[Tania]

I have a chicken house which I want to raise up off the ground by about 3 feet but I'm not sure what would be the best way of doing this. I thought about a wooden frame but have no idea how to make one. Can anyone help please?

[karlooben]

u can always use breeze blocks they are cheap and light enough to move around or u can get some fence round posts cut them down to the height u want then bang them in the ground an srcew the house onto them , thats what i mite be doing with the little shed i have got as a quantine house . then the girls can have shelter from the rain an shade from the sun 

[alisonwo]

We raised our house off the ground with breeze blocks, took a bit of time to get them level but it works well, plus the wooden house will last longer.  Only problem I have found is I have to stand on a step up stool now to clean the henhouse out and it has reduced a bit the inside area for when its raining, on the plus side I can get a really deep run of straw or bark on the floor and no vermin can get underneath now.   alison

[shaun]

like this

[hillfooter]

3ft is quite high, why do you want to do this and have you considered how the chickens will get in?  How you do this will be dependant on your house design and whether it is to be movable or permanently fixed.  Whether the site is exposed or sheltered and whether you get strong gusts of wind etc.  Fixing a frame to posts firmly set in the ground would be one approach.  You maybe get away with just fixing sturdy rails to the posts and sitting the house on them.  I doubt you could arrange the posts accurately enough to fix the house directly to posts and in anycase it may be preferable to be able to remove it for maintenance in the future.  You would have to be handy at DIY to some extent and ensure theh posts are vertical and the horizontals level using a spirit level and builders/ carpenters square. The fixings would need to be something like coach screws or bolts as wood screws would not be strong enough and corode quickly unless stainless steel or brass.

If you haven't the skills or tools you need and if the house is small and light enough a sturdy garden table may work well (not a rickerty cheap garden centre job) but ensure it is securely fixed to the ground and house (guy ropes are simple and practical) as it's surprizing how much force the wind can exert.  Whatever you use treat the wood for external use and err on the side of making the materials robust and the fixings rust proof.
HF

[Tania]

Hi again,
Maybe 3 feet is a little high, more sensible 2 feet. I just want to prevent mice and rats nesting under it as at the moment its quite a cosy area for them. I also think it would make it easier to clean and look better in the garden. Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions and I'll keep posted on progress