How to Make a Chook Pen

Chook is an Australian slang term for chicken. Building a chicken pen is simple, but there are so many different designs for pens. One of the easiest pens is called a chicken tractor. This pen serves as a roosting area and run at the same time, and it is mobile. When the chickens eat the grass and insects under the pen, people move the pen to a new location. Building this pen is fast, easy and less expensive than making a large pen. The whole pen costs under $50 and easily holds up to 12 chickens.

Things You'll Need

  • Pencil
  • Eight 2x4 by 8 foot pieces of wood (parts A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H)
  • Hammer
  • 16 penny nails, 3 inches long
  • 2 2x4 by 6 foot pieces of wood (parts I and J)
  • 1 2x4 by 2 foot piece of wood (part K)
  • 2 2x4 by 46 inch pieces of wood (parts L and M)
  • 1 2x4 by 1/2 inch piece of wood (part N)
  • Chicken wire
  • Snips
  • U-shaped nails
  • 2 hinges with 1/2-inch screws
  • Screwdriver
  • Door latch or lock
  • 2 2x4 by 12 foot pieces of wood (parts O and P)
  • 2 6-foot by 8-foot tarps
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Instructions

    • 1

      Label each of the wooden parts using a pencil. This makes putting the pieces together easier.

    • 2

      Lay part A on the ground with one of the two-inch sides facing up. Form a square using parts A, B, C and D. make sure all of the pieces have the two-inch side facing up. Nail each of the corners together. This is square one. Make a second square the same way using Parts E, F, G and H. This is square two.

    • 3

      Pull the second square around on the ground until part A and E face each other. Leave six feet of space between the two parts. Move part I between part A and E so it overlaps A by two inches. Nail one nail through part I and A. Move part E so part I overlaps it by two inches, and nail one nail into the spot. Repeat this procedure on the other end of boards A and E with part J. This forms a rectangle between parts A and E. Only put one nail for right now. This makes a hinge for lifting the squares.

    • 4

      Get a second person for this part of the building process. One person lifts the end of square one that is across from A, and one person lifts the end of square two that is across from E. Lift the two pieces in toward the center of the rectangle. When the two squares meet, they are at about a 45-degree angle from the ground. Put square one's board on top of square two's board, and nail them in place. Hammer in plenty of nails. Go back and nail all the corners on the rectangle between the two squares.

    • 5

      Roll the chicken wire out, and cut it eight feet long using the snips. Place it across the bottom of square one and nail it in place using U-shaped nails. Cut a second eight-foot piece and put it on the top half of square one. Let the wire overlap if it is too long. Repeat this procedure on square two.

    • 6

      Cut a six-foot piece of chicken wire and nail it on the bottom of one of the triangular ends. Cut a second piece four feet long, and attach it to the top of the triangular end. Cut the excess chicken wire that is hanging with the snips.

    • 7

      Lay part K in front of you with the two-inch side facing up. Put part L on the left side with the two-inch side facing up. Line up the edge of part L facing part K with the edge. Nail them together. Repeat the procedure with part M on the right side of part K. Once the parts are nailed in place, it looks like an upside-down letter U.

    • 8

      Slide the upside-down U shape into the open triangular end of the pen, so it is tightly in the wooden triangle. Tap it in with the hammer if necessary. Once you get it in, nail it securely in place. This makes the door opening.

    • 9

      Close in the open areas around the door opening using chicken wire. Cut pieces of chicken wire and nail them in place. Leave the door area open.

    • 10

      Lay part N on a flat surface with one of the narrow ends facing you. This is the door for the pen. Attach the right side of the hinges to the door. Make sure you put one near the top and one at the bottom. Lift the door up to the door opening on the pen, and screw the left side of the hinges in place. Attach any kind of latch or lock on the right side of the door of the pen, but make sure it is strong.

    • 11

      Fold the two tarps, so each tarp is three feet by eight feet long. Cover the end of the pen by the door with a tarp. Turn the folded edge toward the door. Nail the ends of the tarp to the bottom of the pen, and the side facing the door to the edge of the pen. Put wire strips through the eyelets on the side of the tarp facing the center of the pen and the chicken wire, and twist the wire. The wire holds the tarp in place. This gives the chickens a shady, dry place for laying eggs.

    • 12

      Place part O against square one so it is three feet from the bottom of the square. Nail it in place. Repeat the procedure with part P against square two. This makes the carrying handles for moving the pen.