Please check the current delivery status on the product page for the most accurate answer, however, generally the Original Eggtopia is delivered in 2-3 days, and the Extra Large and Black Powder Coated are both made to order, so delivery can be 2-3 weeks. Please don't hesitate to contact us to establish the most likely delivery date, should the time frame be important, and we will try our utmost to help.

Due to the lack of partitions, the communal style nest box is not only a space saving option, but one in which the hens tend to feel less stressed, and perhaps is more as nature intended as the hens enjoy the community environment. We suggest that our Original and Black Powder Coated Eggtopia Nest Boxes are suitable for up to around 20 large hens, and If you have Bantam's or other smaller poultry, or a mix, you may be able to accommodate more. Our Extra Large Eggtopia Nest Box is 140cm long and has a laying area of .42m2 which according to the Guidance on Legislation Covering the Marketing of Eggs for Free Range and Barn Eggs, is suitable for up to 50 hens.

For the Original and Black Powder Coated Eggtopia Nest Boxes, a cut out of 810mm long x 150mm high is required for the egg collection tray to simply push through. For the Extra Large Eggtopia Nest Box, a cut out of 1410mm long x 150mm high is required. These measurements are based upon a wall thickness of 12mm, however the height of the cut out just needs to be extended to allow for the lid of the egg collection tray to operate freely, if your wall is thicker.

Hens can sometimes take a little bit of time to get used to new surroundings, here are some helpful tips and tricks to get them started with the Eggtopia Nest Box: Use some familiar bedding inside the new box, as a temporary measure, and slowly reduce the amount until they are used to laying there. This will of course hinder the eggs from rolling away freely, but as soon as they are happy there, all other bedding can be removed. Remove any other nest boxes from the coop. This is important, as some hens really are creatures of habit, and might look to lay in a familiar spot above all else. Once alternatives are removed, they will find their new next box really is the best option, and will form a new habit laying exactly where you want them to. If necessary, use some tape or a magnet to hold open one or more of the privacy curtain flaps. If your hens are not used to any type of curtain, this will undoubtedly help them to adjust. Hens have a strong instinct to lay where other hens have already laid and so we have designed a set of three dummy eggs which can be attached directly to the nest pad to encourage this behaviour. You can find this useful product in our shop. Keep the hens inside the hen house for a day or two until they have finished their morning lay. If your hens free range and like to play hide and seek with their eggs, then keeping them in the run perhaps until midday, or as soon as you know they have all laid, might be a useful temporary measure to encourage nest box laying. If you spy a hen trying to lay in the wrong place, gently lift her into the nest box. They will soon get the idea! Remove any eggs laid in the wrong place as soon as possible. As mentioned above, hens have a strong instinct to lay where another hen has already laid. By removing any eggs laid in the wrong place, and utilising the dummy eggs linked above, they should soon have the right idea. Most hens are happy to lay in their new nest box almost straight away, but hopefully the above tips will help the transition to be as easy as possible and keep your hens laying happily.

Absolutely, we provide full instructions with all Eggtopia Nest Boxes so that if you wish, at a later date you can reverse the direction of the egg collection point, either for internal or external egg collection. This future proofs your coop for any improvements you might like to make at a later date.

Currently we have two nest box sizes - 80cm and 140cm wide, however it is possible we could custom make a box to suit. Please do contact us to let us know your size requirements and we shall see what we can do.

Being made of plastic, the nest pad and bumper bar are very resilient and easy to clean. You might find that a good weekly shake is all that is needed to keep it clean. However, for more stubborn messes, We suggest soaking them in hot soapy water for at least an hour, and then removing and hosing down with clean water to ensure all debris is removed, returning them to the nest box once dry. We would also recommend buying a spare set so that during a deep clean, the spare set can be utilised, and your hens are never left without their comfortable laying area. Spare sets can be found in our shop.

Yes absolutely! We strongly recommend that you purchase a spare set to use when deep cleaning your original set, so that the hens always have somewhere comfortable to lay. Our spare sets can be found here.

Our intelligently designed chassis and main structure uses sustainable, thick guage, steel to ensure a build quality second to none. The frame is then galvanised and spray painted, which not only looks great, but extends the life of the structure. The walls and floor are made from thick, 100% recycled, plastic boarding which is rot proof, mite resistant and chew resistant. It also have insulating properties and it can be cleaned with a jet wash if desired, with no ill effects. Out hut is built in the UK and is made to last.

Shipping for our Shepherd Hut Hen House is £165 for mainland England, Wales, Southern Scotland and East Coast Scotland. We may be able to ship to other areas, please don't hesitate to contact us for a shipping quote to any other area. Your Shepherd Hut Hen House will be delivered on a pallet, fully assembled and ready to roll into position.

