uBuilder Plans

Thanks for your great question. Material costs to build the City Biddy Hen House will vary based on several things, including lumber costs in your part of the country.

Major components to build the City Biddy are (with approximate prices from my area):

1 sheet 4 X 8 x 3/4" CDX Plywood ($32.97)
2 sheets 4 X 8 X 3/8" plywood siding ($19.75 ea)
6 - 2 X 4 X 8 foot lumber ($3.49 ea)
4 - 1 X 3/4 X 8 foot lumber ($1.30 ea) subtotal ($98.61) plus hardware and roofing materials

Now this is just a ballpark amount and will be effected by many choices made by you when building.

If you choose a high quality cedar siding material, for example, costs will go up considerably. Using re-cycled materials or salvaged leftovers will significantly lower your costs. (If you look carefully at the photos on the website you can see that "City Biddy 1" was built using approximately 30 percent salvaged materials). Choice of options, such as adding wheels or building as a stationary structure, also effect costs. Roofing materials can range from painted plywood, to metal, to asphalt, or really anything used on a roof. Again costs can vary widely.

One of the best things about building your own City Biddy Hen House is, you have freedom to make these choices. I include a pen suggestion with the plan book, but you even choose the pen that works best for you and your site.

City Biddy plans are SIMPLE to build. The photos of "Hollywood House" on the website, demonstrate what a woman and her son accomplished the first time they ever built anything. The plans are written to allow the major lumber cuts to be made at the lumber yard, most will cut your lumber for free or at low cost, this makes transporting the lumber and building so much easier!

My favorite thing about the City Biddy is using it. Most of the chores are easy to do from OUTSIDE the pen. This means I can feed and water my hens even wearing my good clothes! I can gather eggs without reaching into a dark nest box and even check the feeder at the same time. Cleaning the hen house takes only five minutes and the used litter is great mulch around my trees! My hens are very happy with their home! City Biddy stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They are safe from predators and the elements.

The plan book is 35 pages with color photos and even tips on poultry care. UBuilder Plans also provides customer support by e-mail as well. Just ask. We will be happy to answer construction questions or even poultry questions. We want you to succeed!

So, thanks for considering a City Biddy Hen House. If you have any further questions, please, feel free to e-mail.