The nesting box is quite a social gathering sometimes and when I say they don't always lay in an orthodox manner, I mean it. The bottom picture shows a hen who, about 15 seconds later, laid an egg on top of the other one, rolled off and I was one breakfast short !
Like us, they sometimes spend a long time sitting there (don't read a magazine though !

I think the main thing here is to firmly put the chickens first. I spent a long time worrying about them when I first kept hens and since then, about 8 years, I've had them living in about 5 homes and found them in their own made ones as well !
As long as it's dry and cosy, you'll have no problems. I remember the place in the TV series 'Ballykissangel' where they kept their chickens in an old car ! This sums it up so well. If you want a fancy place, by all means give them a fancy place, but they don't have to have that.
 No harm in a bit of character though !!

So, they say the minimum sizes should be 4 square feet per bird on the outside and 1 square feet for each bird inside - and I reckon that to be about right and goes along with what I've had before. For instance, my shed, which is 6' x 4' has kept 22 hens quite well.

CHICKEN ARKS / MOVEABLE HOUSING

The joy of the ark is that you can move it around the garden thus giving the chickens fresh grass to eat and scratch every day or so. The other good points are you know where they are and can easily shut them in for the night.
The negative is that no matter where they go on your lawn, they're going to leave their mark and this will take a few days, or weeks depending on how often you move the Ark, to recover.

I took pictures of a few types whilst at the local Auction.....

Click all photos for full size

The 'standard' and basic ark. This one is about 6' x 3'6" and would house two chickens OK

Getting larger. About 8' x 4' with a 6' x 4' external area. This would be OK for 4 chickens

The bed / nesting area is about 4' x 4', then has 2 x external extensions 8' x 4' each making total size of 20' x 4' !

Another 8' x 4' design. The height allows you to get inside for cleaning purposes etc.

This ark shows the raised bedding and nesting box allowing the hens more room to roam underneath. Plus this gives a little shelter as well

This one's about 10' x 4' and incorperates a nesting box on the outside allowing more 'privacy' for the hens when laying

Remember chickens are very adaptable. There is no problem with the 'standard / basic' ark, but you may find after a while that they do need a small shelter area. Also, by that time you'll probably be thinking of increasing your flock anyway !!
STATIC AND SEMI STATIC HOUSING

I started with 2 chickens and a 6' x 4' Ark, I then extended the ark, then built a shed and used the ark as their external area, then sold the ark and made a 60' square enclosure and at one time went up to over 30 chickens ! That's what happens I'm afraid - either by off periods of egg laying or the pure joy of having chickens usually brings this about.
Saying that, I'm lucky. My landlord agreed I could use the wasteland at the back of the property. If I wanted to and had the time to maintain it, I could have one 200' x 60' !!

Having a 'proper' hen house or coop allows you more space and options for perches and nest boxes. I have three perches about 4' long each and a laying area of about 4' x 2'. But don't believe they're going to lay the eggs where you want them to and where they're easy to get at !

Many people make a run alongside a garage - some make a hole in the garage wall, house the chickens inside and let them out into the run as 100% exercise area.

The only problem is with static housing is that the ground is going to get destroyed quite quickly and quite completely. That is grass and greenery wise, so ample food is required for them. After a while they'll make their dust baths and the ground will become quite dusty.

One rather enjoyable plan I came accross was this. A 4' x 6' shed with a exit hole on each side. Three exit holes are shut at any one time and a 12' x ' 4' run is put into place for a fortnight, then rotated round the shed. This gives the used area 6 weeks to get going again. (see left column)

The shed is about 6' x 4' and has the external nest box (used about once every six months !!).
In the bottom picture you see I have the nesting boxes below the height of the perches, but in a place where they can get up a bit higher for privacy etc. I use the plastic trays as toilets, layered with paper and wood shavings, it's easily disposed into the compost heap

My Set Up.......
My external area is fenced with corrugated iron to a height of 5', above that I've hung spikey chicken wire up to a height of about 6' in total. The fence is sunk about 8", but I've made sure with planking going around that as well.
Finally, don't forget the gate ! Sounds stupid, but I forgot the fox could get under there as well. I've now hammered old tent pegs into the ground directly underneath and this seems to have worked.
My chicken enclosure looks like a prison, but it's safety first when 'he's' about !
Some ideas for the garden

Some reasons to keep your own chickens !

The Alternative
Chicken House !

Click for full size

You wouldn't believe I got 'A' Level Art !!
This shows the hen house with two doors and a exit hole on each wall allowing 6 weeks for each part of grass
to recover

Know where the eggs came from
 Your eggs will taste better than any others
They are great 'pets'
The eggs pay for the food
 Low maintenance
Chickens are fun !

Video Clip

The building of my second chicken shed Summer 2005 (in only 36 seconds!!)

The Fox !

'Old Foxy' gets pretty bad press, especially with chicken keepers. Protection is the key. Read the
Down the Lane Fox Page

Twelve great value Chicken Keeping books from Amazon in the Down the Lane Book Pages