Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Oliveview on November 01, 2008, 21:20

Title: I need to build a small hen house
Post by: Oliveview on November 01, 2008, 21:20

I need to build a small house for the hen that is blind (I think) in one eye, I will put Emu (the hen with the wonky neck) in with her too.
What is the best design to build?  Bearing in mind, hubby is really useless at making things and I am just a beginner!  
Any pointers on where I can find a good picture/design?  
Thanks
Pamela
ps I hope to use the pallets we have here for most of the work, as buying wood here is very expensive!

Title: I need to build a small hen house
Post by: poultrygeist on November 02, 2008, 09:42

Hi Pamela.

This site has a bit about diy henhouses. I think if you keep in mind that all they want are 4 walls, a floor and a roof with perch and nest box inside, the rest is just niceties. :)

I made mine by knocking together each wall individually, making sure one had a pophole in, one side had the nest box and just screwed them together, put a roof on best I could and used a large piece of 1/2" thick waterproof ply for the floor.
I clad it in 3/4" shiplap but you can use plywood just as successfully. It'll give a smoother finish inside so the redmites can't hide and any joins can be filled with filler of some sort. Some people have painted the inside to make it even smoother. DOn't know how this stands up to regualr cleaning.

I'll see if I can find some photos of one I had the ducklings in in Spring. It'd probably do the job.

Rob 8)

Title: I need to build a small hen house
Post by: Bodger on November 02, 2008, 09:58

For a one eyed chicken ? Probably a round one Pamela :lol:

Title: I need to build a small hen house
Post by: Oliveview on November 02, 2008, 16:12

For the one eyed hen and the wonky neck hen.......
One eye hen (named Alana, after my brother Alan who only has one eye :oops: ) is eating well, she scoffed down the rest of the kitten food mixed with hen feed and munched her way through a handful of spinach.  Shops are open here tomorrow so I will go and buy some long nails.  
Pamela

Title: I need to build a small hen house
Post by: poultrygeist on November 02, 2008, 16:17

We'll expect to see photos pamela  :)

Any problems along the way and someone will be around to offer suggestions. Good luck with it.

Rob 8)

Title: I need to build a small hen house
Post by: Bodger on November 02, 2008, 17:18

I'd settle for a trip to Spain to make you a superduper chicken coop. :lol:

Title: I need to build a small hen house
Post by: poultrygeist on November 02, 2008, 17:22

:lol:

drat. Never thought of that !!  :?

Title: I need to build a small hen house
Post by: karlooben on November 02, 2008, 17:55

hiya i have just made a new house out of pallet with the legs cut of  for my 4 new babies its very wind proof an next week it will bee covered with felt roofing to make it extra waterproof at the mo i have had to settle with tarpulin  :(  which i dont like . and also pallets are free .

Title: blind hen/hen house design
Post by: Cruzio on November 03, 2008, 17:44

You can build an Aframe off the ground on little legs with a ramp to go in and a roost in there. Add an A frame run attached to the unit and you've got a hen house. I tried to download a picture but it wouldn't work.

I have a blind hen too; she is in the hen house with the rest and I found a long with a branch coming out of it that I put on the floor so that she has a place to roost that she can climb on to. It works pretty well for her.