Poultry Housing FAQ

Poultry Housing. .........Once you have read this information, you may wish to check our superior garden poultry house and also our, complete poultry station. Our houses are built by local craftsmen. "Hand made" and finished to the highest possible standards using only the best quality local materials.....Real Value for Money....."Practical and Functional Poultry Houses....Top in appearance......And BUILT to LAST."

Why are hen houses so important?

The welfare of any animal in your care is paramount. And your garden hens are no exception. Although robust, they require good basic care for their health and comfort..

And a happy housed hen will lay plenty eggs?

Yes. Most people new to poultry put equal emphasis on a healthy bird, a friendly bird, and a good layer. Buy good quality hybrid layers. Accommodate them in a comfortable clean, well finished house, that is safe from predators and you and your chickens will enjoy all three of these benefits……and yes, reward you with loads of fresh eggs.

So, no converted garden shed, or home made shed? 

Bearing in mind what has been said above. If you have the necessary skills and time, there is no reason why you cannot take the diy option?

I couldn’t just “pop the new chickens into the new/old clean garden shed?

No. Firstly, is it sturdy? Wind, weather and draft proof? Secure against foxes and other predators? Clean and well ventilated. Allows you easy access?

“Yes it’s all these things, so can I go now and buy my hens”?

No not yet. Preparation is the key. Use this time to complete preparation and to source and order your laying hens. Give yourself time & your breeder/ supplier lots of notice.

Well then, you mean, make sure the feed/feeders/ drinkers/bedding is in place?

Yes that is a “must do”. But most suppliers, like us, can provide all of this, when you collect your chickens.

So I have a new or a clean empty garden shed….what now to make it a henhouse?

Externally, check joints and fix if needed. “Weather treat” with a good, safe wood preserve.The same process can be carried out inside house. Using creosote in the joints and corners of an older shed will help eradicate any “wee beasties” that might be lurking in dark places. Check the roof…is it ok, or does it need replacing?

I noted some poultry house suppliers condemn the use of felt on the roof?

This is the case. On the basis, that this material harbours bugs and mites. Although we only use “onduline” on the houses we design, construct and sell to our customers, we also make use of felt on most of the houses we use ourselves.

So it doesn’t really matter then?

It obviously is a debatable point. In our experience, nasty bugs can find a home anywhere inside your house, if the normal good poultry husbandry is not adhered to. That said, when it came the time to replace the roofs of our older poultry sheds, we would use “onduline”, which although more expensive, is tougher, longer lasting and looks better.
(As a further point, all our supplied poultry houses to customers we use onduline only).

And what about inside this now clean shed?

A good solid flat floor makes for easier cleaning. Good clean Bedding.(and a six inch deep board in place at the entrance will keep the wood shavings in place…..watch you don’t trip) And finally, a Perch for the birds to roost on. And a nest box to lay eggs.

Bedding……cardboard, newspaper, hay, straw…..or what?

Clean, “sawdust free” white wood shavings, is what we would only recommend. It is what we use in all our houses. It is supplied in large bales. Picking it up cheap, or free from the local timber yard, is not the answer. It contains dust, sawdust, (and other things, including treated wood) which will be detrimental to your hens health.

Then I can’t use straw?

Yes you can if you wish. And if it is easily and readily available, and you know what kind of straw it is, and it is insect free and clean. If it is all these things your hens will love it. Two things we have noted…it is bulkier and takes longer to “break down” in the compost heap and more importantly, it can tangle around a hens legs causing injury.

The other three for bedding….. A definite no?

Correct….a definite no. Hay, sometimes easily available, is sometimes suggested by persons new to poultry. This WILL make your hens unwell, and promote feather/skin, as well as breathing  problems, as it is “sweaty damp material”, like newspaper & such like.

What about nest box location, where inside or outside the house?

This refers to access to eggs. Outside access for egg collection makes it easier. It must also be secure against predators (the human or the furry kind). Bear in mind it can also be an access point to your house for all kinds of predatory creatures, if not secure.

Nest Box inside then?

The size of your house and the number of birds may help you decide. Outside, may be more convenient, but it is also fine to have a wee blether to your hens and check all is well, when you collect these fresh eggs…..even if is not a “walk in” house.

Are wood shavings ok for the nest box and the floor?

Yes in both cases…..and around 3 to 4 inches depth of bedding.

How often should I change this bedding?

In the nest boxes often….your hens may spend more time there and the heat generated by the hens. could encourage “the beasties”….And of course you want clean eggs.
Bedding on the floor, possibly changed less frequently. It does depend on the number of hens and of course the weather and if the hens have access to outside. Try not to let it get compressed…rake it over daily.

How many nest boxes?

One nest box to three hens. They will share. “Open plan type”, nest box for more hens.

How big should the nest box be?

For hybrid laying hens….around 14 inches square (front /sides/ depth).
An open plan kind around 40 inches long would accommodate around eight to ten hens.

They don’t mind sharing then?

No, in fact if you make individual sectioned boxes they may all try to crowd into the one box. Normally, although this can’t be comfortable, it is ok. But it could also lead to overheating, or even suffocation.

Anything else about the nest box I should know?

Yes, the front of the box where the hens enter should have a lip/board at the front where they enter. This as well as giving the laying hens an extra sense of security, privacy and comfort, also keeps the clean bedding in place. A screen on the front using strips of rubber (used rubber cycle/car tubes) or used plastic feed bags, also cut in strips and nailed along the top of entrance to nest box is a good idea……giving more privacy & darkness.

Is this really necessary?

The hens comfort and safety is the main issue here. Taking these measures will not only  be a big step towards this, it will also mean good egg laying production. This will provide the ideal conditions for this to happen.

I can understand “the comfort” what is the issue around safety mean?

