Hen House Designs

Raising hens is definitely not an easy task. Hens are vulnerable to many diseases, if they are not provided with a clean and hygienic shelter. Since, they tend to get dirty pretty often, it is difficult to maintain a clean shelter for them. If the hen house design is faulty, it may fail to provide proper ventilation to your hens. There are several factors to be considered while building a chicken house.

Hen House Designs
Though, there are several designs for building a hen house, the basic design aspect remain the same. The different designs of hen houses are influenced by two schools of thought. The first one says that hens do not like confined places, that are shady with poor ventilation. While, the other states that hens cannot tolerate the outdoor conditions. Extreme weather conditions make them feel sick. These conflicting views put restrictions on designing an ideal hen house. However, the two most popular designs that represent both the schools of thought are as follows.

Backyard Coop
This design is mostly popular in rural areas. It consists of a small chicken coop that is mobile and surrounded with fences. It is a form of a yard, where the hens are allowed to roam freely. The hens can peck and hunt insects within the confinement of the coop. The open structure facilitates proper ventilation and the hens do not feel confined inside it. This is the design that is closest to their natural habitat.

Nesting Boxes
This is an enclosed design, which finds place in almost all the hen house plans. They provide an access through a hinged roof. This makes it possible to collect eggs on a daily basis, as well as cleaning the bedding regularly. Whenever you want to clean the hen house, you can simply prop open the roof and take the boxes out. You can then pressure clean the entire hen house with a hose. Since, this is an enclosed form of hen house, it is essential that it provides clean and hygienic condition for the hens.

Factors to be Considered while Designing a Hen House

• Sturdy Construction Materials: Make sure you use good quality construction materials for your hen house. If you are planning to use a wire mesh for making windows, it is likely that rodents or predators may chew it up to get to your hens. Hence, always use strong wires to support the windows. Moreover, use concrete flooring to set up the coop, since it provides a strong base and easy cleaning.
• Ventilation: Hens cannot tolerate wet, damp conditions. Therefore, ensure your chicken house is airy enough. If your poultry house design demands doors and windows for ventilation, it is necessary that they are hassle free and easy to open. Messy and crowded structure can spell a disaster for your hens.
• Lighting: Chickens simply hate shady, poorly lit places. If you are going to rely on natural light, make sure your design has provisions for doors and windows. Electric lighting is a good option, as it not only lights the hen house but also provides the warmth and comfort at night and during winter.
• Hygiene:This is the most important aspect of chicken house design. An ideal hen house design should have provisions for easy and quick cleaning. Make sure you routinely clean your chicken house, because unclean conditions are likely to cause numerous diseases. It also makes the hens annoyed and irritated, which may, in turn, affect egg production.

Before building the hen house, evaluate the present and future number of birds the house is likely to accommodate. Select a design which fits in the available space at your disposal. Remember to allot 8-10 inches linearly, for every bird. You can refer several self help books or the Internet to look for more hen house designs.