Oakdene Coops | Chicken coops

Oakdene Coop’s Hen Houses

We design and make all of our coops in Surrey. They are made by hand with precision tools, ensuring outstanding quality.

Fittings & Fixings - We use solid A4 stainless steel for all of our exterior screws, unlike galvanised screws they will not corrode. We do not use nails or glues because screws are stronger. We use a variety of different screw designs to maximise the strength, aesthetics, and quality of the coops and runs.

Timber - Our timber is renewable, sustainable, recyclable, non-toxic, waste-efficient and bio-degradable.

We use 19mm double vacuum treated (vac-vac) softwood shiplap, it has a low knot count and we ensure that we only use timber which is largely knot free. We guarantee that your coop will be free from large knots.

The framing we use for the coops is treated under a double vacuum, slow grown, redwood pine softwood with a planed finish. As you can see in the photo, it has a super smooth finish and an attractive grain. This ensures consistency in the quality of the timber. Due to It being slow grown and dry treated, movement in the timber is greatly reduced. It is 50mm x 25mm framing, ensuring that the coops are solid in there construction and last for many many years.

We use the same high quality, planed timber for the legs. The only difference is it’s thickness, it is 75mm x 38mm, so it is very sturdy.

Finishes - We use Cuprinol™ Garden shades and heritage shades. Every inch of wood is painted inside and out. This reduces the risk of mites, makes it easier to clean, and prevents rot.

Cuprinol™ Paints give long lasting colour and weatherproof protection. The attractive colours have an opaque matt finish to them and allow the texture of the wood grain to show through. I have selected the colours to complement the natural colours of any garden.

Ventilation - If you have read the paragraph on ‘insulation properties’ the you will understand the importance of correct ventilation. Chicken coops should have ventilation to match there insulation.

It is also important to ensure that a chicken coop does not get a draught through it. We have solved these problems with our well thought out ventilation holes. On the front and back of the coops, just under the apex of the roof there are three holes, six in total. They help the air to circulate because they are on opposing sides, yet rain cannot get in because of the generous overhang on the roof.

Easy to Clean - We have carefully designed our coops to be as easy as possible to clean. The bedding can be changed without getting your hands dirty, or madding a mess.

The whole floor simply slides out of the back, with all of the bedding on it. The best bit is that the floor will fit in a standard bin liner, so all you have to do is put it in the bag and give it a shake. No mess. Or better yet put it straight onto the compost heap!

The roof lifts off for the monthly clean, giving easy access to the whole coop.

Egg Collection - At the back of the coops there is a door for collecting the eggs. It opens downwards which is useful because it gives you both hands to collect the eggs with, you don’t have to hold it open.

Floor & Nesting Boxes - For the floors and nesting boxes we use 12mm marine grade Hardwood Plywood with long grain hardwood veneers throughout. It is highly resistant to weather, micro-organisms, and heat. It does not warp, and at 12mm thick it is very sturdy. It has better insulation properties than thinner 9mm board.

After painting it, we apply wax to the edges, this makes it glide in and out, and protects the edges from moisture.

IMPORTANT - Insulation Properties

For the comfort of your chickens it is very important that your chicken coop keeps cool in the summer months and warm in the winter. This is one of the most important design features, and is often over looked. Many coops are darkly coloured with little ventilation, causing the sun to heat up the coop like a black car with the windows shut, left in the sun. Thus causing a hot, stale environment for your chickens. Obviously, this is not acceptable. We have overcome this common problem by painting the roof in a light cream. This causes most of the suns energy to be reflected. If you purchase a plastic coop, do not leave them in the sun because they will get hot and humid because plastic cannot breath.