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Fitting the Roof
I used Onduline for the roof of my henhouse. It is quite strong and long lasting, provides ventilation under the eaves and is supposed to prevent red mite. I used an overlap of approximately 21 cm at the front of the house and 9 cm at the back. You will also need a small overlap at both sides. I found it easier to cut Onduline with a jigsaw and then run the saw blade through some wood to clean off the tar build-up afterwards. I used a mixture of quite long exterior screws to fit the roof to the house instead of the nails that are supposed to be used with it. I drilled a pilot hole down first through the Onduline and into the wooden frame before screwing in the screws.

Making the Run

My run measures 187 cm long and 168 cm in height. As mentioned earlier this was so that I could walk into the run easily. IMPORTANT NOTES: The run should not be higher than the house or you will have problems fitting the two together. Once the plastic sheeting is fitted to the top, it should fit below the Onduline roof without obstructing the door mechanisms. Please note: add an extra piece of battening on top of the cross beam nearest the house. This will keep the plastic roofing material higher at one end than the other, to allow rain to fall away and not back into the house. Ensure the house and run are placed on land that is flat, or you might find that as water runs downhill, it might just run straight into your house (whoops, that what I did). The interior width of the run must match the framework of the house or the front door will not open properly. Attach all wire securely. The run is made up of two flat panels connected by six cross supports, three at the top and three at the bottom. Please note that the top cross beam near the house is set back by 26 cm to allow opening of the door.

Make a simple framework door as shown in this photo, to fit the end of the run. Fit hinges, hasps or bolts as required.

I have fitted hasps to the sides of the house to attach house and run together
These are easy to open so the house and run can be moved separately. You will have to cut a notch out of the side of the run to accommodate the cord from the door pulley. If required, fit plastic sheeting to the roof by nailing it to the cross beams. You could use ply or wire mesh if preferred. Just remember to allow for rain water run off by making the house end higher than the other.

The Ramp

My ramp is made of a 180 cm long and 31 cm wide piece of ply, reinforced with two long pieces of battening and two 180 cm pieces of tongue and groove, fixed tongue side upwards, to the sides. This was to prevent the chickens becoming frightened and trying to get between the ramp and the sides of the run. Remove the last 25 cm of ONE piece of the tongue and groove, to allow the chickens to get on and off the end easily. Pieces of flat beading were nailed in place every 15 cm to provide grip. All my chickens run up and down this with ease. If you should change the dimensions of your house, remember it’s not the height of the house that causes a problem for chickens; it’s the steepness of the ramp, so the higher the house, the longer the ramp should be.

Here’s a sketch of the construction – cross section of ramp.

Fit two eyes to the end of the ramp. I hammered two nails into the house at an angle and slid the two eyes over the nail heads. The ramp just sits on these, resting against the house, but you must remember to remove the ramp before moving the house.

Not a very good photo, but hopefully you can make out the nail head and eye at the top of the ramp. I looked at using a hook and eye, but this left too big a gap at the top of the ramp. If you haven’t already done so, treat the entire house with a good coat or two of garden paint or similar.

Hopefully you should end up with something like this:

It’s difficult to see in the photo, but I have attached a wide strip of wire to the underneath of the run, forming a skirt around the outside. This helps prevent foxes from digging underneath.

BEST OF LUCK to all of you who follow these plans and please don’t hesitate to email me if you need any further help. I cannot be held responsible for disasters arising from following these instructions!

 

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