I was looking at a house that I am thinking about purchasing today and I saw a very odd looking building in the back of the place. It appears like it is for small animals but I cannot tell if it is for goats, sheep, chickens, or dogs. I have never seen a building like this so I figured I’d get the straight dope on it. Here is a link to my own rendition of the building (For a reference on the size, the doorway is of normal height):
Got any ideas?
I’m going to guess that it’s a kennel.
What is the ground made of in the wire enclosures?
If concrete, I would guess it is a kennel. If earth, a chicken coop. Possibly for a more exotic fowl, such as pheasants.
Correction on my last post.
The agricultural cooperative extension recommends a concrete floor for poultry to facilitate cleaning and help deter predators.
I’m going to go with a pigeon coop. Were the previous owners Italian?
Depending on the size of the “small enclosures” I’d guess chicken coop or pigeon coop, probably pigeons. The center is raised so the keeper can stand up while checking the nests.
Give us the approximate dimensions, please.
I’d gotta say that’s a bird coop of some kind. Without knowing the dimensions, it could be used for anything from pigeons to turkeys.
It’s a barn for dogs, pigs or other small livestock.
The Austin Zoo uses a similar structure for their turtle house. Theirs is a granary style barn (high center section with clerestory ventilation, buttressed sides), but the basic idea is the same. The animals have a small outside pen but they can go indoors to get out of the cold or sun.
I’m suprised that your example doesn’t seem to have doors. My guess is that the builder wanted to have a breezeway to cool the inside and wasn’t as worried about keeping his stock/dogs warm.
Looks almost exactly like the dog pens at an animal shelter I worked at once. I’d guess it’s for keeping animals of some sort.
Too small for goats or sheep, even pygmy goats. To my mind, that rules out pot-bellied pigs and any medium-sized (or larger) dog, as well. I think the guesses centering on fowl are closest. It should be pretty easy to figure out, if you walk inside, whether the critters were avian or mammalian.
Might be for greyhounds.
Could be for hamsters. Seriously, that’s the sort of enclosure breeders use.