Hen House

Housing

?Chicken Coop Keet Kingdom?

Hen House Bird Houses

Bird Barn?? ? Aviaries Runs!

Chicken Tractors ?Pea Palace

??Pens A-Frames Cages?

Hoop Houses ? Kennel Coops

?Fort Guinea

As this is growing it is taking longer to load so have patience. All pictures are thumbnails so click on them to enlarge. Thanks and enjoy.

It doesn't matter the name....IT is a safe shelter for our poultry. Some here are lucky enough to get their building materials free in "scrap piles". Most of us end up paying as we go for our construction wants and needs. Sharing ideas may just suggest a way we can build better or cheaper housing.

These are a few pictures from different folks scattered about the country. Enjoy!

Virginia ~ Arkansas~

When asked to add a few words Virginia just replied, "a masterful example of over-engineering"! Fort Guinea is a wonderful home for some very lucky guineas.

The climate factor was definitely ventilation. It only gets really cold a few days a year, but the heat & humidity are awful. Fort Guinea has front & back doors & big windows over each. The doors are screen doors with 1/2" hardware cloth attached on the inside. The windows above the doors are hardware cloth too. That way the guineas have a breezeway running right through the middle, including their loft.

Virginia plans to either visqueen the windows & doors for the winter, or put in some screws so she can slide a piece of Plexiglas against the opening.

Crystal ~ Colorado~ First two pictures are a coop and pen for babies. Crystal has made them 2 little outdoor roosts. She covered it in chicken wire and window screen along the sides. A 4x8 sheet of plywood was used on the top and the side for shade. The coop is about to be expanded and made taller.

Second two pictures are carport turned bird pen. It's 10'x20'. The white canvas has 2 heavy duty zippers and Crystal uses one to get into the run. The coop itself is built just inside shelter which still needs to be closed in. It has small window screens on the other 2 sides. As you can see one of the birds is up on top of their outdoor roost. Another smaller roost is down below. It normally run 65 degrees at night so they are roosting outside at night. The roost is about 8 feet tall and right in the center of the run. No wild critter troubles so far.

Crystal used 2 hog panels and another part of a panel she had left over from another project. The run is 18' x 5'. You can't see it in the picture but they bent the extra piece of panel and rounded it to give them just a little more space. An extra 4x8 sheet of plywood was added to the top on the kennel so the top is now totally covered.

Scott ~ Northern Michigan ~

Scott's temps can go from 90 down to 0 degrees but he can get days around 105 or higher and as low as 30 below. He gets tons of snow, rain, heat, humidity, wind and about anything else a place can get.

Heated waters are used in winter time and Scott tarps the north and west sides to cut down on the cold winds blowing in. When he builds he thinks about the birds he is keeping and what makes them comfy.

The pens, referred to as his BIRD HOUSES, are higher pens because all his birds like to perch and they enjoy the height immensely. Maple tree roosts, about 3 to 5 inch diameter, are made for all the birds but the bantams. It lets the birds get their feet under their feathers in winter to keep them from being frost bitten.

The big aviary is 34 foot by 24 foot but can be split into a 24 by 24 foot pen and a 10 foot by 24 foot pen just by closing a door. Its about 6 feet on the sides and goes up to 15 feet in the peak. Then three pens run off of that that are each 8 foot wide.

ONE The first picture is the entrance into the bantams in the middle, guineas on the left, and on the right where keets and chicks are put for brooding plus it has access to a pen too. The left side will match the right in appearance in the end but for now it’s just chicken wire.

TWO This is a side view of the guineas pen, and then in from that is the bantams. The multi colored metal was given to Scott so he used it on this side and just hasn’t got to repainting it. The higher building with the bell that you can see is the horse barn.

Three Now you can see how the guinea and the chicken pen are hooked to the bigger aviary with the peafowl. Eventually the right side will match the left. Scott plans to put on some fiberglass panels for more light.

FOUR Scott and his father built all those pens, everything about them was done by hand yet you see a store bought nesting set up in this picture. :) He LOL at that.

