# How to roof a 10 X 20 chain link kennel?



## tillandsia (Feb 2, 2006)

I am putting together 2 of those 10x10 chain link dog kennel kits. One half is a chicken coop, the other half is shelter for my livestock guardian dog. I could really use some advice on roofing. It needs to withstand heavy rains. It can't have large openings that predators could use to enter the coop.
Thanks!


----------



## Jan Doling (May 21, 2004)

I'm trying to do the same thing myself. The chicken coop wasn't so bad as it is only 4 feet high. I used a discarded shelf, the kind with the white rubber coated steel mesh, down the center as the shelf was bent into a bit of an arc anyway. Then I added some strong livestock wire fencing from a roll to cover the rest and topped it with tarp. The arc keeps the rain from pooling on top.

But the second unit for the new puppy kennel is 8 feet high. I'm toying with the ides of putting 1 12' pvc pipe thru holes on 2 sides at the top and then 2 at a lower lever on each side of it, so that I can drap a tarp over the high center one on down to the lower ones, then tie it off to the corners of the kennel, so rain will follow the downward slope.


----------



## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

................I always try to face projects like this too the south as most bad weather is out of the west or northwest . You also have to take into consideration the natural slope of the ground which dictates which way the runoff from storms will follow . For the chicken part I've dug a ditch maybe a foot deep and buried my wire below grade to hinder all those 4 footed creatures who want to consume your birds and you might want to do the same for the dog pen. You can set 4x4's , or metal poles and build a shed roof\barn roof and use 2x6's for support covered with #30 felt paper on top of CD grade exterior plywood and then roof with regular galvinized tin . 
................A friend fabed several light weight 4x8 panels across the northend of his chicken pen\goat pen that could be raised with a simple pulley system during the temperate months to allow for sunlight and air movement thru the pens , then during storms or winter he would simply lower the panels to function as a solid wall against cold and wet . Also depends upon your budget . fordy...


----------



## Windy_jem (Feb 19, 2006)

This is how I did it...
I bought more dog kennel panels of the same size, in your case 10x10 (you can buy the hardware and panels seperate) and put those on top, then laid 4x8 sheets of weather~proofed (we put on deck sealant) plywood over the top of that and held it down with strong wires attatched to the kennel panels themselves. 
Good luck!


----------



## Nette (Aug 17, 2003)

My chicken pen isn't chain link, but I can see how the roof I fixed might work for you. I mounted short lengths of PVC pipe on the wooden posts and used those for "inserts" for black plastic water pipe, bent to form an arch. Then I covered these arches with welded wire fencing, and used plastic locking ties to secure the wire to the water pipe. It's not shown in this picture, but later I covered the welded wire with a tarp (made sure I got just the right size), and secured that with small bungie cords.

http://images1.snapfish.com/34754<2:6fp4>nu=3233>862>366>WSNRCG=323293;9763;4nu0mrj

I'm thinking you could use the metal posts of the kennel panels as the inserts for the plastic water pipe, and do your arch that way.

_Edited to add another picture, in which you just can see the tarp covering the run area in the rear. That tarp stayed in place all summer. I removed it for the winter, and put the same tarp back on there last week. I wanted it just for shade, but on rainy days the chickens like to go out and get fresh air, but still stay dry._
http://images1.snapfish.com/34754<384fp343>nu=3233>862>366>WSNRCG=32338;529;7:<nu0mrj


----------



## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

If you want to do it cheaply, just get two 10x12 tarps. Tie one end to the top of the pen on one side and tie the other about half way up the pen on the other side. Put some heavy twine or wire across the pen under the tarp to hold it up in place. No tie the sides of the tarp to the sides of the pen. Next go get a cool drink, cause it's hot out there!!


----------



## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I've been using tarps, but they just don't hold up well. Heavy rains load them down and, over time, wind, etc. causes them to stretch and tear at the grommets. Hubby has decided that we need to do like Windy_Jem suggested and get more panels to fashion a top from that will be more substantial than what we're using now. Plus, now that we've extended our pen to 10x30' it has a tendency to turn in at the middle (the panels are to heavy to hold themselves up in the middle. He plans to use the roof to stop this from happening.


----------



## NCGirl (Jan 5, 2006)

We tried tarps but kept replacing them. We decided it would be cheaper and better to just build roofs. We did tin roofs with a slight slope. 20 x 12 costs us around $200 if I remember correctly for (8) 4x4x10's, (10) 2x4x12's and (10) sheets of tin + nails and quick-crete. It has been there for almost 10 years now with out the first problem. I am sure it would cost a bit more to do it now but if it is something you are planning on having for a few years it really is easier than keep replacing tarps IMO.


----------



## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I always like to see photos of what others have done on their farms!


----------



## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

There are 1000 different ways, depending upon what you need - water, wind, sun, snow, etc for protection and how long you need it. Such a wide open question....

I'd frame up a simple roof from 2x4s, some cheap panels from a box store, and have something that lasts 10+ years, moves the water out of the way, etc. Be worthwhile & look good & effective, under $75.

