Design and build my Ultimate urban hen house - episode 3 - access doors

[@vivianallen9772]

I’ve seen lots of hen houses, but I want one like yours. I love it, and I love your art work, too. Your chickens have been blessed by the chicken gods😄

[@chickensinmygarden]

My chicken house is designed by me to be the best possible fit for what I want for my chickens, me, and our climate & circumstances. It might not be ideal for everyone but I hope it can give you some ideas about what is possible with a small budget and rudimentary construction skills for a small property. Feel free to copy anything you like. As for the art work - I lack much artistic talent but my chicken house is one place I can decorate how I like and the occupants don't complain 😄

[@hardygardener3091]

I love the painting on the pop door, lucky chickens!

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thanks. I have lots of fun painting my chicken house 🙂

[@vickyannpaintingwithoils]

That coop is a brilliant use of space. Everything is effectively usable and gives them what they need. Bravo! I LOVE the feeder! I am still looking for the best ways to keep in most of the food, especially for the days it is too sleet, or freezing for them to be outside to eat. You know how messy those little poultry are. :)

[@chickensinmygarden]

I've been using that little coop for a year now and it's working really well.

[@MyronTheHen]

Great information! I really appreciate your wisdom!

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you 🙂

[@bernadette6211]

Thankyou for your videos, they are really helping me understand the needs of chickens

[@chickensinmygarden]

That's great! I'm sure that will make your life easier and your chickens happier 🙂

[@ScaryFear]

I have watched almost all your videos. But just now started this little series. I love your little chicken coop. So cute and functional. Best of both worlds. I like the clear window covers. Good idea. And the cute double doors for the chickens. If you don't mind opening and closing them then they are fine. Plus love your paintings on them. They look more like little windows with shutters. How is the nest working for you? Have you considered a door in the front that opens down. This would solve the rain problem and you could have a one piece solid roof. It also would keep from scaring chickens on the next since they don't care for things over their heads. I have a nest like that. It's funny when I open the door down. If there's a hen inside she just gets mad not scared.

[@chickensinmygarden]

That's a good idea about the nest box door. A friend of mine is going to build his chicken house to my plans and I'll suggest it. He lives in a rainy climate - much more so than here.

[@jersut]

Enjoy your great episode of making hen house videos, we bought a premade coop however it is too small for our 4 Australorps. I am in the process building my own coops. Can you please share what material do you use to build the coop? Should I use treated or untreated pine for framing? What material do you use for the floor? Thank you.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Sure. We have used both treated and untreated timber, pine plywood because it's cheap. I like flat boards with minimal joints or framing, to reduce hiding places for red mites. I use treated pine for framing, again because of price and longevity. I prefer to paint the boards - it helps preserve untreated wood and if the wood is treated it puts a barrier between that and the chickens, although I don't actually think there's any significant risk. I make floors out of treated plywood - marine ply is ideal but can be expensive, and ordinary exterior treated ply lasts 10 years or more if kept clean.

[@jersut]

​@@chickensinmygarden Thank you

[@day3583]

Amazing job! I wish I have a coop like yours. How thick is the wood panels are? Do you think it is a strom- safe design? I wonder the cost if the whole design as well!

[@chickensinmygarden]

The walls and roof are 12mm untreated plywood. The framing is exterior treated 3inch by 2inch pine. My previous hen house was constructed of similar material and was still in great shape after 15 years. Storms? I guess it depends. This house is quite tall for its base size but in a sheltered place. The floor is screwed to the base then the framing is screwed down to the floor. My husband usually over-engineers whatever he builds 🙂 My previous house was more the same height as its width and not sheltered. But probably nothing would survive a tornado 🙂

[@day3583]

@@chickensinmygarden thank you for your reply. I don’t have a proper machinery for wood processing. If I move to the new house, I will definitely consider to build like yours!

[@JohnSmith-us9fv]

Hello Sheryl, I want to have pet chickens because I think they are cool and cute. But before I can start building the chicken house and raising baby chicks, I need my parents permission. The major problem is that they are concerned with hygiene (chicken poop a lot, they smell stinky, they are not clean animals, etc.) I don't blame them for being concerned but I don't think it is bad as they think it is, yet I don't know how to explain it to them as someone with no experience owning chickens. I wanted to ask you this question, thanks. 😃

[@chickensinmygarden]

Hello Ming Ling Chickens should not be dirty or smelly. They will be, if they are overcrowded and not looked after. Maybe you can do some research and develop a proposal about where the chicken house could be located, how you will manage the poop, etc. Options include the deep litter method, a poop tray that you empty daily (to where?), use of shavings that you can put on the garden (I have a video about that) kzbin.info/www/bejne/roLZhKOoqbaXm6c

[@catemc2323]

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