I like the tagline for The Taunton Press, the company that publishes Fine Homebuilding (and my employer): “Inspiration for hands-on living.” While the company’s magazines and websites provide detailed instructions for all sorts of projects, I believe their greatest value is in their ability to inspire. Recently I was inspired to tackle a home-building project of a different sort: a hen house.
As a copy editor at Fine Homebuilding, I was hired for my proficiency in areas such as grammar and sentence structure, not for my home-building expertise. Nevertheless, because I read each issue’s contents thoroughly and am surrounded every day by knowledgeable editors who are passionate about everything from design to finish work, something was bound to rub off.
Several months ago my wife and I decided we wanted to raise our own chickens. Chickens, of course, need a secure house for protection from harsh weather and predators. “I can build that,” I immediately concluded—or rather, “We can build that.” My wife works at a school and spends many afternoons designing and building sets for the drama department. This experience came in very handy throughout the project.
After turning one bay of our two-car garage into a workshop, we started building. Not wanting to be saddled with a structure that was too heavy to carry out of the garage and into the backyard, we framed the hen house in the garage but added the sheathing, siding, and roofing on site. Our coop certainly won’t win any awards, but it was great fun to design and build, and our four hens seem to like it just fine.
Now that this project is done, I’m already thinking about the next one: a shed to house landscaping and gardening equipment, bicycles, and, of course, chicken supplies. That’ll probably wait until next spring, though, after I’ve completed some smaller projects that are higher on the priority list.
Inspiration for hands-on living? You bet!
Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products
Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Handy Heat Gun
Affordable IR Camera
Reliable Crimp Connectors