Build your own hen house for free!!!!

[Mydreamlife]

Found this having just nearly bought the digital delivery version on ebay!!!
THought you might like to give it a try?! We will be scaling it up rather! about 4x pallets I think but a good start plan.
http://www.pekinbantams.com/broody_coop_1.asp

Pictures would be great if anyone else has built their own!

[Bonniegirl]

Thats very cool, I might get my lad to build one, he's doing carpentry and wood at school so this can be another project for him.

I think I shall share this link on an NZ forum, there are often people looking for coop designs, thanks

[smwon]

That is pretty neat... would make a good chicken tractor if it were a bit bigger.

[ina]

Just wish I knew where they get these very decent looking pallets from.... Ours are crappy by the time they aren't used as pallets anymore. The good ones get returned anyway - which is, of course, a good thing!

[Mydreamlife]

We are Very lucky that nick's compant use lots and are very happy to see the odd few going to a new home!!!

[Thurston Garden]

Looks excellent!

I am mildly skeptical about managing to make a good job of breaking up the pallets though. Any I have tried have been made with ring-shanked nails which makes it very difficult to separate the softwood timber without it splitting. Perhaps I don't have enough patience

I have bookmarked the link though for future reference!

[Mydreamlife]

We are starting making ours this afternoon... Will keep you updated!

Does anyone know of a good/suitable way of preserving the wood. My mum has given us some left over blue fence paint but wondered how safe it is?

[Thurston Garden]

The pallet wood is probably tannilised and will last a good while anyway. Perhaps some water based preserver would be best if you intend to preserve it further. Just make sure it's had a good few days to dry/fumes to escape before you move in!

[happy place]

was looking at this site and found the plans for hen nouse and run will when time allows try to make it as have plenty of pallet wood left after making pallet fence! if I get roundtoit I'll post news.


mean well ,try hard and never give up

[jayney]

Well having looked at an 'eglu' this afternoon and spent the evening thinking of ways how i could come up with £400 to buy one this has given me a glimmer of hope.
My hubby uses pallets all the time at work, and i'm sure they could donate an old one to me to recycle. However having just asked him he looked at me like i was mad! As this face is a regular occurence for him i am not deterred.
I was quite good at woodwork at school and spent my childhood and teen years following my dad about learning all kinds of diy, not usual for a girl i know, but im so glad i did.
So this could be a good starting project, i will post any further develpoments.
Wish me luck,
jayney x

[possum]

good link
TG Pallets are never tanalised, so will need a coat of preservative.

[contadina]

Contadino built Gallinopolis out of pallets, a couple of old doors, rubber matting, onduline and anything else he could womble. Chucks have been very happy in it for over a year now. It has four openings - one in the nesting box to collect eggs, one along the bottom so I can pull the rubber out and give it a clean, on the roof to get to the perches and a porthole for the chucks to get in and out of. He's adding a new porthole soon round the other side as a new fence is going up, to give them two areas to run around in that we can alternate between.

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[Mydreamlife]

First WOW that is amazing, what a great house for a humble chook! Just wondering where I could find some nice colourful paint like that... I know we have a lot of pink but I will have to rummage hard!!!

Well following a delay of 2 weeks due to a VERY yuck bug they children and OH have had we finnally got started today... It is looking good at the mo... although OH is not alway very thorough so there are a few drafty holes that I kindly suggested might need patching up pronto!

Can't complain it is more ofa mansion than a house and certainly NOT the bungalow I was expecting. It's about 5ft long and 3.5 ft wide! Taller than my 5 year old and took three adults a lot of 'shuving' to move!! Still better that that blowing away like the BL**DY green house!!! (Another story)

Will keep you posted and maybe pics to if OH is feeling kind!

[contadina]

A pink palace...lovely. Looking forward to piccies.