For just a season or less than a year, tarps & some plastic conduit or other cheap materials you have laying around. Won't last, will flap & be annoying, and won't get the water far enough away, but will be cheap.

I'm assuming you are cheap or you wouldn't be asking, so using good long-lasting or expensive products as others mention is out.... 

--->Paul


----------



## tillandsia (Feb 2, 2006)

I really appreciate everyone's ideas and input so far. 
You make a lot of good points, Rambler. Living in Florida, I am mainly concerned with providing shade and protection from rain and associated wind gusts. I am dealing with tarp woes presently, so I am looking for a solution that is reasonably inexpensive, easy to construct for a severely unskilled person, and if possible portable. I am currently renting, but hope to buy land in 5-10 years. So I don't want to invest in permanently installed structures. I can disassemble and move the kennels anyplace. 

Right now, I am considering buying one of those 10 X 20 foot canopies that can be used as a carport. I can use that over the kennels to keep the rain out, and cover the top of the chicken pen with wire fencing to exclude raccoons, owls, etc. I saw one of the carports at a discount store for about $100.

Please keep the ideas and feedback coming!
Thanks to all!


----------



## SpringCreek (Apr 27, 2005)

FarmTek (www.farmtek.com) sells a roof kit for kennels that includes everything you need (frame, tarp, tie-downs, etc.). The 10x20 kit is $249. Not cheap, but it looks nice and is probably easy to assemble. Run a search for item 103712 on their website.


----------



## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

If the coop has decent top bars you can roof it like a house with an A frame like rafters. instead of a birds mouth you cut a half circle. with a hole saw Cut the top of the rafter as usual with the pitch you want. set the half circle (birds mouth) on the top bar. Drill a hole up from the bottom of the bar and run a 4 inch drywall screw up into the rafter. depending how close you put the rafters you can put 3/8 or 7/16 plywood on top and then shingle or roll roofing. You can also put a fascia board around the whole thing to make it look professional. When you do the roofing make sure you use drip edge around the whole thing


----------



## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

If the coop has decent top bars you can roof it like a house with an A frame like rafters. instead of a birds mouth you cut a half circle. with a hole saw Cut the top of the rafter as usual with the pitch you want. set the half circle (birds mouth) on the top bar. Drill a hole up from the bottom of the bar and run a 4 inch drywall screw up into the rafter. depending how close you put the rafters you can put 3/8 or 7/16 plywood on top and then shingle or roll roofing. You can also put a fascia board around the whole thing to make it look professional. When you do the roofing make sure you use drip edge around the whole thing

OOPS forgot one more thing. you'll have to add some collar ties to keep the top of the coop from spreading. About every 4 ft is good. the whole thing can be done in a day


----------



## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

DH just put tin over ours. It does leak because the tin has some holes in it, but I tie a tarp over it and it works for us.


----------



## NCGirl (Jan 5, 2006)

10 x 20 Kennel Pictures 

The lattice in front used to look a little nicer! Over the years the dogs have ripped it up a bit.

These are the magnum kennels, they could keep a Lion in, we put our problem  dogs in these kennels!!

These were later kennels that we put up, our regualar kennels have a nice concrete floor with proper drainage but these are 4" thick concrete blocks laid out real tight together. Cost about 1/4 the cost of laying down proper concrete but has been there for 10 years now and is still fine. We disinfect once a week and hose them off every day with the powerwasher when we clean and they have worked great.


----------



## sullen (Oct 14, 2004)

I have one for the turkeys...we chicken wired it then tarped it. The chicken wire holds the tarp up.


----------



## Nette (Aug 17, 2003)

NCGirl said:


> These are the magnum kennels, they could keep a Lion in, we put our problem  dogs in these kennels!!


Not to change the subject...but aren't the Magnum kennels GREAT? I've got one for my "problem child" that goes bezerk during thunder storms. This pen is the only thing that will contain him and keep him from hurting himself or anything else. I also call it the "lion pen."


----------



## insanity (Aug 22, 2004)

Why not just screw some 2x4's down to the top pipe on the kennels and then screw some of that plastic tin roofing to that.Cheapest way out i can think of.And the edges of the plastic wouldn't cut you like tin might.

If a 2x4 leaves to much gap between the wire and tin you could use 1x6 deck boards.


----------



## NCGirl (Jan 5, 2006)

Nette said:


> Not to change the subject...but aren't the Magnum kennels GREAT? I've got one for my "problem child" that goes bezerk during thunder storms. This pen is the only thing that will contain him and keep him from hurting himself or anything else. I also call it the "lion pen."



Yep, and what was even greater was that we got both kennels for $500 at a farm supply store that was going out of business. We were on a trip about 200 miles from home and we saw a big going out of business signs so said what the heck, we'll stop in and grab some buckets or something. They had the kennels at half price but we had to take them with us right then and there. We loaded them up on top of the van, tied them down the best we could and prayed all the way home that the roof wouldn't collapse in on us, LOL Those suckers had to weigh close to 1000#'s


----------

