I was looking for a easy maintenance coop that would lower the risk of mite infestations and be easy to clean regularly. I also wanted a coop big enough that I could step inside if needed without crouching around.
Looking at the options available online, I was shocked at the costs involved in the popular plastic coops you can buy and didn't have £600 to spend on just the coop!
So had another look around for alternatives and found this Keter double insulated plastic shed
Perfect for the project at 4ft X 3ft X 6ft and a fraction of the price at £200. That might seem like a lot of money, but it was much cheaper than buying the materials to build it from scratch.First thing I did was add a perch for them which runs diagonally across the coop; I used a branch from the garden that was the perfect size for my hens. Then I gave them two chunky plastic storage boxes as nest boxes. Of course, they all prefer the smallest one and will pile in there together and scream at each other
(Birds eye view
):
You can see the pop door in the bottom right corner of the picture. It leads out to the enclosed/secure run which is about 20 sqm (including the coop footprint) or 200 sqft. I have some large stepping stones at the door on both sides to help the girls get in and out easily.
Then I added a large ventilation window in the north east facing wall of the shed. It can be closed over if the weather turns a bit nasty.
With the help of my partner, I made a extra wide door to access their run. I decided to make it extra wide so that I can comfortably get in there with a wheelbarrow to dig out some of the super rich soil to use in the garden as well as dropping off sections of straw bale/ grass clippings etc. for them to dig through.
Inside the run, I have an old turned on its side water tank, which the hens use for shelter when it's windy/nasty weather and they want to stay outside. It also houses their auto feeder, which is a homemade PVC pipe construction.
My girls are pretty eager to stay outside as much of the day as possible, so it was important to cover the run with a clear roof:
I was able to get a clear tarp online for £20 and it works very well as a rain shelter, although I do need to build a better frame for the roof as heavy rain is starting to puddle in there in places and when it snowed, I had to physically punch it off the roof
It can get a little noisy in windy weather, but when I get around to changing the roof frame it should make a marked improvement.
The Extension Run
So I wanted to put my lovely little dusty divas to work in the allotment section of our garden. They love digging and eating creepy crawlies and weeds and well... I don't
Hence the extension run. It is flexible and movable, which means that I can pull out the stakes and put them into the soil anywhere I want the hens to turn over. All in the safety of a chicken wire extension run with a bird net top/roof. I only use this extension run when I am in the garden with them, so it doesn't have to be completely predator proof, just keep them in a safe area and stop my dogs annoying them.