Lyn ~ Southern Missouri~ Hot humid summer weather on Bull Shoals Lake along with heavily wooded property adds to predator problems. Winter is cold with snow and ice. Lyn uses heated water bases and closed housing during the harsh winter time.

October and the Pea Castle is added to Lyn's farm

Arlene ~ Missouri~ Hot summer weather with harsh winters. Winter can bring frequent snow and ice.

The small shed is sectioned off and used on one side to store feed and poultry supplies (grit, oyster shell, waterers, etc.) in. It was used as a nursery but a place was needed for the steel cans of feed. The front view of the feed side also shows the gate entrance into the pen which is secured top and bottom at night.

The silkie coop is about 4'x5' with roosts near the floor. Kitty litter box covers or cat taxies are used for nesting boxes on the floor. It has a window and hatch door that opens into the common pen. The door and hatch is closed and secured at night but during extremely hot summer nights, Arlene removes the door and screw in a welded wire door that lets air circulate. Until this year there wasn't concern about predators but with the arrival of the black snake will have to reconsider it and make some changes.

This coop shares a common pen with the larger coop but during hatching season she keeps the hatch from the large coop shut so the guineas and large chickens use the chain link fenced pen to exit. This is to keep the buff roo and two bantam roos from cross breeding with the silkie hens.

silkie house common pen guinea coop

The common pen has a tarp over the feeder side to keep it dry and on the opposite side is a blanket that is pulled down to keep the morning sun off the pen. The dog house is a haven for the small keets or chicks if they need to get away from the larger ones or if it's rainy, etc.

The large coop is 12'x10' and houses the adult and juvenile guineas and standard hens. Right now there are also a buff hen with 16 keets and about 10 or 12 silkies roosting over there. The metal nesting boxes are on the north wall of the large coop and were purchased on EBAY for $49 The roosts are made out of tree limbs and scrap lumber. The floor is wood and wood shavings and straw with DE for litter are used.

The guinea pen is on the back of the large coop and is actually a dog run made of chain link. The common pen and smaller coop is to the right. Hanging on the outside wall of the "guinea coop" picture is a folding welded wire pen that folds out to an 8" square that can hold smaller chicks or guineas. I have two of them.

The "Rear Coop" picture shows the pen side of the silkie coop and is in need of being replaced or major repair. You can see the small hatch door that I open in the morning to let them out. The "Shared Pen" picture shows another view of the common pen and just a small portion of the guinea house on the far left.

Terri ~ Missouri

Gene ~ Oklahoma~ In order as they appear, Bird Motel, Community Building, Grade School, Nursery, Isolation, Kindergarten.

Jan ~Oklahoma~ Jan has some of the more unusual "names" in our group. This first group of pictures are of the Keet Keep.

Bunny ~ Rhode Island ~ The red building houses the chickens while the new, unstained house is for Bunny's goat. Special ceramic floors make this chicken house a real "show place". Bunny put the floor down herself. The back of the house opens to a 25 x25 run for the chickens. Presently, all are enjoying freedom free ranging. Winters at Bunny's are harsh, dropping down to -44!!! Yes, you read that right. Summers are mild and in the 70s.



ceramic floor	small chicken door with own roof

Chris ~ North Texas ~

It was important to have something roomy since Chris' birds are cooped the majority of the time. As well, it was important to have something that was portable and easy to clean, since this is someone who lives within a large city. The top level has clean out doors on both sides, as well as access doors to both the house and pen on the front. The bottom has a 4 foot access door for cleanout as well. The entire pen is 4x8, and the combination of the two floors gives me 64 square feet of floor space. The bottom level is 2 foot tall, and the top is 3 1/2 feet from floor to peak. The top level simply sits on the bottom, and can be taken off or easy portability. He constructed everything out of 2x2's and 1/2 inch plywood sheathing to keep it as light weight as possible. Chris is renting and wanted something he could move if needed. His home is surrounded by heavily wooded lots make him feel like he is country.

