Discuss all aspects of raising poultry. No topic is too small
concrete hen house
does anyone have drawings/plans they could email me . i want to build a concrete block hen house for the winter as i live in a very windt exposed spot on the beara peninsula west cork?corrugated roof, and easy to clean out?
fiana
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 Hello Fiana.
Depending on how may birds, just a normal block building with ample windows to allow enough light in. You will need to line the roof with ply board, but give it a few coats of creosote or red diesel to stop red mite getting in. Without the double skin roof you will get condensation dripping on the birds.
On the wall faceing the weather give it a few coats of waterproofer.
Castle Farm
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 hi fiana as cf said a normal block wall shed is fine you can get syntetic sheeting now that is anti-drip meaning no need for a ply layer in the roof,
pat cody
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 thanks
fiana
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 Thanks Fiana for posting this, was thinking of building another house myself, timber sheds are expensive and red mites love them.
Maggie out and about!
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
i have a design in my head maggie, fairly simple, a block higher in the front so rain will run backwards from house. only a few blocks high in all. wooden door in back for cleaning, pop hole in front, wooden openings in the sides to reach into nestboxes. corrugated roof bolted on wooden frame for roof!!
fiana
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 also a little window or 2!!
fiana
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 Wooden opening to side for nest boxes great idea, I will be working with an existing wall, so will have to work out slope, also orientation is important to maximise shelter from wind and rain, going to try to work slope to gather rain water into their drinking bowls and for duck pond also, getting a bit complicated, might need an architect!! Lol
maggie
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 I can't find recent pics of mine, but here's a couple in the construction phase. There's sliding doors on the nestboxes on one end of the shed where I store eggs/medicine/feed etc...it means I don't have to go into the shed to collect the eggs...I just reach in from my side. I have more perches in there now and proper feeders...I'll take more pictures when I get a chance and post them.
http://i.imgur.com/X7poh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/LPHvq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pywHj.jpg
Penny Lane
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 Lucky hens, that looks really good! Please do post more pics would love to see them. As a matter of interest, what are the dimensions?
Your right about medicine and food, might as well have it all under one roof, gosh it's worth sitting down putting pen to paper to factor in all the variables!! Any hen house architects out there........
maggie
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 how much would that of costed penny ??
paddy hughes
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 wow, thats a huge house!!! i was thinking of 5 or 6 blocks high noly. would love to see more pics of it!
fiana
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 it's approx 18x12 ft. My dad built it for me (and I helped with labour wherever I could), so I only paid for the bricks,cement and some of the rafters..the rest of the stuff he had 'saved for a rainy day':)..perches made from branches and nestboxes made from old shelves someone threw out. The way we figured it, if I happened to lose interest somewhere down the line, it would always be useful as a shed...and as it stands, I haven't lost interest yet:):) It's definitely worth planning it out though..our designs went through loads of drafts before we stuck with the one above
I'll take some pics this evening and post them if the other half is home before dark with his fancy phone:)
Penny Lane
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 Dont forget to put in ventilation. There needs to be some up high.
ele
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 my layers house is 10x8x 10 high,stable type door at the front,with safty wire door ,an pop hole at the side into run, 2 perches each side running the full length, 2tiers of 5 nest boxes,that are up 3 feet off the ground,nest boxes are covered indoor cat toilets with no front flap, easy to take apart an clean, (no where for red mite to hide), everything can be dismantled for easy cleaning, roof is that green insulated corrageted sheeting, there is gutters for catching rainwater ,an an overflow hose from the barrel running 40ft to another barrel at the silkie pens.
pearl
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 sounds good pearl, very well organised. i want to get it right from the start. i used to keep bantys for 15 years and miss it and want to start again now we've moved to west cork!
fiana
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 i bought a wooden hen house on the web from tony in kerry. 165 euro. i saw it on ebay for 110 euro!!! a bit flimsy and would not take the winds here so will be a summer house for the girls and i'll have to build one before the winter. oh to be 20 years younger and be able to lift concrete blocks no problem!!!
fiana
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 ur hens are liveing in luxury penny id love to see more pics
marco
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 I think Pearl is spot on, you really need easy access, easy clean and no haven for red mites, and capture rainwater.
