Hen House Plans - fingers crossed!

[TPeers]

Oh - one other thing!

I cut a piece of lino to line the floor of the roost. Makes cleaning a doddle!

It lifts out after I take the back hatch off.

I make sure their is a dusting of mite powder under it to deter those pesky redmite, and 'top dress' with clean, dust extracted, softwood shavings, which I change once a week.

[kirsty b]

Hi Terry,
just sat and read whole thread and I'm inspired! Was planning to build a house for my girls, now I'm rebuilding my little flock.
Got a better idea of the dimensions I need now and how to go about it. (all the gear, no idea )
Going to pinch a few of your ideas, especially the lino on the roost floor.

Kirsty

[TPeers]

Do! No royalty!

Have fun and post a thread for your hen house - form the comments I got everyone is interested!

Terry

[Digger-07]

Thanks Terry, I've pasted all your posts onto a word doc. so that I now have an instruction manual from start to finish.

Thanks very much for the story.

[TPeers]

Would just add - the roost seems big enough for about 6 hens given the space on the bar that is occupied when I have looked in at night.

If you want less - make the whole thing narrower - I have been told that it is important - especially in winter when it is cold - that there is not too much space as the birds can't warm the roost with their body heat and may suffer from the cold.

I am thinking about ways to insulate the house - will post back here if anything comes to me......

[Becca]

that's absolutely brilliant I'm very impressed with your woodworking skills and gives me hope that I might be able to fit in my own chooks (if I could replicate your design which may be tricky.. woodworking done so far in life.. putting up shelves ) Is the intention that you will move this around the garden? or keep it in 1 spot..? my garden is tiny so there is only one place I could put them which is about the size of your run and they would have to stay in there unless they were supervised as I have a pond and cats and there are probably local foxes.. I would only want 2-3 small hens.. would that be ok?

[TPeers]

I do move this around the garden on a weekly basis - I can move it on my own if I detach the run. At the moment the house and run are on the patio (and have been since November) but the whole thing will be moving back to the lawn as soon as the grass gets growing.

If you want to keep it in one spot I would think about using chicken wire across the base as a fox deterent - fixed housing is more prone to attack than a moving run, the fox can come back repeatedly until it finds a weak spot and hens will dig thus making a weak spot! - I would also think about putting bark or some such in the run for them to scratch in they will destroy the grass in under a week and no-one likes standing in mud!

[Paulottie]

Oh dear Terry -seeing this thread revived is making me feel a bit idle ...I still have the same old converted rabbit hutch and run...nearly a year on now!!! Seems to work well though They have been moving around the veg beds all winter. I have however fox proofed an area at the bottom of the garden but still in tend to move them around in there. It is however to allow them out without them wrecking my garden...They got into a tulip patch yesterday and made a real mess. I am however putting money aside for investing in a netting electric fence to pen them next year. A friend has lent me a single strand one at the allotment to keep badgers out of my asparagus beds and sweetcorn. I might be able to use that at times but need that netting stuff for the chickens. Will perhaps look around the farm sales.

[TPeers]

Had to clean out the run this morning - a spade and bucket job as they are on the patio - it was such fun watching them in the snow!

They went straight for the base of the hedge and ambled around the patio where the snow hasn't settled - all except Kiev - she was up on the lawn playing snowballs with Pippa! Wish I had had a camera handy!

[Qwerty]

Here's another idea. you could make a medium fence around the existing coop using chook wire, wire fasteners & some stakes. If you want it quite quick and easy, dont bother with a gate. Just step over. bury a small amount underground,(so foxes cant dig underneth your fence) and make it around 1/2m high, even though im not that sure how high it should be.I know this is'nt much, im more of a duck person myself,so surf the net to find out more.
Good luck!
Qwerty.

[walldanzig]

I know this is post has been around a while but the hen house looks great and has inspired me to have a go at making my own.

[Bephlam]

Well impressed!!

[TPeers]

Having been reminded of this by a couple of people thought I would add a postscript it having been two years (where did the time go!?) since I built the house....

It's fine!

The small run was flimsy and didn't last, last summer I set too and built a permenent enclosure that the house sits in. Advantage - I can walk into it! It is 8' high. Disadvantage - I have to walk into it!

Basic construction of run is in 3" square lumber with metaposts and 1" weldwire mesh. The mesh laps out 9" at the base, topped with bricks to stop the foxes. The top is wired as well as the sides as foxes can climb and to stop the squirrels and wild birds getting in. Entrance is via a split gate - think farmhouse or loose box.

Will post piccies at some point.