Linda ~ North E Texas~

Frank ~ Texas~ Frank has mild winters along with the usual hot summers of Texas.

Pic 1, 6 pens with one to outside open air pen

Pic 2, 3 pens completely enclosed with small coops inside and has doors/window

Pic 3, 7 pens all open to east with shade from trees

Pic 4, Chick tractor on wheels

Pic 5, Home made brooders on wheels, holds 12 pens

Pic 6, 2 commercial brooders w/5 tiers

Pic 7, small brooder

Pic 8, 2 Incubators

Frank is working on adding lots more room for his flock. These are pictures of the current progress.

Vickie ~East Texas~ Hot summer weather with mild winters are what Vickie has to work around. She has a wonderful chicken house for her chickens and guineas. The latest addition (last two pictures) is her houses for the new broilers.

April ~ South Texas ~ Guineas for sale, and for personal bug patrol are her goal. She and her husband have taken dog kennel panels and modified to fit the needs of guineas. Experiencing milder winters in South Texas allows for a more open concept which is needed during the HOT summer months.

This pen is 10 x 30 made of 10 x 6 dog chain link panels from Tractor Supply. (7 panels and one gated panel, constituting two complete dog pens. the cost is 218 for each pen)

Then secured into the ground with T-posts on each joint. (where two panels meet) Then treated 2 x 10 s are used for the ceiling and the side mounts.

Then fiberglass panels are used for the roofing. The white lining inside the pen on the ceiling is an insulator and acts as an added measure from leaking roof panels. They are old plastic political signs that my brother had made when he was running for state rep in district 54. We have tons and tons of them left from his campaign.

Cutler Supply netting is used for the middle section to let light in. then the front 10 feet and the back ten feet are covered in the roofing panels.

Roosts are propped on bricks to keep them from sinking into the ground. Nice way to make a pen without digging a single post hole! Stands up to some very hard winds because it is attached to a 30 x 30 pen just like it and then on the other side is another 10 x 30 pen. All pens joined together make on large 50 x 30 area with interconnecting gates. Chicken wire in used at the bottom of the pens and bent outward and staked with those little garden stakes.

Larry ~ South Texas ~Larry took the time to create a very nice hoop house that is strong and secure. He used a cattle panel along with small welded wire covering the panel. Notice the one house in the background that has been covered with heavy plastic. Check out the funnel he has attached to the top of the water container to keep the birds off.

bren ~ North Texas~ Hot summers and mild winter weather allows bren to build more open housing. During cold windy weather a tarp is added to the front of the COOP and the other tarp is let down on the PEA PALACE. Both the coop and the palace have dirt floors.

COOP PEA PALACE

Construction of the Guin Pen

I am going to house about 20 of my special colored guineas inside this pen. My two grand daughters are testing it.

Kennel Coops~I & II

Need of more space sure does add to creativity. Bren took a 6 x 4 foot chain link dog kennel and converted it for silkies and showgirls. She wanted this tall enough to stand in so John added pvc framing covered with chicken wire. The corners of the pen are secured with small scraps of chicken wire. The gate top is overlapped with small hardware cloth. All the wire is connected quickly with plastic slip ties around the corners while the main top is connected with metal clips. The edges have scrap metal from old above ground swimming pool slipped under and extend up to help prevent something from reaching in and pulling out and digging under. There are stepping stones all the way around the edges to prevent digging from the outside. The corners are filled with cement blocks to prevent the hens from going broody there, again...to protect from paws reaching in. A heat lamp is hanging and control with a thermo cube that turns it on when the temperature drops to 38. It will go off again as the temperature goes back up. An addition light is burning all the time to let the hens "see" all night so nothing can sneak up on them in the dark. The roof got too high so you might want to use more bends, joints to angle it down. If you have a taller kennel then the top could be covered straight across with a cattle panel, covered again with chicken wire.