I have a concrete one but recently bought a wooden one for ducks, and to be honest it's fine for now, but really concrete is the best option, and as what Penny said it you get tired of keeping poultry it can be used as a shed. I would like to build a small dog kennel beside it with a run, so the dogs are locked into the run at night but not into the kennel. My dogs mind the poultry, one of the dogs will bring back a hen if she goes into a neighbours field, so would like to keep then near the birds.
maggie
Thursday, May 10th, 2012 This is my part:
http://i.imgur.com/gGXQn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Yx7Sy.jpg
and then the girls part (bear in mind it's a Friday, the day before the weekly big clean, so this is as messy as it gets!)
http://i.imgur.com/zm8b1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oXb8m.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gqvep.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zl2wm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3LEMD.jpg
we made alot of mistakes too with this shed, as the nest boxes don't come apart...which means I have to be vigilant with cleaning. and I would have put a proper sloped roof on the boxes at the start instead of the plastic one that's there now. The shed still has to be plastered properly on the outside and the roof sealed up on the inside to stop the mice coming in so easily...whitewash the walls..etc etc...it's a work in progress:)
Penny Lane
Friday, May 11th, 2012 Thanks Penny for sharing the pics with us, it looks very impressive, well done.
And also thanks for the tips. : - )
maggie
Friday, May 11th, 2012 looks brilliant, how do the hens get into the top boxes, or dont they use them?
pearl
Friday, May 11th, 2012 they jump from the perches:)the younger (and sometimes fitter) birds use them:)...they're used though...as I collect eggs from them:) you're right though Pearl, it was a fatal flaw in the design! I haven't entirely scrapped the idea of pulling them out and trying to introduce easily accessible boxes for all of them:) your cat toilets are the real deal...although money was tight at that stage:)
Penny Lane
Friday, May 11th, 2012 maby put a perch in front,the length of the boxes, the birds could get a foot or leg injury jumping up an down.
pearl
Friday, May 11th, 2012 Whoa there Penny ... you've taken "hen-residential" to a new level, georgian windows?!!!
Seriously, well done!
NeoGallus
Saturday, May 12th, 2012 Thanks Neogallus:) my dad was saving that window for something special:)
@Pearl: do you mean in the same direction as the nest boxes reaching across the house? maybe I should do that...
Penny Lane
Saturday, May 12th, 2012 Lovely job Penny.
Rho b
Saturday, May 12th, 2012 yes in front, the length of the boxes.
pearl
Saturday, May 12th, 2012 thanks rho:) Pearl, I'll see what I can do...it certainly makes sense:)
Penny on laptop
Sunday, May 13th, 2012
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concrete hen house
does anyone have drawings/plans they could email me . i want to build a concrete block hen house for the winter as i live in a very windt exposed spot on the beara peninsula west cork?corrugated roof, and easy to clean out?
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
Hello Fiana.
Depending on how may birds, just a normal block building with ample windows to allow enough light in. You will need to line the roof with ply board, but give it a few coats of creosote or red diesel to stop red mite getting in. Without the double skin roof you will get condensation dripping on the birds.
On the wall faceing the weather give it a few coats of waterproofer.
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
hi fiana as cf said a normal block wall shed is fine you can get syntetic sheeting now that is anti-drip meaning no need for a ply layer in the roof,
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
thanks
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
Thanks Fiana for posting this, was thinking of building another house myself, timber sheds are expensive and red mites love them.
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
i have a design in my head maggie, fairly simple, a block higher in the front so rain will run backwards from house. only a few blocks high in all. wooden door in back for cleaning, pop hole in front, wooden openings in the sides to reach into nestboxes. corrugated roof bolted on wooden frame for roof!!
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
also a little window or 2!!
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
Wooden opening to side for nest boxes great idea, I will be working with an existing wall, so will have to work out slope, also orientation is important to maximise shelter from wind and rain, going to try to work slope to gather rain water into their drinking bowls and for duck pond also, getting a bit complicated, might need an architect!! Lol
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
I can't find recent pics of mine, but here's a couple in the construction phase. There's sliding doors on the nestboxes on one end of the shed where I store eggs/medicine/feed etc...it means I don't have to go into the shed to collect the eggs...I just reach in from my side. I have more perches in there now and proper feeders...I'll take more pictures when I get a chance and post them.
http://i.imgur.com/X7poh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/LPHvq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pywHj.jpg
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
Lucky hens, that looks really good! Please do post more pics would love to see them. As a matter of interest, what are the dimensions?
Your right about medicine and food, might as well have it all under one roof, gosh it's worth sitting down putting pen to paper to factor in all the variables!! Any hen house architects out there........