From receipt and payment of order, we aim to deliver within 30 - 40 days depending upon the current work flow. Please contact us if you are under time pressures, as depending upon our build schedule we may be able to expedit your order. If in the unlikely event your delivery will be longer than quoted, we will be in contact to advise you at the earliest possibility.

Yes, we are delighted to offer a standard 2 year parts warranty from the day the hut arrives with you. Please see our shipping & returns page for further details.

Our Classic hut is designed for up to 20 large chickens or 30 bantam chickens. We have had customers who have used the hut for more chickens then we would reccommend, and I think the true maximum number will depend upon your flock, their individual sizes and temperament, and how you manage your flock day to day. Equally, we have customers with far smaller flocks, who love and use the Shepherd Hut Hen House perfectly well. Having a smaller flock means that they might like to use the hut more gererally through the day, especially if they are restricted with outside space.

All of our huts are on wheels, and this enables them to be easily manoeuvred backwards and forwards. You can choose to upgrade to a full turning axel which provides full 360 manoeuvrability. Additionally, if you plan to move your hut regularly on soft ground, you might like to purchase some rubber wheels from our shop to make this job easier. Find these here. The hut can be pushed and pulled by hand, or can be towed by a lawn mower or quad bike for longer journeys. A massive advantage of our hut, is that it can be easily moved to another location, so if you are planning to move house in the next few years, you can be reassured that your flock's home can be easily moved too!

The innovative Eggtopia nest box can be pre-fitted to the Shepherd Hut Hen House if required. Its unique reversible design means that you can choose to collect eggs from the outside of the hut, so as not to disturb your hens, or from the inside if you prefer. The Eggtopia Nest Box is designed to be located on the wall opposite the hen door, however as the side panels are interchangable, you can choose which direction it will face.

The chicken's door is located on the short end of the hut, opposite the draw bar as standard. However, as the hut can be completely disassembled, you can choose to move it to the opposite end of the hut if you wished.

The access door is located on the right hand (long) side of the hut when you are facing the chicken's door as standard. However, as the hut can be completely disassembled, you can choose to move it to the other long side if you wish.

Yes you can fit your own automatic door opener, although please note this will void your warranty.

If you have the tools and are a competent DIYer, then yes it is possible for you to retrofit nest boxes. Please note this will void your warranty.

Whilst the hut has been designed for chickens, the flooring is made of thick, strong 100% recycled boarding, and so yes it is possible for a person of average weight and size to climb inside the hut if they wished.

The overall hut weight is 200KG excluding nest boxes.

Yes, the hut can be completely dismantled, and its component parts are light enough for two people to carry on its side to fit through small spaces such as side gates.

Our chassis and main structure uses thick guage steel to ensure a build quality second to none. The frame is then galvanised and spray painted, which not only looks great but further extends its life. The roof structure is created from traditionally styled curved, galvanised anti-condensation corrugated steel, with a black plastisol covering, which not only gives additional protection from the elements but also a beautiful finish. We use thick 100% recycled plastic boarding for the walls and floor, which is rot proof, chew resistant, and UV colour fixed. How long the hut will last is of course dependent on many factors including location, and how is treated. We have chosen materials known for their longevity and minimal maintenance, and quality fabricators located in the UK, so the huts should last decades.

The steel is powder-coated and powder coating applications should last for over 10-15 years. The paint finish can be easily touched up over the years to further extend its lifespan. The plastic boarding is colourfast, and may lose some of the colour intensity but only after around 10-15 years.

All types of chicken coops can get red mite infestations, however wooden coops tend to suffer from infestations the most, as mites love moist wooden surfaces, and there are thousands of places for them to hide. Using plastic and metal instead of wood, we have not only minimised the places mites can hide, but our hut can be washed with a hose or jet wash countless times with no ill effects and it dries in minutes. Plastic huts also do not need to be treated with insecticides like wooden coops. No company can claim to completely remove the threat of mites, but we have taken huge strides to prevent and effectively deal with them.

The connection points which connect to the hut are steel and form part of our unique swing perch system, whilst the area that the hen will actually roost on is made from wood as this is better for the hen, and helps to prevent illnesses such as Bumble Foot.

Yes you can buy one of our unique community nest boxes separately here.

While the product has been specifically designed to house chickens, a few customers have purchased our for their ducks, geese and other poultry, and the feedback has been positive. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you would like a hen hut for your ducks or geese, and so perhaps don't need the nest box - we can put together an option especially for you.

We do have a show hut available for viewings on our family farm in the New Forest. We are also able to take video calls to show you the ins and outs of the hut should you wish. Please contact us to make an appointment.

Collection may be possible, we will be happy to refund delivery charges in this instance, please contact us to find out more.

Our HQ is based in the beautiful New Forest in the south of England, however, we ship to the whole of the UK and are open to shipping to other areas if requested.

We are not currently VAT registered.