Kennel Coop I

Kennel Coop II

AND AGAIN more space was needed for a grow out pen and this is a fast fix. This time Bren bought a 10x10x6 dog kennel at Tractor Supply and modified it to make it more secure. She added extra wire twists to make it hard for a predator to pull the wire out enough to squeeze in. On the bottom pipe every link had a twist added. The middle supports had several additional twists and the top rail had every other link secured with more twists. This GREATLY strengthen the chain link. Stepping stones were laid out around the edges to discourage anything from digging under. Hardware cloth was run around three sides, 24 in high, to prevent hands from reaching in and pulling heads or bodies through the large chain link at night.

Dog kennel cost = $213.00 with a 10% discount card.

Extra aluminum twists = 30/$2.10 needed 6 packages ==$12.60 (I connected ever link around the bottom, every other at the top and added two to the middle of each section. )

Stepping stones = .99 needed 24 =$24.00

Hardware cloth 25ft. x 24 in. = $15.47 (bought this in 24 in size so top and bottom would have finished edges to save my hands working ~attached with zip ties)

Poles to go across the top = 4 @ $8.00 = $36.00 (These were bought at Lowe's found with the chain link fencing as were the twists, and clamps. )

Clamps to keep poles straight = 8 @ .56 =$4.98

Chicken wire = 22 feet of 6 ft width = appox. $22.00 (Lowe's did not carry 6ft width so this was found at Tractor Supply. )

All the edges/gaps were covered with either the smaller hardware cloth or scrap welded wire that was on hand.

Tarp 10x8 = $12.00

Approximate cost = $340.00 AND I was able to put it all together except the top. It took three full days of working from me along with about 4 hours of my husband's help with the top.

Wes ~Central Texas~ The first are small tractors that are used to keep extra roos in or as isolation pens for new birds brought on the property. The second is a bigger tractor that once housed the frizzle roo and hen that were killed by fire ants a month or so ago. The third one is barred rock coop. The fourth one is bantam cottages and is a combination of 5, 4x12 coop/run combos. The bottom four pictures or of the new frizzle palace and is based on a 1940s to 1950s southern layer coop Wes found online. It will house breeder trios of partridge bantam frizzles that Wes is working on to improve the color as the original pair, seen in the tractor in picture #2 is a red frizzle roo and a buff partridge hen. The outside nest boxes are great and limits the amount of time Wes has to go into the coops and makes it easier for the kids to collect eggs.

Sandy ~South Texas~ Heavy gage plastic is placed over the chicken wire during the winter months of Sandy's BIRD BARN. For Texans, we get the best results by not putting the metal roof straight on over the wire top. First we insulated the top of the cage and then put on the metal corrugated tin roof. This seems to help a lot in keeping the pens cool. We have notice all summer long, a 10* difference in temps. When it's 100* in the shade outside, it's 85* to 90* in the pens. For a Texan, that's a huge difference in survival of our birds.

Sid ~ North Texas ~ One of the most natural looking farms built to house a very large breeding group of peafowl. Visit his site to see ALL his pictures at www.texaspeafowl.com.

Gardner ~ Washington State~

This is all Gardner's husband's design.


Brooder closed and open		Peafowl roost ~ Guinea roost

Front: Looks like it is built as one.. but there two houses there. Man door on left opens to chicken house, it's roof slopes up.

Man door on right is guinea/peahouse. breezeway on right, and storage one way right. The guinea house peaks so high - there are windows that push out along top over the chicken roof. I think I need to take better pictures.

Back: you can see the bird doors, and the lean too in the guinea/pea yard. Ramp up into house, fence between chicken and guinea yards.

Closer of back: you can see the fence better. Bird doors are kept open and closed with simple eye and hooks. The birds in that photo happen to be Charcoal (one of my silkies) and some keets she hatched

Michelle ~ Wisconsin~ First picture is a front view of dog kennel, silkie shelter and guineas. Shelter is offered for all to get out of the weather. During winter months it is tarped with a small opening for them to get into. 98% of the time they stay out and roost in the weather. Michelle use to "put" each guinea in during bad nights but they would come right back out. The bowl is one that can be heated during VERY cold winters.

Michelle decided to build a more secure shelter for her poultry. WOW! This is really a work of art.

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