Chicken Houses - where do your chickens live?

[Washersaurus]

Surely you don't all have eglu's do you?

DH is desperate to keep chickens but doesn't want an eglu (and we can't afford one anyway).

Has anyone bought a coop from ebay?

I've just bought a small coop from ebay - I'm only using it for a broody hen & chicks. It has a 4ft run which is pathetically small and I certainly wouldn't put the recommended 3/4 hens in it.

The main hen house is a converted brick built old outdoor loo! (on profile) We've added an 8 metre x 4 metre run. It currently only has 6 hens in it and a cockerel but has room for more.

In the Chicken Keepers topic is thread called 'Chicken house porn'. They have really good wooden henhouses with 9 or 15ft runs and you can pay for it to be erected on delivery. And they're still cheaper than Eglu's.

I bought my first ark from Smiths Sectional buildings on the internet - it has a 7ftx4ft run which I thought sounded good. But when I got it I felt it was too small so I bought a load of chicken wire and some electric fence poles and made a pen. Stuck the ark in the middle.

Have just bought a new wooden house and am now using the ark as a broody coop.

Thanks all, we agree the ones that come with runs do look to be on the small side for the number of hens they recommend.

I think DH could manage to construct some sort of run area for the chickens himself (but I'm not sure he would manage to construct or adapt a house for them though). We are considering some of the larger houses for sale by AlbanyPetsLtd on ebay at the moment, I would be interested in your comments on them...

My Dh converted a large wooden box and made a run. I feel sorry for them in the run and let them out but they are a nightmare to get back in especially as dc have no herding instincts whatsoever.

Avoid Albany like the plague - have heard very poor reports about build quality on the Practical Poultry forum - lots of unhappy customers.

I got some hatching eggs yesterday from a guy who also makes houses - they looked very nice. He has a website and his company is called Westaway Poultry. No idea of price though.

Really? Having searched I have found conflicting reports on their build quality; some good, some bad.

I wouldn't expect too much of them as they are so cheap - and you do only get what you pay for!

We are just trying to find a cheap way to get started as we don't have much money at the moment. We will probably invest in something more substantial once DH has proved himself to be a reliable chicken keeper

Have you seen this thread about Albany?

kelseyinfo.co.uk/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1195482586

We built our own - pics on my chicken blog

It really wasn't very hard, and was much cheaper than buying one, or an eglu. Beware of the cheap wooden ones, as the wood can be very flimsy and need reinforcing. Also avoid anything with a felt roof like the plague!

Forsham have a nice selection as do The Domestic Fowl Trust

I can see what you are saying here, but I don't have £300+ to spend on a chicken house at the moment, hence the Albany Pets option! Hmm maybe we will just have to hold off until we have some more cash available to finance a better quality house.

Actually, I have just found this one via the Battery Hen Welfare Trust site. I think that looks like a darn good deal and I think DH wanted to rehome some battery hens anyway.

That is good value. Although we made ours out of a box, by the time we'd bought hinges and bolts, roofing and screws we'd spent a lot!

my dh built a hen house using scrap wood from local recycling centre - it cost nothing for the materials - he designed it himself, it has cut out hen shaped windows and wheels from an old pram.

good hen houses online but they are very expensive.

Well all I can say is that you obviously all have far more talented DH's

That one with the Battery Hen Welfare place looks nice. Does it say anywhere if its stained or not - I can't see anything? If not remember you may need to spend another £20 buying a decent weather proof stain (not a cheaper non-weather proof one).

I wish my dh would build me hen houses as well. Mine could if he wasn't so busy at work, plus he says the chickens are nothing to do with him and he won't get involved.