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
how much would that of costed penny ??
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
wow, thats a huge house!!! i was thinking of 5 or 6 blocks high noly. would love to see more pics of it!
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
it's approx 18x12 ft. My dad built it for me (and I helped with labour wherever I could), so I only paid for the bricks,cement and some of the rafters..the rest of the stuff he had 'saved for a rainy day':)..perches made from branches and nestboxes made from old shelves someone threw out. The way we figured it, if I happened to lose interest somewhere down the line, it would always be useful as a shed...and as it stands, I haven't lost interest yet:):) It's definitely worth planning it out though..our designs went through loads of drafts before we stuck with the one above
I'll take some pics this evening and post them if the other half is home before dark with his fancy phone:)
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
Dont forget to put in ventilation. There needs to be some up high.
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
my layers house is 10x8x 10 high,stable type door at the front,with safty wire door ,an pop hole at the side into run, 2 perches each side running the full length, 2tiers of 5 nest boxes,that are up 3 feet off the ground,nest boxes are covered indoor cat toilets with no front flap, easy to take apart an clean, (no where for red mite to hide), everything can be dismantled for easy cleaning, roof is that green insulated corrageted sheeting, there is gutters for catching rainwater ,an an overflow hose from the barrel running 40ft to another barrel at the silkie pens.
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
sounds good pearl, very well organised. i want to get it right from the start. i used to keep bantys for 15 years and miss it and want to start again now we've moved to west cork!
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
i bought a wooden hen house on the web from tony in kerry. 165 euro. i saw it on ebay for 110 euro!!! a bit flimsy and would not take the winds here so will be a summer house for the girls and i'll have to build one before the winter. oh to be 20 years younger and be able to lift concrete blocks no problem!!!
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
ur hens are liveing in luxury penny id love to see more pics
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
I think Pearl is spot on, you really need easy access, easy clean and no haven for red mites, and capture rainwater.
I have a concrete one but recently bought a wooden one for ducks, and to be honest it's fine for now, but really concrete is the best option, and as what Penny said it you get tired of keeping poultry it can be used as a shed. I would like to build a small dog kennel beside it with a run, so the dogs are locked into the run at night but not into the kennel. My dogs mind the poultry, one of the dogs will bring back a hen if she goes into a neighbours field, so would like to keep then near the birds.
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
This is my part:
http://i.imgur.com/gGXQn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Yx7Sy.jpg
and then the girls part (bear in mind it's a Friday, the day before the weekly big clean, so this is as messy as it gets!)
http://i.imgur.com/zm8b1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oXb8m.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gqvep.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zl2wm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3LEMD.jpg
we made alot of mistakes too with this shed, as the nest boxes don't come apart...which means I have to be vigilant with cleaning. and I would have put a proper sloped roof on the boxes at the start instead of the plastic one that's there now. The shed still has to be plastered properly on the outside and the roof sealed up on the inside to stop the mice coming in so easily...whitewash the walls..etc etc...it's a work in progress:)
Friday, May 11th, 2012
Thanks Penny for sharing the pics with us, it looks very impressive, well done.
And also thanks for the tips. : - )
Friday, May 11th, 2012
looks brilliant, how do the hens get into the top boxes, or dont they use them?
Friday, May 11th, 2012
they jump from the perches:)the younger (and sometimes fitter) birds use them:)...they're used though...as I collect eggs from them:) you're right though Pearl, it was a fatal flaw in the design! I haven't entirely scrapped the idea of pulling them out and trying to introduce easily accessible boxes for all of them:) your cat toilets are the real deal...although money was tight at that stage:)
Friday, May 11th, 2012
maby put a perch in front,the length of the boxes, the birds could get a foot or leg injury jumping up an down.
Friday, May 11th, 2012
Whoa there Penny ... you've taken "hen-residential" to a new level, georgian windows?!!!
Seriously, well done!
Saturday, May 12th, 2012
Thanks Neogallus:) my dad was saving that window for something special:)
@Pearl: do you mean in the same direction as the nest boxes reaching across the house? maybe I should do that...
Saturday, May 12th, 2012
Lovely job Penny.
Saturday, May 12th, 2012
yes in front, the length of the boxes.
Saturday, May 12th, 2012
thanks rho:) Pearl, I'll see what I can do...it certainly makes sense:)
Sunday, May 13th, 2012