Homemade Chicken Pens

Chicken pens allow your chickens to be outside, happily eating grass, weeds and insects. A well-designed chicken pen is easily moveable. It should have a secure bottom to prevent burrowing predators, but the bottom should also have large enough holes that manure will fall out. Moving your chicken pen daily will allow your chickens to eat as much as they want without destroying the landscape. The chicken manure left behind each day will provide adequate fertilizer for grass and plants.

Things You'll Need

  • Two 10-foot-long 2-by-4 boards
  • Two 5-foot-long 2-by-4 boards
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • 3 lengths of PVC pipe
  • Epoxy glue or liquid nails
  • Chicken wire
  • Metal ties
  • Wire cutter
  • Finger-loop springs
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the size of your chicken pen. Take into account the number of chickens you plan to keep. A 10-foot-by-5-foot pen will comfortably house five hens. Purchase two long and two short pre-cut boards at a lumber yard to make a rectangular base for your chicken pen.

    • 2

      Fasten the boards with a hammer and nails to make a rectangular frame for the bottom of the chicken pen.

    • 3

      Cover the bottom of the rectangular base with chicken wire or 1/2-inch hardware cloth. Fasten the wire to the boards with metal ties.

    • 4

      Use flexible PVC pipe to make three arcs over the rectangle; one across each short end of the rectangle and one across the center, parallel to the other two. The length of PVC needed will depend on the size of your pen. For a 5-foot-wide pen, use 10-foot-long PVC. The highest point of the arc should be at least two feet high. Fasten the PVC pipe to the boards with epoxy glue or liquid nails.

    • 5

      Cover the length of the pen with chicken wire by laying the chicken wire over the PVC arcs. Fasten the wire to the boards with metal ties. Use chicken wire to cover the front and back of the pen. Fasten the wire to the boards and PVC arcs with metal ties.

    • 6

      Use wire cutters to cut a three-sided opening in your chicken pen. Use finger-loop springs to hold the door closed. Finger-loop springs can be used on all three open sides for added security.