hen houses..what to get?

[PJB]

hiya,

really want to get me some chooks but would like some opinions on hen houses. What's really the best thing to get? I love the bright eglu designs and can see me being swayed by the colours but is it really the best for the price? I can get hens locally so I don't need the all inclusive offer they present. Are there any other good websites I shoudl be looking at, there are so many!

Any one got any advice to offer me?

PJB

[Salina]

the forum sections on www.practicalpoultry.co.uk and www.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk are brilliant, with loads of info on the right housing etc.

[PJB]

oooh, thank you. Well that's the rest of the evening sorted out. I'll have a look there, ta.

[CandJ]

We didn't get an Eglu because of the price. We got a wooden cheaper one instead, for three chooks. We did get a 2.5metre run too, but the hybrid breed we got (Omlet call them Gingernut Ranger) really really really doesn't like being confined to such a small space so we tend to let her wander now. The bantams seemed far more suited to the relatively small area, but they still like to stroll form time to time too. Makes you realise how wrong battery farming is.

[kirsty b]

I built my girls house, but had to sort them something out quick following last weekends disaster!
They have it in a 4m x 2.5m run, but I plan to double the size of the run when the burnt out sheds have completely come down and grass a decent portion of it so they have more to scratch about in.

[terrier]

Our chooks have an apartment in the 8'x6' garden shed. I cut a hole in the side for the pop hole and made a run to go on the side out of fence posts and chicken wire. The run is just high enough to walk into for ease of cleaning and I collect the booty from inside the shed. The rest of the shed is used as garden storeage and the coop is easily lifted out of the shed for regular cleaning. I was buying a shed anyway, so I only had to buy some fence posts and wire.

[Sue]

PJB
I'm crap at DIY so knew that wouldn't be an option so spent ages combing all the websites I could find on hen housing. All the low level runs looked so small and meant you couldn't get in to clean out etc, although they are easy to move. In the end thinking of bio-security (just in case) I went for a protection pen, 9m x 9m with roof think that was about £369 + £98 for the roof. It also had an optional extra of a mesh skirt to protect against foxes. Then I got a 6 hen house, just in case - only got three at the moment.

This was self assemble, took two incompetants about 4 hours, the hen house came finished. I'm very pleased with it, It means I can stand up in the hen run - and I'm 6ft and the hens have plenty of room and the small weldmesh and roof reach the DEFRA standards. It can be moved - needs four people.
Now thinking of getting another one to bolt on to the original one so I can have 6 hens - they said hen keeping would be addictive....

I think having a roof is very important, during the recent heavy rains, I've seen the other poor hens on the allotment, wet through and up to their ankles in mud so was very glad I'd forked out extra for one to keep mine dry.

The supplier was Flyte So Fancy, in Dorset I think, good service, delivery on due date as promised and they also supply the feeders, drinkers and everything else you'd need.

Sue

[PJB]

I love the idea of making my own and I'm so impressed by all the ideas posted. Can't see me getting very far with a 3 month old baby and if I got hubby involved it'd be divorce papers or a few sulky conversations a the very least! Don't think its worth the risk!!!!

So what are the important factors? I can see that a good waterproof roof is obviously a must, anything else now that the hen house is up and running that you think is a good plan or wish it had?

[Chilcoj]

We (me and the OH) bought a built house (3'x3') designed for 4 although we only have 3 which has a thick felt corrugated roof, 2 nest boxes and perches. We also got a run (6'x3').

Fortunately we put some clear corrugated plastic on the top of the run to help stop them, the food and their sand getting too wet. This seems to be one of the best ideas we have come up with.

I think if we decided to build our own we would definitely ensure that the run was covered - the girls looked so bedraggled before we gave them a roof and they certainly didn't bother 'getting out of the rain'!!

[bravo2zero]

Dear pjb,
I have for my chooks of which i have 15 a 8x6 shiplap normal run of the mill garden shed picked up for a tenner from the local free ads. A hole was cut in the side for a pop hole, simple and INEXPENSIVE.

[kirsty b]

My girls house is fairly small, its got 2 nest boxes even though they only use one and some wood battening as perches for roosting at night. The base is a pallet with 2 triangular bits of wood from an old rabbit ark as the ends screwed to it. the sides are made of tongue and groove, one is fixed and the other has hinges so I can lift it up and prop it open for them during the day. It stands around 3.5 ft high.
I've got 8 hens and they seem happy enough with it.

[dales]

I've got an eglu, and really pleased with it (although if I know now what I knew then, I would have got a wooden one from somewhere) I had to get some more girls this year, and the dotty old dear I got them from had loads of hens, she got 6 pallets (like the ones used for forklifts to carry items) took apart 3 of them to fill the wholes on the other three. then stuck them together and put roofing felt over them. She said the pallets didnt cost her anything the company was itching to get rid of them for free. Quite a good idea I thought, might be worth a go but unfortunatly I cant even put a shelf straight.

[PJB]

Have abandoned the eglu even though it its cool and funky looking. I've seen a couple of wooden ones I like the look of, but the one I really like for some reason doesn't come with nesting boxes or perches. Thought those would be standard with a hen house. I'm don't even know what those look like so there's little chance of making them. I've been looking on internet and my chicken encyclopedia but no info. Are they too simple to need explained?

[Madasafish]

Have a look at http://www.poultrychat.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=10

LOTS of piccies.

[Becka]

Hello,
I've had both an Eglu and a wooden coop. The Eglu, I found to be very easy to clean and was very secure for when I had to leave the hens in the run. I still have my wooden coop but no hens at the moment - due to being a bit busy with our third child!, but I do intend to get more and will more than likely buy an Eglu Cube but put it in a wooden run!
Best of luck,
Becka