I bought this great dog house on Craigslist for $35. Caulked a few leaks, added some screws, cut ventilation holes, window, and door, and slapped a coat of clearance-rack paint on it.
BEFORE (in these shots I'd already cut the vent holes, window, and back door):
AFTER (old rake handle for roost, plastic storage bin for nest box):
Next I needed a pen, but DH is way too busy at work right now so I figured I'd have to build it myself. I can basically handle a drill and a hand saw, and that's about it. I walked into Lowe's to buy lumber, and instead found pressure-treated deck rails with mitered ends for $0.85 each. I bought 4-42" for the sides and 4-36" for the ends. The mitered corners fit together perfectly -- no cutting! I did have to cut the 2x2 verticals at the corners and used 1x2s to make a frame for the door on top. It's a small run, because right now I just need a broody coop for banties. But here's the great thing: I can build another 42x36 box using the same method, leave the ends open, connect it at one end to the house and bolt the other end to this pen, and I have a modular run! How cool is that! The pen attaches to the dog house with turnbuckles (got this idea from another BYCer). I can detach it and move the pen easily (though DH will have to help with the dog house, it's heavy). I still need to line the bottom with 2"x"4 fence wire to keep digging critters out.
I'm really happy with how it turned out, and DH is happy to have one job off his plate. It was pretty cheap, too, although the hardware cloth always breaks the bank. Next maybe I'll figure out a way to put wheels on the house so I can move that too.
BEFORE (in these shots I'd already cut the vent holes, window, and back door):
AFTER (old rake handle for roost, plastic storage bin for nest box):
Next I needed a pen, but DH is way too busy at work right now so I figured I'd have to build it myself. I can basically handle a drill and a hand saw, and that's about it. I walked into Lowe's to buy lumber, and instead found pressure-treated deck rails with mitered ends for $0.85 each. I bought 4-42" for the sides and 4-36" for the ends. The mitered corners fit together perfectly -- no cutting! I did have to cut the 2x2 verticals at the corners and used 1x2s to make a frame for the door on top. It's a small run, because right now I just need a broody coop for banties. But here's the great thing: I can build another 42x36 box using the same method, leave the ends open, connect it at one end to the house and bolt the other end to this pen, and I have a modular run! How cool is that! The pen attaches to the dog house with turnbuckles (got this idea from another BYCer). I can detach it and move the pen easily (though DH will have to help with the dog house, it's heavy). I still need to line the bottom with 2"x"4 fence wire to keep digging critters out.
I'm really happy with how it turned out, and DH is happy to have one job off his plate. It was pretty cheap, too, although the hardware cloth always breaks the bank. Next maybe I'll figure out a way to put wheels on the house so I can move that too.
Last edited:
