What Kind Of Materials Do You Need To Build A Hen House?

Keeping backyard chickens is a great way to have fresh eggs on hand for your family.  When you get chickens, you need to build a hen house for them to live in. So, what kind of materials do you need to build a hen house?  

When you set out to build a hen house, your main priority should be to construct a sturdy, well constructed structure that will last for many, many years. It should be completely predator proof and weather proof.  The ideal hen house should be easy for you to access, maintain and clean.

What kind of materials do you need to build a hen house depends on what you can afford to buy, what you have laying around your property and your level of construction expertise.  If you aren’t very handy, you would be better off to either hire the job out or buy a kit that is easy to assemble.

If you are a DIY warrior, chances are you can build your hen house out of a variety of materials both purchased and repurposed.  Take a look around and see what you already have on hand.  Any scraps, cinder blocks, bricks, 2×4’s, plywood, chicken wiring, etc. that you have laying around can be used.  When you are deciding what materials to use to construct your hen house, be sure and consider how easy these materials will be to clean.  While a wooden floor might look very nice at first, it won’t be easy to clean and sanitize over the long haul.

The most basic building materials you will need to build a hen house are:

2×4’s
4×4 posts
Concrete mix
Plywood / particle board / Exterior rated wood siding
Siding will be needed to cover the plywood / particle board
Chicken wiring
Blocks
Nails / screws
Roofing materials – either shingles or metal roofing will work
Door and window hinges and hardware

Depending on the hen house you decide to build, other building materials may be needed.  If you are a DIY warrior or you hire one to build it for you, it should be no problem to build something that works for you and your hens. 

Instead of building a hen house, you can look around and repurpose an old dog house that you have sitting around or a tool shed.  Add some chain link fencing panels and you have a chicken run that you can secure to your old dog house or tool shed.  Your hen house doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive.

 

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