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Where to buy Hen House?


Chezstevens
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in the UK I have used Forsham Cottaage arks (http://www.forshamcottagearks.com/) who were great, but I have no idea if they export.

Here in france it seems to be the norm to cobble together a few palettes, whatever, and put a few roof tiles up! Either that or a fantastically heavy structure in concrete - or is that just for rabbits?!!
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Thanks for the replies - a few places to visit at the end of march.  We have thinned out a copse of trees to allow us to fence in a small area (1200 sq m) for the poultry.  The space has a small stonebuilt water reservoir in it.  It is visible from the terrace so we thought we would have some aesthetically pleasing structures for them all.
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Buy! Buy! Good grief. Get down to your local Terre du Sud (or local equivalent), raid the bin with the broken pallets in (after asking permission of course) transport it all home then spend a couple of hours working out a design (plenty of examples on the internet) incorporating an old curtain pole as a perch, and then pull the pallets apart and put them back together. Quick coat of eco-friendly green paint and bob's your uncle. Our chickens love it. Whatever happened to the "Good Life". With a little imagination you can even incorporate a mini pigeoniere!

Pete

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constructing one's own life is hard. Constructing a hen-house is easy :)

Forget the fancy designs, and think about what you want it to do.

Hens have survived for centuries - flapping around the farm-yard, laying in the hay, and roosting on wherever there's a space off-ground.

Are your chickens going to be fenced in? Is there a local problem with predators? Do you want them to be in an ark and move it every day? How much space do you want them to have?

A basic chicken house is a wooden (usually!) box, with a shelf for egg-laying and a perch, and a means for them to get in and out and also for you (for cleaning, and to make sure they haven't left the eggs on the floor - chickens are stupid.)

You can make it as complicated as you like, or just let them roam around and find their own places.

I've built quite a few hen-houses over the years, some more complicated than others, and they don't appreciate it!

All they need is shelter from the wind/driving rain, somewhere to lay eggs, and to be fed. They prefer to roost off-ground to avoid predators (well they are tasty, aren't they!) but that could be lathes built into the open barn wall (like at my friend's house) and it doesn't have to be complicated.

You may lose all your chickens to a fox, or a marten, or a dog, but there's nothing you can do about a determined predator - and indeed I've lost more chickens when they were constrained than when they were free-er.

Chickens are not fussy. Last week's leftovers is just as tasty as today's!

Get together a hammer, a few nails, some pallets/old doors/bits of wood and make yourself a hen-house.

You'll feel better for it :)

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We have just received the latest special offers brochure from our local France Rurale they are advertising a chicken house suitable for 4-5 hens for 295 Euro.  I have just had a look at the animaloo web site and it looks the same as Réf. AS4428 they are selling at 339 Euro. 
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The concept of putting hens in a purpose designed house escapes the French, let alone, spending 300€ + for the pleasure.  and I bet its no more than some nailed together fencing panels or larch lap on a simple frame.  If you look in the Smallholding mags sold in the UK, the place is a wash with folks trying to sell you their version of a hen house, thats better than all the rest, funny old world isn't it.

Last year I needed housing for 12 turkeys, and I bought a 3x3 m metal shed, from a supermarket - arbi de jardin, and its ideal with a few mods (ventilation and perches).

You could try using an old 2CV or R4, very french !  or just get some plans and some timber, its not hard to do.

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