Plastic kennel for coop?

[veggiechicken]

My hens sleep/lay in a wooden chicken house - approx 8x6 - tall enough for me to walk in (no rude comments ). Its really too big for 2 hens - and takes me longer to clean than a smaller coop would.
I can't justify buying an eglu but I'm toying with buying one of these instead. Plastic Dog Kennel | Great deals at zooplus! The side panel drops down so it would be easy to clean out the droppings.
It would need a "door" to close them in at night, and a perch and a tray for a nest box.
Waddya reckon?

[Nannysally99]

Looks great VC

[Small pumpkin]

I think that would work very well with the few miner adjustments you've already thought of. Go on VC get your girls a new house. Then you will have your shed back, to fill with seeds!

[veggiechicken]

I'd probably use the shed for storing their dustbins of food and wood shavings, which are in their run and in the tool shed - so I'd gain more room in the tool shed to fill with summat

[Lisasbolt]

How about getting more ladies? 2 seems very lonely If not the kennel looks great

[mothhawk]

it looks very nice. Where would you put it? Inside a secure run? Otherwise I'd be a little concerned that a fox may be able to get its teeth into the ventilation grill and prise it off, I bet it only pops onto studs.
I'd want to know how firmly it "clicks" together first. After all, it's a kennel, the manufacturers are not expecting an animal to try and pull it apart from the outside.

Don't mind me, eternal pessimist - born that way - sorry

[veggiechicken]

There were 3 laydees last week Last year, there were 5
Problem is, I don't eat enough eggs so end up giving the surplus away.
With 2 hens, I'd probably need to get 3 new girls, so I'd end up with 5.
More chooks = more money on food = more poo to clean out = more eggs to give away.

[veggiechicken]

it looks very nice. Where would you put it? Inside a secure run? Otherwise I'd be a little concerned that a fox may be able to get its teeth into the ventilation grill and prise it off, I bet it only pops onto studs.
I'd want to know how firmly it "clicks" together first. After all, it's a kennel, the manufacturers are not expecting an animal to try and pull it apart from the outside.

Don't mind me, eternal pessimist - born that way - sorry

It would be inside the secure run that they use now. Never had a fox in there, yet!! In the day they have access to other runs that lead off it.

[Scarlet]

I'm wondering whether it will be UV stable. Those plastic boxes you can buy shatter after a year out in the sun.

[Scarlet]

Start baking VC!

[mothhawk]

It would be inside the secure run that they use now. Never had a fox in there, yet!! In the day they have access to other runs that lead off it.

In that case, it would be great. You could make a door by adding a hinged ramp, hinges at the bottom and a clip of some sort at the top to hold it shut.

[mothhawk]

I'm wondering whether it will be UV stable. Those plastic boxes you can buy shatter after a year out in the sun.

But it's a kennel. It's supposed to be outside in the sun.

[Scarlet]

^^^yes, I should read all the blurb before opening my mouth

[mothhawk]

In that case, it would be great. You could make a door by adding a hinged ramp, hinges at the bottom and a clip of some sort at the top to hold it shut.

Or, possibly easier, you could completely block off the dog entrance, and use the let down side as a door-cum-ramp instead.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks all - I appreciate your comments apart from the Start baking one!!
The run is roofed so its quite dry in there and it doesn't get a lot of direct sun.
At the moment, I'm thinking of putting it up on a base - maybe a couple of pallets, and attaching the hinged ramp/ladder/door to the pallets. then, as you suggest MH, pulling it up at night and fastening across the entrance (similar to the current chicken shed).