large). That way they can keep warmer in the winter too. If you had 2 sets of perches either side then maybe 8 hens - but then the outside run would need to be quite big.

[dgillings]

The area I've got planned for them is plenty large enough I would think I could happily have 12 or more birds in the run - but I hadn't planned on putting a "roof" on it. Perhaps I will rethink and get more chicken wire. I was under the impression that with their flight feathers clipped they would not be able to get particularly high...?

Do they have a preference for where their perch is? If I were to put one on either side of the door way of the kennel, but above it, would they be bothered? Does it matter if the opening to get to the nest boxes is below a perch? Are the nest boxes supposed to be at a height also?

Sorry for all the questions - I've read up on looking after chickens, but not much on building the coop!