Hatching a plan

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

Words and styling Sarah Heeringa. Photography Amanda Reelick

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 water borne 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 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’s guidelines before setting up your chook run. g

Garden palette Use complementary shades to enliven the different surfaces of your hen house. · Resene Limerick · Resene Leap Year · Resene Good Life · Resene Shark Sarah is a contributing editor for Good and author of Reclaim That: Upcycling your Home...