Poultry Housing
What You Need to Consider
- Do you want chickens on your deck?
All chickens enjoy being able to forage and roam.
The question to ask is do you want chickens in your garden and on your deck? Perhaps you would prefer to have them confined to a run or pen? Chooks love to free range and will take whatever space you give them to forage. Yes, they will discover your veggie patch and perfectly manicured front garden! In the light of this we highly recommend it is best to define and confine their boundaries and get properly set up before you bring them home. - Wanting mobile and easy-care?
If looking to keep a small flock then a movable chicken coop would be ideal.
Omlet offer a range of chicken coops which are easy-care and very mobile. The Eglu Go or raised Eglu Go UP Chicken Coop is the smallest size and ideal for a flock of 3 to 4 hens. If you are looking to keep more hens and still wanting easy-care and mobile Omlet has two larger coops; the Eglu Cube (up to 10 hens) and the Eglu Pro (up to 15 hens). All their coops have the option of added run extensions. - Got space and thinking about walk-in?
If looking to offer your hens more scratch space and free-range opportunities then a decent-sized walk-in timber hen house is the way to go.
Here at Appletons we have a great range of walk-in timber hen houses. Easy access and easy to clean. Add a secure, enclosed run to your hen house for protection from predators; dogs, cats and other predators. Add an automatic chicken coop door for ultimate protection. Another option would be to fence an area using 1.8m high chicken wire and place your hen house within this area. Here at Appletons we let our chooks free range in our fenced in poultry area. Our vegetable garden is inside this area however it is fully enclosed (top and sides) and works well to keep the girls and everything else out (including rabbits!) - Placement and materials?
The position and orientation of your hen house is also key to having happy hens.
Direct the solid back wall of the hen house towards prevailing winds and rain. Ventilation is important, good air flow will reduce ammonia smells and help reduce the temperature in the hen house on hot days. Remember drafts are not favourable either - keep pope-holes and ventilation on the same side if you can. Sunshine is also key for good health and fertility in your flock so face your hen house north-west to catch morning and all day sun.
Eglu Cube Chicken Coop with 2m Run
Appletons Walk-In Batten Hen House
What Type of Accommodation is Best?
Plastic vs Timber?
Movable vs Fixed Postition?
Chicken Coop vs Walk-In Hen House?
Deep Litter vs Pull-out Tray?
Number of Nest Boxes?
Confinement vs Free-range...or a bit of both?
What to Look for in a Hen House?
- A hen house should provide chickens with a place to sleep and a place to lay eggs.
- It should offer protection from the elements, predators and vermin.
- The house should be a decent size to accommodate the number of chooks you require plus additional space should you ever need to expand your flock (which happens more often than not!)
- It must be made from materials that are easy to keep clean and free of red mites; either timber, iron or plastic.
- A solid floor to keep litter dry is a big bonus. A floor is also important in keep predators and vermin out.
The Eglu Pro is Omlet's biggest coop housing up to 10 to 15 hens.
Walk-In Mini Apex Hen House perfect for these 6 hens and rooster.
A deep bed litter system work brilliantly in hen houses that have solid floors.
How Does Deep Litter Work?
We use and recommend the deep bed litter system in our timber hen houses.
- The litter consists of untreated wood shavings which absorb droppings, odours and works to keep the chook house dry and sweet.
- Good housekeeping is required and fresh shavings can be added from time to time to keep the mix going.
- Watch out for wet spots and remove these quickly and replace with dry shavings.
- Deep litter should have no smell and can be incorporated into your garden compost to enrich it.
- Throw wheat or maize into the litter get the chooks to turn it over regularly.
- Make sure the litter stays dry for it to work effectively and only clean out when required. Your nose and eyes will let you know when it is time for a clean out.
- For some poultry keepers it may be one a month for others it may be seasonal.
- The floor litter once ready to be mucked out can be added to the compost bin in layers with lawn clippings and other general garden materials or placed around trees/shrubs in your garden.
Walk-In Access Makes Cleaning Easy
In a timber hen house easy access for cleaning is very important. A walk-in hen house with a person sized door will make all the difference to those cleaning jobs.
- A shutable pop-hole for the chooks to come and go is essential.
- A hen house on skids is a good idea should you require to move it from paddock to paddock. Add lugs for easy towing.
- If you are looking at having a permanent house site we recommend raising the house off the ground so the hens can use the underside area to dust bath and keep it free resident rodents.
- We recommend wood shavings in the nest boxes. Using hay or straw is not ideal as once damp is an easy breeding ground for moulds, fungi and spores plus it begins to smell dank. Or try our wonderful new chicken nest liner!
TIP! Avoid chook houses made of tongue and groove or batten timbers as they offer red mite plenty of lovely places to hide! Too much fancy insulation in the walls will attract and harbor red mites.
Timber Hen Housing
Appletons Walk-In Timber Apex Hen House.
The Omlet Eglu Go UP | Raised Chicken Coop.
What is a Chicken Tractor?
