If you’re considering getting some hens then there are some things you need to know about hen houses to make sure your hens are happy.

Fresh eggs from your own hens are great but hens can be a bit fussy about when and where they lay. It's worth getting the coop right, otherwise you will be simply feeding your birds for no result.

There are heaps of designs for chicken coops online and if you have a bit of time and the ability to hammer a few nails, you will be able to find plans to build you own or you can buy one of the many kitsets available. Whatever you decide to do, here's a list of things you should make sure your hen house has to make sure you get your fair share of eggs.

• A dry, draft free place for your hens
• Perches for them to sleep on at night
• Next boxes for them to lay eggs in
• Access to food & water
• Ventilation & light

What do chooks eat?

Kitchen and vegetable garden scraps can be given to chickens everyday, ideally as a supplement to good quality poultry pellets. Weeds also have high nutritional value, but avoid giving them weed types that are unfamiliar to you or that may have had pesticide added. Potato skins are poisonous to hens so don’t feed them raw potato or potato peels.

Chickens are not vegetarians. They love eating meat. Chooks will forage for insects, slugs and worms and they will strip the meat off bones, catch mice and eat dinner meat leftovers to get their protein.

Pellets are an efficient, cost effective food source which are easy for birds to pick up and swallow. When buying pellets remember that cheaper feed with lower levels of crude protein will not give your hens what they need to be top producers. Commercial poultry feed has a shelf life of around 12 weeks, so keep it fresh. Try not to use different feed brands, or you could upset their laying routine.

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