The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Herbert14 on February 20, 2015, 10:26:33 pm
-
I was hopping to build a hen house for my new bantams but need a bit of insparation. I have done all the hard work of stripping the wood from the pallets (which Is back braking work) and just not sure quite how to build it yet. Any ideas and/or pictures welcome.
-
We have built a couple from wood stripped frompallets. Much warmer than the plastic one we bought and no condensation unlike the plastic.
The first doesn't have external nest boxes and the floor was pallet wood. It was to bring youngsters on so no problems re nest boxes but the muck gets trapped in the grooves between the wood.
The second one I love, warm, good external nest boxes and a solid ply sheet for the floor. So much easier to clean. There are natural small gaps where each wood meet but doesn't pose a problem in bad weather.
The roof is onduline to stop mites.
Wish I could upload piccies but not very iPad savvy ????
There are a good few designs on line to help. We are going to build a better one just to tweet access for cleaning, and sell the plastic one.
-
Just for information, you can get a really neat tool for stripping pallets, makes it easy. Can't remember what it's called ::) but you can google it.
-
Have you tried looking on pinterest? They often have lots of free plans for stuff like that. Or try the homestead survival website, also lots of free plans for diy stuff, often with pallets
-
I like playing with pallet wood too but just a word of caution about the chemically treated ones - (I am sure you already know this) but I would check to make sure you birds wont be harmed by the chemicals used to preserve the re-usable ones. It is stamped on the pallet and there are some nasty checmicals that dont want to be getting into the food chain..
-
I'm in the middle of building a bantam house although not out of pallet wood
Mine is made from 2x2 timbers and tongue and groove ship lap so strong to last
We post pics
-
I love re-using materials.
The first chicken hut I made from the non-rotten parts of an old shed and the second from some wood from a fence we took out. Both are easy to clean, but I would recommend external nest boxes if you can.
-
I like playing with pallet wood too but just a word of caution about the chemically treated ones - (I am sure you already know this) but I would check to make sure you birds wont be harmed by the chemicals used to preserve the re-usable ones. It is stamped on the pallet and there are some nasty checmicals that dont want to be getting into the food chain..
Good point, I discovered this when I was first going to make beehives out of old pallets.
They should have a stamp on them somewhere displaying what treatment they have had.
HT = Heat treated
MB = MethyBromide treatment, an insecticide treatment which has now been banned (not good for beehives!)
DB = Debarked wood
The advice I found said avoid coloured pallets as they are normally used to transport chemicals and there may be a slight risk of spillage on them.
As long as they aren't stamped MB there shouldn't be any problems and even if they are its unlikely to create any great danger unless you burn, lick or chew them :)
-
Not made a hen shed out of Pallet wood but we built a goat shed and all of the outside walls where from Pallets
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=33598.msg345569#msg345569 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=33598.msg345569#msg345569)
-
I've made several hen houses from pallet wood. To be honest it's a lot of work if you've got to break up the donor pallets and it's a bit of a pain assembling enough planks of the same size and/or thickness. I used to build them on a base also made from a fully boarded pallet that way the planks from your broken up pallets are the right length to fit the sides. It's cheap but it's time consuming compared to using new timber of plywood.
-
I've made several hen houses from pallet wood. To be honest it's a lot of work if you've got to break up the donor pallets and it's a bit of a pain assembling enough planks of the same size and/or thickness. I used to build them on a base also made from a fully boarded pallet that way the planks from your broken up pallets are the right length to fit the sides. It's cheap but it's time consuming compared to using new timber of plywood.
True, but there is something to be said for the satisfaction of remodelling old pallets & the extra effort it takes gives a nice warm glow dont you think.
-
I've made several hen houses from pallet wood. To be honest it's a lot of work if you've got to break up the donor pallets and it's a bit of a pain assembling enough planks of the same size and/or thickness. I used to build them on a base also made from a fully boarded pallet that way the planks from your broken up pallets are the right length to fit the sides. It's cheap but it's time consuming compared to using new timber of plywood.
True, but there is something to be said for the satisfaction of remodelling old pallets & the extra effort it takes gives a nice warm glow dont you think.
,and the smug smile for having built a warm, sturdy hen coop that didn't cost a penny :excited:
-
I've made a few small coops for bantams got the idea from an old chap who had about 30 small coops and runs for his many bantams. As long as they are treated with preservative regularly they will last for many many years. Only costs were screws hinges and roofing felt so all in a very cheep housing for poultry.
-
I've made several hen houses from pallet wood. To be honest it's a lot of work if you've got to break up the donor pallets and it's a bit of a pain assembling enough planks of the same size and/or thickness. I used to build them on a base also made from a fully boarded pallet that way the planks from your broken up pallets are the right length to fit the sides. It's cheap but it's time consuming compared to using new timber of plywood.
True, but there is something to be said for the satisfaction of remodelling old pallets & the extra effort it takes gives a nice warm glow dont you think.
I do agree but sometimes I just haven't got time to mess about. I'm in need of a new henhouse now and it's got to house up to maybe 50 layers so building out of pallet wood just isn't an option this time.