Raising Chickens and Our Custom Henhouse

When we first bought our historic home, the property and house were in a terrible state of decay and disrepair. The 2 acre parcel was heavily overgrown and filled with bugs and Bark scorpions. In order to reduce the bug population, we had free range guinea hens to take care of the problem organically. I don’t recall at what stage we added chickens but they are a great addition to our family as pets and providers of fresh eggs daily.

Children and Chickens

I’ve never raised chickens before but I am so glad to have them as part of our life here at Bella Terra. When the children were little, the henhouse became a living school.  Many of life’s lessons are experienced here~~the birth and death of chickens, the pecking order and bullying, healthy vs. sick chickens, the biology of the daily egg laying, hens vs. roosters, reproduction, bug infestation, responsibility and the care and keeping of something other than yourself. The chickens became our pets with names like Fluffy, Donna, Spotty and Liberace.

Henhouse Placement

When designing my garden, it made sense to put a new henhouse nearby. Sitting adjacent to the south side of the garden, the hens make good use of any garden scraps available. During the seasonal garden changes, the chickens are supplied with overgrown plants and extra fruits and vegetables.

Before you build or buy a henhouse, please check with your local zoning to make sure that chickens are allowed and that you are compliant with local laws. Here in Phoenix we can have chickens, but no male poultry is allowed (rooster crowing does happen all day!).

Henhouse Design

After much research, we designed the henhouse and then hired a local contractor to build it. However, you can find an amazing selection of pre-made henhouses on Amazon (hard to believe)! Whether you want 3-5 chickens or more, you can find a very usable henhouse here.

The actual henhouse building is approximately 9 feet x 12 feet, with 3 doors and 4 windows.

Attached to the back of the henhouse is approximately 250 sq. ft of secured shaded space allowing the chickens to free range or give themselves dirt baths. It is recommended that you allow a certain percentage of space per chicken so you do not encourage overcrowded conditions and resulting problems.

Henhouses need appropriate ventilation due to the ammonia released with chicken poop. You can see in the above picture screened holes are up near the eaves adding to the airflow.

Design with a Bit of Flair and Whimsy-the Exterior

It is important to me for this structure to be attractive and blend into the rural nature of our back yard.   The decorative chickens on the front door are originally composite poly-resin stepping stones.  My husband cut the outline of the chicken with a jigsaw and then mounted them directly on the entry door’s panels.

The  rooster decoration above the front door adds a bit of whimsy. See similar here.

The Interior

I designed this structure to house both young, mature and ailing chickens.  The mirror layout, both in the henhouse and the outdoor space, allows me to separate the hens if necessary.  There is a pecking order and being hen-pecked is not fun.  Typically the older, bigger chickens will dominate the younger ones.  When we introduce new chickens to the flock, we separate them until they are the same size as the existing chickens, before we integrate them.

Upon entering, the center section is allocated for feed storage, hay, and egg collection. There are 4 drop down panels to gather eggs from 8 separate collection boxes. The hens never enter this part of the henhouse as it is strictly for us humans.

Special touches such as the chicken knob on the laying box panels, is a fun touch to collecting eggs every day.

The painted chicken metal decorative sign is a pretty way to dress up the pine wall panels. I do not recall where I bought this, but there are endless chicken/rooster themed signs online.

Chicken treats and other necessities are stored in this cute chicken wire box hanging on the wall. See similar here.

The Nesting Boxes

It is important to keep the nesting boxes clean and fresh as the hens do their laying there every day. To keep bugs away and provide a bit of pampering to our chickens, I make a nesting box potpourri out of all my old dried rose petals, dried chamomile, lavender, calendula and any other dried herbs I may have.

Here is the view from the chicken’s perspective (by entering the side doors). This is how the chickens access the laying boxes as they fly right up into them and sit until the deed is done.

At night the chickens roost on the bar located below the boxes. The small door near the floor allows the chickens to come in at night and roam freely in the outdoor area during the day.

Chicken Security

Even though we live in the 5th largest city in the U.S., our neighborhood has foxes, coyotes, owls and other wildlife.  The small black box attached to the sign below, emits 2 red blinking lights at night.   These solar Nite Guard devices frighten predator animals away.  We have several of these placed around the henhouse.  They seem to work ~~so far, so good.

The Benefits of Raising Chickens

• Fresh organic eggs
• Chicken manure that we recycle in our compost and gardens
• A school for children to learn about life, death, reproduction, henpecking, disease and animal love
• Relatively easy to care for with significant benefits
• Chicken meat if you are so inclined
• Peace of mind knowing you have your own food source

To see frequently asked questions about raising chickens, click here.

Having chickens (and one duck) provides us with many other blessings.   For me, this is my sanctuary.  When I feel stressed or overwhelmed, a trip to the henhouse is a bit of a therapy session.  The hens are always happy to see me.  A handful of kitchen scraps and I am their best friend.  Opening the door to the nesting box generally provides me a gift of a warm, freshly laid egg.  It is the simpleness of it all.  The smell of hay, the gentle clucking sounds….our henhouse and its residents are a gift that keeps on giving.

If you are considering your own flock, I strongly recommend it.  Small hen houses are readily available and a few chickens can provide your family with food, valuable lessons and a restorative place for your soul.

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