would this work for a few chickens?

mamita · #1 03/11/11, 09:06 AM

not a great pic, but this is what my dog pens look like in the summer. much bigger than this pic indicates, they are separated by a large middle gate. both dogs are in the house all day, and now my husky gal is a bit older. that means she is in the house all the time. IF I need to put her somewhere (like to wash floors or something), she is cool with going out to one of the garage rooms for a bit. that leaves her side of the pen free, and I wonder if I couldn't change the dog house (on her side) for a little chicken coop? now..my shepherd still will only sleep out there, but with the gate closed he is in his own space. and he is a gentle soul to animals (just not in to people). if I start with chicks, I think he wouldn't even care, and maybe would help to keep critters away? thoughts? or should I just wait until dogs are gone. it's a great fenced area, so it should be used for something.

would this work for a few chickens? - Homesteading Questions

RebelDigger · #2 03/11/11, 09:28 AM

Chain link fence (at least that is what it appears to be in the photo) will not keep digging predators out and the fence is a bit short to keep chickens in but, you could put something over the top like chicken wire as a roof to keep the chickens in and the chicken hawks out. If you place chicken wire around the bottom of the pen with about 12" of it buried all around the perimeter, you will have better chances of discouraging diggers. Also, racoons will sometimes stir up the chickens enough to panic them so they get close to the wire and then reach through and grab what they can, biting through the fence but, if you keep the chickens secured in the coop at night you can prevent a lot of issues.

mamita · #3 03/11/11, 10:20 AM

thanks! oh dear...I didn't think a 6' fence was too short, altho I did think of putting tighter chicken wire around the bottom. and of course I planned on keeping them in at night. lots to think about then.

Firefly · #4 03/11/11, 10:27 AM

I can't see the dog house but it with some roosts, a floor, and a secure door it might be fine as a coop. They don't need a lot of space when they're outside all day. Make sure they can't get on top of it and jump over the fence!

mamita · #5 03/11/11, 10:36 AM

I wouldn't use the dog house as a coop, but would build a higher small coop in the middle where they wouldn't be near the edges of the fence at all. it really is quite large in the pens (again...sorry for the bad picture).

nobrabbit · #6 03/11/11, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RebelDigger

Chain link fence (at least that is what it appears to be in the photo) will not keep digging predators out and the fence is a bit short to keep chickens in but, you could put something over the top like chicken wire as a roof to keep the chickens in and the chicken hawks out. If you place chicken wire around the bottom of the pen with about 12" of it buried all around the perimeter, you will have better chances of discouraging diggers. Also, racoons will sometimes stir up the chickens enough to panic them so they get close to the wire and then reach through and grab what they can, biting through the fence but, if you keep the chickens secured in the coop at night you can prevent a lot of issues.

Good advice here! We have lost chickens during the day to hawks until we put wire across the top.

mightybooboo · #7 03/11/11, 10:52 AM

Pretty much what I do with a five foot fence and never had a problem.We acclimated dog to chickens by sitting out there with em all. Now my GSD will protect HER chickens.

I think youre good to go IMO.Oh,we lock ours up securely at nightfall,will you be doing that?

Click to enlarge

mamita · #8 03/11/11, 11:01 AM

absolutely would shut them in at night. if you put wire across the top, I guess you have to heighten it all somehow so you can walk in there then? when I was a kid we had chickens. I must say, and this is true, we had a coop that we left open for our chickens to come and go...day and night...(never shut them in, didn't have dogs for guarding)..and we never lost one. ever. we didn't even pay much mind to them other than gathering eggs, feeding, watering. I swear we had barely a 3' chicken wire fence. now...I feel so unsure. even tho I lived it once, it all suddenly feels so complicated.

oregon woodsmok · #9 03/11/11, 12:10 PM

It'll be fine as long as the dog next to them doesn't tease them.

Place wire over the top to keep the hawks out. The chickens will need some sort of "house" but you want to be able to get into it to retrieve the eggs, so a dog house probably isn't going to work, unless you modify it so you can lift the roof.

