Wooden Chicken Coop with Run

A wooden chicken coop with its own run, for keeping a small flock of hens in the garden. The henhouse stands raised on legs, the enclosed run next to it gives the hens a safe outdoor space, and everything you use every day — nesting box, droppings tray, run door — opens from the outside.

Design

• Henhouse raised on legs, kept off damp ground
• Side nesting box with a hinged lid: collect the eggs without reaching into the coop
• Roofs covered with bitumen roofing felt to shed rain
• Pull-out droppings tray under the henhouse floor for quick cleaning
• Run enclosed with wire mesh on the sides and on top, with a latched front door
• Slatted ramp from the run up to the henhouse door

Setting it up

Place the coop on flat, well-drained ground, with some shade for hot summer days. Line the nesting box with straw or wood shavings before the hens move in.

Care

Slide out the tray and empty it every few days, and refresh the bedding regularly. Once a year, treat the wood with an animal-safe wood stain to keep it weather-resistant.