Henspa

Henspa V8.0

You will need less than 2 hours. The instructions contain photos for every step. you can see the short version of the assembly manual by clicking this link: Henspa Assembly.

Sliding Roof The sliding roof allows easy access to hens upstairs and baby chicks when the Henspa is used as a brooder. Incidentally, the easiest time to catch and handle your hens is after dark. Open the roof at night and you can easily pick up the drowsing hens.

Feeders (Included)
The feeders is made of wood. The main feeder holds more than 50 lbs of feed. Pour in a entire bag of feed and forget that chore for days on end. The small opening on the right is for oyster shell or other sources of calcium. The sliding roof makes checking the amount of feed simple.

Oyster shells are particularly important for providing the calcium needed to make egg shells. If the hens do not have enough calcium, they will eat their own eggs.

Once installed, the feeder remains in place. You can clear the feed tray by reaching through the access hole near the ground. This door can be opened to allow the chickens to "free range." in the afternoon while you are doing yard work. You can usually herd them back through the door, but they will go back in at night.	Installing the feeder
Click Here For Another Very Short Video Requires Windows Media Player

Heated Water Bucket (May be Purchased Separately)

Click here for installation info

Click Here For Pricing

All Henspas are now being shipped with a heated water bucket. The nipple waterers that the hens drink from are identical to those being used in commercial hen houses. They provide clean water. The bucket is easy to service. You can clearly see the water level. Cleaning the bucket takes but a moment. An electric heat tape in the bucket keeps it and the nipples ice free in very cold temperatures.

The chickens reach through the holes in the wall to get water. Since chicken can't swallow, they are happy to reach above their heads for water that drains easily down their throats.

You can see the upper parts of the nipples to verify that they are free from obstructions. This design ALWAYS delivers water.

Egg Collection Door
It's easy to tell when you have eggs! They roll out of the nest into the egg collection area. This prevents the hens from breaking or dirtying the eggs and makes it easy to collect them.

Egg Collection Area

Nests
There are three nests in the Henspa. On the inclined floor of the nest there is an Astroturf carpet. The "carpet" encourages nesting by giving the hens something to pluck at.

The inclined floor creates a gentle slope that causes the eggs to roll out into the egg collection area. Since the eggs are a distance from the hens, the likely hood of their attempting to eat them is greatly reduced.

The Astroturf pad is easily removed for cleaning, assuring that your eggs stay clean. This same padding is used in large scale commercial operations.

Roosts
Two roosts run 68" from end wall to nest wall. Assuming 8 hens per Henspa, each hen has over 13 inches of roosting room.

Light and Timer
There are two times when you may need light in your Henspa.

1) During the winter. Hens produce better if they have more daylight. On shorter days use the timer and a standard light bulb to encourage the hens to start the day earlier. States north of Virginia get the most benefit from the light and timer.

2) During brooding. Baby chicks need warmth in the first few weeks of life. They need 90 degrees the first day of arrival, and decreasing amounts after that. You must provide a heat lamp bulb to provide the warmth they need. Just plug in an extension cord. (Not included.)

Sunroof
A clear Plexiglas roof panel allows the sunlight in earlier in the morning, encouraging the hens to wake up and start laying!

Tarp Removal
The plastic mesh floor upstairs should be covered with the custom-made Henspa tarp during cold weather. In the summer, it is not needed and the chicken dropping will go directly to the ground. The tarp makes for easy cleaning.

Add an inch of shavings to the tarp floor periodically to absorb the manure. The tarp floor on the plastic mesh breathes, drying the manure quickly. Continue to add fresh shavings as necessary. Once the shavings/manure has built up, the tarp can be easily removed by first removing the roost poles.

In the winter, I clean my Henspa once every 2 months. It takes about five minutes total. The use of shavings is optional as the tarp works overtime keeping the manure dry and non-offensive.

Sunroom
Your hens enjoy this 36" x 85" addition to your Henspa. The sunroom moves with the Henspa with no extra effort.

Ladder
The ladder allows the hens to move easily from one level to the other. It does not reach quite all the way to the ground, so that the Henspa can be moved without interference. (The hens don't seem to notice.)

Easy-Roll Wheel Assembly
The "no flat" wheels assure maintenance freedom for years to come. 28 pounds of effort are required to lift the 300-pound Henspa onto its 16" wheel-barrow-type wheels. A similar design is used on the Henspa Deluxe and the Henhaven,

When the handle is pulled back and locked in place, the wheels in the center go down and the entire unit "floats" about 3" above the ground.

The sunroom is attached and floats above the ground too.

Simply pull back on the handle and the Henspa goes up in the air and balances on the 2 wheels that are inside. Pull the Henspa to the next patch of fresh grass, and then release the handle from the stop that holds it, lowering it to the ground.

This is the wheel assembly drawn with the handle in the up position

Protected Area
A two-thirds of the downstairs is protected by siding. This is to give the hens a "safe area" to run if they feel threatened by a dog or other animal. We have noticed, however, that once the hens adjust to the Henspa, they come to trust the wire mesh, and do not frighten easily.

5/8" Mesh Walls
The wire mesh walls downstairs are tough, and will not let a dog or any other creature without wire-cutters though! The wire is galvanized and designed for extended outdoor use.

Plastic Bottom Runners
On the bottom of the Henspa, where it touches the ground, a plastic runner protects the wood from the ground moisture.

A place to start chicks
The Henspa can be used as a brooder.

Loading A Henspa at The Shop

We designed this gantry crane for the Henspa...

GENERAL

Henspas are constructed of 3/8" beaded exterior siding and pinewood. The all-wood construction makes the Henspa durable.

The wood is finished with a standard deck finish. We recommend that you refresh the finish every two to three years or whenever you spray a new finish on your outside decks.