There are lots of things to look out for when buying your first chicken coop. I have listed below a few points for you to consider.

Is the chicken coop tanalised? Pressure treated timber is wonderful because it ensures the maximum degree of penetration of the treatment and hen houses that are tanalised will last up to 20 years maintenance free !! However, tanalised timber tends to be more expensive. If you buy a standard treated coop then make sure it is treated with a non-toxic treatment and remember to re-new the treatment annually.

Buy a chicken coop with a good, solid structure as hen houses should be built to last.

Make sure that the roof of the henhouse is weatherproof. Ideally the roof should have an overhang so that rain water will spill off easily and not pool. An apex roof is fine or flat sloping roof where the roof slopes away from the door so that water is shed backwards. The best type of roof is felted with a good quality felt or it could be made of a modern material such as Onduline. Onduline roofing is becoming popular because it doesn’t provide hiding places for mites whereas they will live quite happily in normal roofing felt. Whatever you choose, it should be drip-proof and provide a good level of insulation.

Chicken coops can be moveable with the help of wheels, while others may have the option of stretcher handles which allow you to move the chicken coop using a 4 man lift. Larger hen houses are often supplied with skids rather than wheels so that they can be pulled. If only one person is available to move the coop, then you need to look how easily this task can be achieved, otherwise you can expect difficulties.

Check to see that the chicken coop has easy access for both cleaning and egg collecting. Is there a door or a hinged roof? Do the sides unbolt or the perches come out? All important points to consider before making your purchase.

Check the flooring in the coop - is it solid timber, which is warm or is it slatted which is colder but allows any hen droppings to fall through. Some people prefer a rigid metal mesh floor which protects against rodents.

Make sure the chicken coop you choose is well ventilated as stale air can cause health problems. Depending upon the size of coop, ventilation is provided by either a window or ventilation holes. Check that there are no draughts which could cause problems for your hens.

A ‘pop-hole’ allows your hens to get in and out of the house easily and this is usually closed by either a sliding shutter or a drop-down ramp. If you can close or open the pop hole from outside the run then this is a bonus as otherwise you will have to inside the run to do this. Make sure that all doors, pop-holes and windows in the hen house fasten firmly to keep predators out. You may also consider using a lock to deter thieves.

Ideally there should be a perch for your hens to sleep on at night, with a minimum 20 cm of space per bird (30 cm if you have larger breeds) Make sure that the perch is higher than the nesting boxes so that your chickens are deterred from sleeping in their nesting boxes. If there is more than one perch make sure they are tiered.

Some chicken coops have a droppings board beneath the perch which useful for catching droppings so that they can be easily removed by sliding out the board. Alternatively, use thick plastic sheeting placed under the perches.

Nesting boxes should be placed low down in the darkest area of the house because this will discourage egg eating. There should be one nest box for every three hens using wood shavings or sawdust as a liner. The wood shavings should be from non-treated wood otherwise they may be toxic to the hens. Using wood shavings is better than using hay or straw as this may harbour mites and also become mouldy and rot.

There are many hen houses on the market and it is important to make sure you have done your homework before purchasing.