Converting wendy house into chicken house!

[sylvev]

Hi
We have been thinking about having chickens in our garden for sometime and have decided to do it! We have a two-storey wooden wendy house, long discarded by the children, and we would love to convert this. Anybody done this? Are there any reasons why chickens couldn't live in a wendy house or anything we need to provide etc?
We've ordered a couple of books off amazon and are busy researching the idea.
We have 2 cats, fairly docile, will this be a problem?
Any thoughts would be valued. Thanks.

bump

I don't keep chickens myself though I would love to - but I know a friend who turned their wendy house into a chicken coop. I thin kyou have to provide a bar for them to sit on so they balanced a broom handle between the windows! And they had to fence off an area as well. Suggest you look in a beginners guide to chickens type book and just take their advice about what the chickens need, but use your wendy house instead to meet the basics!

Good luck.

Thanks, Podsquash. It would be a real waste not to use the wendy house, it is solid, waterproof, has an "upstairs" with ladder (not sure if chickens can do ladders ) but we could change it into a ramp. The broom handle idea is a good one.
Many thanks

As long as the wendy house is dry, foxproof and fairly easy to muck out and de-lice it will be fine. Chickens are very adaptable but don't do well in damp conditions. My chooks have a very posh house - Cotswold stone with stone tiled roof (it's an old privy ) which we converted. You will need a nesting box or two, depending how many chooks you get, filled with hay or straw so they have somewhere to lay eggs. Also don't under-estimate how destructive chooks can be - they will dig in flowerbeds and create dustbaths everywhere if you let them.

Thanks Callisto, the wendy house is solid and dry, not sure what to do with windows though. There are 3 with perspex over them at present, would it be too draughty to remove perspex and replace with chicken wire? What do you think?
We want the chooks to be safe and cosy and are planning to convert side of house, enclosed on 2 sides by walls and third by wendy house, into a large covered run. I'd like them to roam in garden but only when we are with them, (having read the scary fox stories).
What do you think about cats and chickens? We have 2 fairly unassertive cats!
So many questions.... I have ordered a couple of books but in the meantime , if you don't mind me picking your brains...

Our 3 orpingtons currently live in the wendy house - resplendent with pansies in the window boxes! It is super easy to keep clean and we put an old bench seat in as a perch.The windows are perspex but lift out for airing the place.
Cats and chickens are ok (not wee tiny chickens though )

I think the perspex will be fine, but if you get a rooster he will start crowing at dawn so a dark coop will stop this to a certain extent. You are much more likely to get foxes in your garden if you're urban ime, but bear in mind that foxes are very resourceful and can climb. I think most cats would think twice about trying to catch a big chook, though as GentleOtter says, some of the bantam breeds are pigeon sized so more like prey. Having said that my seabrights are tiny and my cats don't bother with them, though they are both quite old.

GentleOtter - love the idea of your girls having window boxes full of pansies on their house.

Thanks everyone.
We won't be getting a rooster, just chooks! We'll make a start on sorting out the wendy house this weekend. We thought maybe 4 hens, or do you think we should just start with 2?
Really excited about this now

Hello
Would any of you be interested in signing up for tortoiseSHELL's chicken thread over in 'site stuff ?
We are trying to get a separate area for chicken owners/ goats etc.

We have chooks that for a while when we moved had the wendy house.. they were very happy in there whilst we sorted out there more perminant accomodation LOL. LOL at ladders.. ours loved the ladder to second floor.. just don't be suprised if they take a flying jump on you from the second floor LOL.
chooks are flock birds so Personally I'd say get a minimum of 3 birds... pop in a nest box and a perch and dust with red mite dust etc..I would say it would be nicer if you gave them a run aswell or allowed them to play out .. they just love the outdoors.. and your eggs will be nicer too