Building the New Hen Condo

- October 24, 2021

In the last few weeks, I have made several changes for my hens. Prior to this, I made the painstaking decision to re-home my two female ducks to a duck farm. I miss them terribly, as well as the duck eggs, but I don't miss the added work as they certainly are very messy creatures who constantly need lots and lots of water! I had them living with my hens, and they fortunately always got along with one another. But I think my hens are happier now, too.

I do love projects like this, especially anything involving carpentry!

Here is the building of the new hen condo, my favorite project to date!!!

The framing, with PVC sheet for the floor. I love this stuff! So easy to clean and poop does not get absorbed into the floor like a wooden floor does. It will last for a very long time too! Great stuff!

Chicken wire used at the top to keep the hens from roosting on the tops of the walls. I will hang a heat lamp during the winter above the chicken wire, from the roof of the run. There is an attic-like space above the chicken wire that has plenty of space for the heat lamp, which will be hung securely using a carabiner. It won't fall using this, but, worse case scenario, even if it was to fall, it would land on the chicken wire and would never fall into the hen condo to start a fire in the shavings at the bottom! I ran three pieces of 2-foot-side chicken wire across the top, which was a bit flimsy until I weaved wire to connect the pieces together, and this made a HUGE difference with the stability of the chicken wire! Now nice and taught and secure!

Closing in the hen condo, and adding the door to the clean-out entrance, as well as the ramp for the hen entrance!

Cutting out the two windows, font and side, and added roosting bars inside:

Windows framed in, with chicken wire over the windows, plus shutters! Hen condo stained blue. Love this color! White trim added. Also the sliding door over the hen entrance was added, which can be opened and closed from outside the run! Also stained the ramp, which is on hinges so it can easily be raised if needed.

At night, the more dominant hens were hogging up the two windows, front and side, and my less dominant hens were stuck towards the back of the hen condo with no window. I felt bad so I decided to add a 3rd window in the back. These less dominant hens love the addition! And it's a good thing the more dominant hens are hooked on the front and side windows, so they are not even trying to take over this rear window. Also added roosting bars that go across the two main roosting bars on each end, about 12 inches from the rear and front windows for added comfort near these windows. One of the two main roosting bars is only about 12 inches from the side window, which is perfect!

Added slide-out board across the bottom of the clean-out door so the shavings won't fall out when the door is left open, which I plan to do whenever the weather is nice, or when it's really hot out. I have the ability to do this because the hen condo is fully enclosed inside the predator-safe run area! And when I need to clean, I can slide this board out and set it aside, and just sweep the shavings out into the barrel down below. No need to lift any shavings out! They just smoothly fall over the edge into the barrel below! Also added a hook mechanism to old the door open so there is no risk to it closing on, and injuring, any of my gals!

I had bought mirrors for my hens and ducks a few years ago, which were currently in the run area. I decided to place both of them in the hen condo, as I know my hens enjoy them. Plus, when I peak in through the front, or rear, windows, from outside the run area, I will be able to get a view from these mirrors, as well, so I can easily account for all of my hens when I check on them each evening!