Jan Doling · #10 03/11/11, 12:39 PM

We had a similar kennel with wire fencing across the top, but at night we had airplane cargo cages within for them to stay safe in.

jwal10 · #11 03/11/11, 01:18 PM

My yard is 12'x30' and has 6' chain link fence with 12' wide plastic safety fence on top, the coop is at one end outside the "yard" but fastened tight to it. I have a small door that latches when I drop it, unlatch and pull a rope to open each day without getting in the "yard". Nest box latches and am able to gather eggs without going in the small coop. I have up to 12 chickens at times. I also open a gate to let the chickens out into the goat pasture for a few hours a day to free range. I poured a 12" deep curb under the chainlink and fastened the bottom stay wire of the chainlink every 3' to the curb. I have never lost a chicken or had a coon, possum or skunk in the yard....James

mamita · #12 03/11/11, 01:42 PM

I said a few times I WAS NOT making the chicken coop out of the dog house, but got answers to that anyway. ok..not doing chickens as yet. thank you to all who posted. I do appreciate feedback when I ask for it.

Belfrybat · #13 03/11/11, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamita

I said a few times I WAS NOT making the chicken coop out of the dog house, but got answers to that anyway. ok..not doing chickens as yet. thank you to all who posted. I do appreciate feedback when I ask for it.

I think you would have gotten better answers had you stated in your initial post how tall the fence was and what your basic idea was to turn it into a chicken coop. I also read that you were going to change the doghouse INTO a coop -- it took a second reading to see you were going to change it FOR a coop, so I can certainly understand people thinking the other. It looks like a standard 4' tall cyclone fence in that photo, which is why folks said it wasn't tall enough. From further posts it seems as though you are planning on building a coop and pen inside the dog enclosure instead of using that as the actual pen. If so, that would work well as long as you bury some of the wire to keep diggers out. Then again, if your shepherd is going to be outside all night, he/she would probably keep most critters away. Good luck on your project.

Joshie · #14 03/11/11, 02:08 PM

That would be fine. You can never keep everything out. At night ours stay in a horse stall. Digging critters could get in. We have only had a problem with a possum once. We let them outside during the day. If you want to keep the chickens penned, I'd put a top on the dog run. They won't be able to escape a predator from the air if penned.

How many chickens do you want?

mamita · #15 03/11/11, 02:24 PM

thanks again. I'm not getting chickens. it was just an idea.

Joshie · #16 03/11/11, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamita

thanks again. I'm not getting chickens. it was just an idea.

Ah, get some. They're fun. You won't make money but you'll have fun. I've got some Buckeyes. Want some? My hubby would be happy if you'd take some.

mamita · #17 03/11/11, 03:00 PM

I don't want to make money. I was just thinking of a few laying hens for ME. the fence is 6' high. YES..I did already know to put chicken wire on most of the bottom. NO..the doghouse ISN'T the coop..planned on a real coop. bad idea.......I get that now. LOL

was just a thought as to what I could do with the already fenced in pen. ok..already. thanks anyway!

ronbre · #18 03/11/11, 06:24 PM

well I wanted to get chickens but wanted to let them forage, not put them in a coop or chicken tractor ..but put them in a locked henhouse at night with a small fenced yard around it..but not keep them locked up in the fenced yard...guess maybe I'll be told that I can't let chickens run and forage..but everyone around here except a few people let their chickens forage and they don't seem to have any problems..they just put them in the coop/house locked up at night..i have been debating it for a few years

mightybooboo · #19 03/12/11, 01:19 PM

Just get some and see what happens,I know plenty folks let em run around the property and put em away at night quite successfully.

ArmyDoc · #20 03/12/11, 03:04 PM

Understand you don't want to do it now...seems a shame, I think it would make a nice run for a few layers. A coop could be put up at one end or attached to the end.

Other benefits - If the floor is concrete (as many dog runs are) you wouldn't need to worry about predators digging in. It wouldn't be hard to put 1/2 inch mesh around the bottom (which would keep 'coons from reaching in) and over the top to keep hawks out and chickens in.

Best of luck to you, which ever you decide.