Hatching a plan

Project ideas and inspiration from Good magazine

Transform your hen house into a colourful garden feature – don’t be chicken about it.

Just because it’s a chook house doesn’t mean it needs to be frumpy. With a fresh coat of paint you can give your hen house a fabulous new look and inject a pop of cheery colour to a garden corner at the same time.

Resene Lumbersider is a great paint to use on outdoor timber, concrete and old paintwork, as it is designed to ensure maximum durability in exposed conditions. It is waterborne so easy to apply and creates a low sheen look that is totally washable.

You can first prime the surfaces or paint Resene Lumbersider on directly.

You will need

• Hen house
• Resene Lumbersider in colours of your choice (we used Resene Good Life, Resene Limerick, Resene Leap Year and Resene Shark)
• Paint brushes and rollers
• Waterblaster
• Scrubbing brush
• Wooden dye-cut sign (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Relocate any chickens to a temporary dwelling elsewhere.

Step 2: Thoroughly scrub and waterblast the hen house inside and out to remove any dirt or cobwebs.

Step 3: Once dry, paint the hen house using Resene Lumbersider in colours of your choice. I used Resene Good Life, Resene Limerick and Resene Leap Year for the house and inside the laying boxes. I used Resene Shark for the roof and the chook run’s timber frame.

Step 4: Paint your dye-cut sign and use nails or glue to attach.

Step 5: Return the chickens to their new home. Last one in is a rotten egg!

Quick chook tips and facts

• Backyard chickens are a cost-effective and satisfying way to get free range eggs.
• Chooks are omnivores. They help reduce waste as you can feed them household scraps, plus dried and ground eggshells for grit.
• Chickens can also eat invasive weeds (such as kikuyu grass or oxalis) that are not good to compost.
• Some chickens (such as cross-bred Shavers) are great layers. Others, such as Rhode Island Reds are better for breeding.
• All chickens need a coop for shade and to keep them warm and dry. Check your local council for guidelines before setting up your chook run.

Words and styling Sarah Heeringa. Photography Amanda Reelick.

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