Many hen ark plans out there fall under the chicken coop category. People just assume that a chicken is a chicken, and therefore put little thought in building according to their birds needs. Hens require a slight different habitat that many people would not think to build. Though the variations are slight and can be overlooked by the untrained or lazy eye, those small details can make the difference between a good coop and a great coop.

Here is my hen ark plans put into action. This will be a two part article that will present this step by step explanation of how to build a medium sized hen ark coop that houses 10 hens with 4 square ft per chicken = 40 sq ft.

For the sake of time, I am going to assume you have checked your local zoning codes to see if your area is zoned for chickens. I will also assume you have adequate space for your hen ark coop. One more assumption I will make is that you have an adequate budget for this project. You can go to any hardware store or building material yard and give them this list for your project.

In this first article, I will give you a material list and then in the next article I will explain how to assemble your hen ark.

1. 3 pieces 4'x4'x12' treated redwood /for base plates
2. 3 pieces 1"x 6"x 12' construction redwood for fascia board
3. 24 pieces 2"x 4"x 12' construction redwood/ for sill plates, wall, studs and ceiling joists
4. 6 pieces 4'x8'x1/2" OSB particle board for roof, floors, and housing wall sides
5. 1 roll roofing paper
6. 1 roll composition roofing
7. 4 pieces of roofing drip edge strips
8. 14 pieces Simpson roof joist connectors
9. 2 - 5 lb.box 16d galvanized nails
10. 1 - 5 lb box ½" galv. Roofing nails
11. 2 2'x2' slide windows nail on type
12. 4 door hinges
13. 1 roll #3 chicken wire
14. 1 door latch set
15. 1 door has set
16. 1 lock, keyed or combination