An all-in-one mobile setup.
A chicken coop essentially incorporates a cosy house with a roost and laying area that gives chickens access to an attached enclosed outdoor run.
It all moves as one unit.
Omlet Chicken Coops include the house and the enclosed run. The runs are made from strong steel weld mesh, virtually impossible for predators to break. A unique anti-tunnel skirt sits flat on the ground and prevents animals from digging in. You can extend the run in 1m sections if you wish. The Eglu can be positioned on grass or any other surface such as wood chippings or rough ground where the chickens can rummage. A run ensures that when you are outside you can be sure that your chickens are safe.
Eglu Go Chicken Coop.
A Mobile Coop is Essential
For those of us wanting to keep a few hens in our garden finding a chicken coop that is easy to move is going to be your main priority.
We highly recommend Omlet Chicken Coops if you are looking for mobility as they can be easily manoeuvred to a new area by one person.
You can move the Eglu Chicken Coop on your own effortlessly around your garden using the special puncture-proof wheels and easy to operate lever mechanism. Simply press down on the operating levers and push them into the resting notches to raise the chicken run off the ground, then push or pull the hen house into its new position. These coops are perfect for young families or retirees getting back into keeping a few hens in the backyard.
Note! Timber mobile coops can be cumbersome and heavy for one person to move. - especially when they get wet!
Omlet Eglu Chicken Coops are very easy to move on a daily basis.
The Eglu is easy to maintain.
Easy Clean Plastic Housing & Recyclable
Not all chicken coops operate on a deep litter system.
Omlet Chicken Coops are quick and easy to clean with a slide out plastic tray for collecting droppings and a large door at the back which allows easy access to the roosting bars and nesting area. Simply slide the droppings tray out and empty into the compost bin. The Eglu’s smooth plastic surfaces can be washed with a hose - no difficult corners or absorbent materials, or give it a deep clean quickly with a pressure washer.
Made from energy efficient polymers, it's a hygienic home for your hens that will last for years and at the end of its life can be recycled.
Unlike wooden housing, it is not necessary to spray your Eglu Chicken Coop with nasty chemicals. As they are regularly cleaned there is no need for a deep litter system.
Tip! Avoid timber hen houses with slide out timber trays these soon become annoying when they warp and swell with moisture and become impossible to use!
Number of Nest Boxes
Remember one nest box for every 4 to 5 hens is recommended.
The funny thing about hens is that they all usually choose to lay in the same nest box often all sitting on top each other when it is laying time.
- Nest boxes should be positioned away from perches.
- Nest noxes should always sit lower than perches.
- Perches should be removable for cleaning and therefore making it easy when spot-checking for mites.
In the Omlet Eglu Cube and Eglu Pro the nesting boxes are partitioned off from the house giving your laying hens extra privacy. This is a simple yet very effective design keeping the two important areas separate but linked.
Hens enjoy the privacy of a nest box.
Timber Poultry Run attached to an Appletons Apex Hen House.
An Enclosed Run is Worth the Investment
Omlet Chicken Coops offer the whole package. They include the house and the enclosed run and have the benefit of being mobile.
The runs are made from strong steel weld mesh, virtually impossible for predators to break. A unique anti-tunnel skirt sits flat on the ground and prevents animals from digging in. They offer and ensure a sage environment for your hens.
For timber hen houses we also offer and recommend investing in a run off your hen house.
Wire and timber panel make up a secure enclosure that can either be open at the top or fully enclosed. This offers your hens a safe and secure area to be outside their hen house that they can access when they wish to stretch their wings, scratch and enjoy some sunshine. Best of all it offers you peace of mind your girls are safe from dogs and other predators that can instantly decimate your flock (usually when you are not home!)
Movable chicken fencing can be used to contain your hens, however it is not predator proof.
Eglu Go UP | Raised Chicken Coop connected to an Omlet Walk-In Chicken Run with a Porch added for secure access to the front of the run.
A Clean Chook House is Important for Healthy Layers
Keeping your hen house clean is key to having happy, healthy hens.
Timber hen houses require more time and effort to maintain as they offer many more hidey places for red mite.
Depending on what system you use it should be done at least onc a season or more often if you have a red mite issue.
- Please wear a face mask when undertaking this job due to all the fine dander and and dust particles.
- We use a wide mouthed shovel brush, pan, paint scraper and big plastic bin to clean our houses.
- Remove the bulk of litter using the shovel.
- Sweep out the rest with a brush and pan and then using a scraper remove any necessary stubborn bits.
- Next spray the hen house using Poultry Safeguard. Follow instructions on bottle. Apply spray directly onto a dry hen house do not wash down or water blast prior to applying product.
- Wash down (optional) and leave to dry and replace with clean shavings.
For residual red mite control we recommend using Appletons De-Mite Powder in your hen house on a regular basis. If your hen house smells bad and is attracting flies then something is not working for you. A chook house should have no odour and be a sweet smelling home for your chooks.
Coop Care Products