When the hen is laying her egg she is standing and facing the back of the nest box usually. Without the benefit of a screen and some darkness, her rear end and vent area is exposed to all and sundry. Although this may not hold particular appeal to us, it is a target for other hens….and it can result in more than an annoying, curious peck and serious injuries can occur.

So the “old cardboard box in the corner” is not he answer?

No….and there is a wee bit more (two things).
The level of the nest box should be above floor level. Hens like to step up to a quiet dark area to lay their eggs. It can be as much as one to two feet above floor level, although 3 to 6 inches is fine. And where possible, situate the nest box in the darkest part of the house.

It really is not as complicated as it might first appear?

No it is not at all complicated. And by following these simple guidelines, your hens will be happier and healthier and lay more eggs. The eggs that are laid will be less prone to damage and less exposed to the temptation from other hens, that may be intent of eating eggs, especially those that are cracked or damaged.

What about perches and perching?

Perches should be two inches square and allow 6 to 8 inches per bird, (48 inches for 6to 8 hens). They should be placed on the highest accessible point in the house…and certainly above the level of the nest boxes. They will be used during the day, but mainly at night, helping the birds to settle. (hens don’t stand on their perches, they get their selves comfortable, by kind of “cuddling” into them).

Any more about perches?

When and where possible the perch should be facing light, possibly directly in front of a window. The additional light encourages egg production, especially in the darker days.
The perches should be kept very clean and additional attention should be given to the ends of perches which could harbour mite etc, Feed on birds during their long roosting period, during the night.  

(When possible below the window, usually shaded, is suitable for the nesting box area).

What about a “droppings board”?

While on the perch this is where they usually do “their business”…….the stuff that, via the compost heap, puts life into your vegetable and flower garden. A board below the perches will make the picking up of this much more easier. Of course all the bedding can go into the “muck heap”.

What about just buying a poultry house?

There are many houses available from a range of sources. You should do your homework before making a decision. Size, type, material used, accessibility. Does the price include vat and delivery charges. Are there any “hidden extras” to add to the  price. Is it sold fully constructed, or is it a flat pack. Emphasise again, do your research.

Are henhouses expensive?

Well they are not cheap. When deciding if the house offered is for you and suitable for your hens, take everything into consideration….read the books and ask advice from people who keep poultry.

How much room should each hen have?

This, I think more than anything else is the biggest problem when buying a house unseen.
Presumably to encourage sales, and to get ahead of their more honest competitors, some suppliers put more emphasis on the number of hens their house will hold, and less emphasis on the actual  size of the house…..floor space is critical, but so also is the overall dimensions, including the height….and is there easy access for you, when it comes to cleaning and attending to your hens needs?

But surely there is legislation to control any misleading advertising?

All responsible poultry keepers would allow two to three square feet floor space per hen. This would be acceptable within a free range, or even a deep litter situation. A minimum of one and a half square feet per hen is just about ok if there is easy access to an open run.
Some suppliers working to just within the legal limit (of less than one square foot per bird) will advertise poultry houses on this basis. And therefore on this basis, overstate the numbers their house can comfortably accommodate the given number.

Do you supply henhouses? 

Yes.

Where should we go for our hen house then?

You should check around and make the choice. Whether you are new to hen keeping or not, you will want the best for your birds. Make sure you are informed and don’t be scared to ask questions. Any reliable poultry supplier should be more than happy to answer your questions and reassure you, if they are reluctant to do so .....ask yourself, why.

So buy a good house from a good source, build one myself or convert a garden shed?

Yes, yes and yes...to any of these choices. Whatever you & your hens feel comfortable with..

What about the “eglu” and the “eglu cube” from the “omlet company?

This is a difficult one possibly for me to answer for many reasons. It is so different from the conventional house, that it is impossible to compare like with like.

When it first arrived on the scene, traditional poultry people like ourselves, I would think, gave it little notice. However its popularity grows and grows. And it continues to get rave reviews from nearly every sector and customer alike…..The design of their houses has given many people in the urban areas an opportunity to keep hens. The feedback from those who have bought it and kept hens for the first time is overwhelming….suggesting it does do all it promises.

But as a traditionalist, you would only use the wooden poultry houses?

Not entirely. Just two days ago I took delivery of their two types of houses. And I believe there is a market for both their houses and the more traditional hen houses.

This is based entirely on the feedback reports I have had from my own customers who made the decision to buy an eglu… and the follow up reports, once they started to use them. Again based on my own experience and that of my own customers, where previously on their introduction, nobody had seemed to have heard of them, it now appears around 50% have not only heard of them, but have bought, or are considering buying them. Although I do not know the exact figures.

You have mentioned in your website that you intend to start “hen parties” which are being organised by the Omlet Co. So you have an interest in promoting their houses?

Commercially, in financial terms, it makes practically no difference at all to us whether you buy their house, or decide on another one of your own choosing. However, it would be appreciated if you decided to our garden pullets.But the final choice of houses and hens is always your own.

You must have read their website. What do you think of it?

Their website I believe is excellent and it definitely reflects the success of their products. Not only in the U.K. but world wide. Their forum, which includes many very positive comments from their many satisfied customers, would certainly make a sceptic person reconsider their initial objections to the new concept poultry house.

Anything else on their website?

You should really visit it, (and as many other websites you can find). Their website is not only informative, but fresh, enthusiastic and fun to read. It is well laid out, always up to date and covers a range of topics…..(but stay on this website meanwhile)

Finally is keeping poultry complicated….or is it really easy?

Keeping hens in the garden is not only easy….it is really fun and rewarding. From day one, you and your family will realise this is one of the best decisions you have ever made.
This FAQ is to help you decide and offer you reassurance. Also an occasional reference point…..But honestly, once you have your birds you will wonder why you left it so long.

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