Quality Chook Houses

[matthew2riches]

Right... I had my chook house since day one, it was home built and works fine

I have just had a proposal from a local woodwork chap who is intending to design and build a range of chook houses, he just wants the business advice and financial backing from me so I'd like to know your views on chook houses already out there

I already know about the awful stuff on eBay, I'd like to focus on the quality stuff available from £180 upwards...

To make it viable, for a 3ft square chook house with door and nesting boxes (suitable for 6 chooks), we'll be looking to sell in the region of £295. There are also designs for 4ft and 5ft versions.

What do you reckon?

[BUFFS]

the important thing is that these houses/coops are for chook keepers by chook keepers,with all the hands on experience built into them,so eliminating some of the drawbacks of some coops available...power to your elbow,making life better for some chooks......

[Snadger]

Can you still have 'quality' with a flat pack? If not postage is going to be prohibitive.

[di]

Are you planning on selling over the internet or more locally?
Would it be worth chatting to some of the feed suppliers/garden centres in the area to see if they would perhaps stock some...or would they take too much of a cut?
Most of them also have noticeboards.
I'm with Snadge that I'd doubt the quality of anything flatpack and if I were tempted then I'd probably opt for the cheapest thinking there wouldn't be much between them as far as quality was concerned.If you sell them locally then you could deliver the made up product.

I think it sounds like a goer,you just need to work out the best way to market them.
Good Luck!

[jayjay giant]

I built my own chicken house and run a few years ago now. It cost around £350 for materials but it is built to last and is doing well so far. ( the photographs are on my site )
The reason I built is becuase I couldn't find a suitable hen house built from quality materials at a reasonable price.
I think there is a real gap at the high end of the market for solidly built hen houses of real quality. Aimed at the back garden poultry keeper say for up to 6 hens.
Like the other posters have said, to provide a hen house of such quality would have to be moved in a very large van or erected on site which can limit your market.

Good luck with your venture and I am sure with full and proper research you will find a good place in the market,

James

[matthew2riches]

The reason I built is becuase I couldn't find a suitable hen house built from quality materials at a reasonable price.

That was exactly my thought and why I am still interested in taking it further.

As I said, there are designs for 3ft, 4ft and 5ft houses and I've been told this morning he has a broody coop and feeding station/shelter designs

It is all tongue and groove construction with a removable bitumen roof, pop hole, air vents and legs.

I think I am going to get one made and then photograph it for review. I'll also let the majesties try it out for size

The logistics are pretty simple... delivery is flatpack, they are assembled in the workshop and then dismantled with instructions (lol) to re-assemble again. Local delivery of pre-made houses would be available at cost price or the customer could collect a pre-made for free. The largest one being 5ft square which would fit in a Transit.

[kevnsue]

Can you still have 'quality' with a flat pack? If not postage is going to be prohibitive.

Yes you can but peeps dont want to pay the price,see my picture page,i make them and deliver and they can be flat packed,cheers kev.

[jayjay giant]

Kev they look great !

[Snadger]

Fancy making one of these sometime in the future!

[matthew2riches]

Progress is being made... I have him now building me a new chook house

I am working on a website, logo and marketing

He's also showed me various dog kennel designs

[its hilly]

If you want to scare yourself Matthew try googling 'extremebirdhouses'. I think the guy is on 'lumberjocks.com' its an american site..but you should see what he builds...I could go for one of those
PS good luck, and think about getting a transit van and samples and travelling to poultry shows and auctions. Lots of people all interested in poultry in the same place, good advertising and you could deliver ready built (while at the auction..shows how easy it is to do) on your way home

[its hilly]

And look at moonfruit.com for easy to build cheap to run websites, they were recommended by the businesslink people, and even I can use their sitebuilder software

[matthew2riches]

And look at moonfruit.com for easy to build cheap to run websites, they were recommended by the businesslink people, and even I can use their sitebuilder software

I design websites at the moment for a living So far so good, jut waiting for a few photographs and then I'll start on the content

The guy phoned and told me 3 panels are done, just the front, floor and roof to go and then some varnish

[di]

Sounds like you're doing good Matthew.
A thought when you mentioned varnish...although I think you know far more about chooks and business than I would ever hope to...after last Summers major problems with mite and discovering that Creosote seems to keep them away(eternally grateful RH)could it be a selling point if you treated them before sale?

Keep us updated on how it's going.

[chicken_house_man]

The problem with creosote is you're not allowed to sell anything treated with it if people are going to touch it.