My thought were that I would use my old dog kennel to set up their coup for this year. I was going put a tarp over the top to keep it dry. I am also going to build a row of nests and line the floor with hay. My question is do I need to put plastic around the outside to keep the wind out?
Will this plastic be enough to keep them warm in the winter?
Do I need to put a heat lamp out there to keep them warm? ( by the way I live in Idaho, so the coldest it gets is about -5 but it usually is around 15 at night and 30 during the day. this is at the coldest of winter.)
What do I need to provide for them during the summer? (we have very hot dry summers. we live in the desert)
Help I am new at this and am trying to set up a coup!
they certainly need protection from the wind, and they need shade.
all the other answers depend on the breed/age of bird and what type of nesting box you build.
there is a cool place to look at homemade coops. i think it is
www.self-sufficient-life.com
you can also do a search for hoophouse coops or chicken tractors to get and idea of what to build inside your dog kennel...
www.feathersite.com is also a great source. good luck!
I used a dog kennel to house my two ducklings and my banty rooster. I used a heavy duty plastic tarp as the roof. The back of the kennel is against the barn (east of the kennel), and on the north, I tied a treated plywood 4X8 panel to the kennel wire by drilling holes and using those plastic ties that are used to tie electronic cables together. The south side abuts the big chicken run, and the side with the door is to the west. Anyway, because we have a lot of predators around, Satchmo and the ducklings go into a raised coop at night. It is 24x 49 x 24 inches - wood and plywood and 1/4 inch hardware wire. I made a tray under it so I can slide out the poop easily. Half of the raised coop is completely protected by plywood on the top, back and two sides.
I have a heat lamp in the kennel itself, aimed at the coop at night - the ducklings are only 3 weeks old.
The biggest drawback I've seen is that the plastic tarp on top of the kennel will fill up with water during a storm and sag down - I have to go in and push the rain off the "roof". Other than that, It's working and it was fast and easy (for me - I'm very slow at this stuff).
TamaraFaye is really an expert on chickens, so do check out her links!
Thanks guys I appreciate your advise. What type of chickens should I get if I am looking for egg production?