Smiths Sectional Buildings

Handmade wooden animal housing from a Shropshire farm

Smiths Sectional Buildings is a family company that manufactures chicken housing, goat housing, field shelters and other animal buildings. The business describes itself as a specialist British manufacturer producing on its farm in Shropshire, with every building made to order and adaptable to a customer's specific requirements. It states that it has been an established business for over 25 years and is well known in the trade.

The company trades as Smiths Sectional Buildings under S.S.B. & Co. Ltd., registered in England & Wales. Its range is aimed at garden keepers, smallholders, farm shops, commercial farmers and institutions such as schools and animal colleges.

Chicken coops and hen houses by flock size

The catalogue is organised around the number of birds a building can accommodate. For smaller flocks of roughly 2 to 18 chickens, the company lists compact coops and arks, including models with integrated runs, covered runs, optional runs, legs or wheels. Named designs in this bracket include The Dell, The Dingle, The Copse, The Chase, The Thicket, The Mackworth, The Holt and The Chicken Ark.

For 12 to 50 birds, the range moves to stand-alone houses intended to be used with electric or permanent fencing. The Sherwood chicken shed is offered in seven sizes with optional wheels for mobility, while the Haywood walk-in chicken hut comes in three sizes and is described as suitable for 25 to 100 chickens and popular with metal roll-away nest boxes. Larger and commercial sheds extend the offer up to 500 hens.

Free-range and commercial poultry units

Free-range poultry houses are designed for between 100 and 300 birds, with sizes modifiable up or down. The company notes that the single largest poultry unit it has made to date was for 600 chickens. These sheds are described as particularly popular with farm shops and commercial farmers supplying restaurants and retailers. Models in this segment include the Needwood (80–300 hens) and the Charnwood (40–300 hens).

Duck, goose and other animal buildings

Beyond poultry, the company manufactures duck arks, duck houses and duck sheds for 50 to 100 birds, goose lodges and goose stables for 12 to 24 birds, dog kennels, aviaries, pig arks, sheep and goat shelters in single and double versions, and larger livestock shelters. It also produces pony shelters and stables, horse stables and heavier field shelters, some with overhangs, using thick, durable timbers. Any building can be mounted on metal skids to make it mobile.

Garden buildings form a separate line: garden sheds, potting sheds and summer houses in a range of sizes and styles, including corner, loglap and hipped-roof designs, plus combined shed and log store options.

Made-to-order approach and repeat clients

All buildings are made to order, and the company states that alterations can be requested. A significant proportion of its business comes from clients returning to buy buildings for another project, especially schools and animal colleges. The site also publishes guidance articles on starting with chickens and on whether a coop needs a run.

Products listed at the time of writing

The featured items shown when this profile was drafted included the Midi Dingle Chicken Coop at £530.00 inc. VAT, The Thicket Chicken House at £1,189.00 inc. VAT, the Haywood 25 Chicken House at £1,845.00 inc. VAT, an 8 x 6 Sheep & Goat Shelter at £990.00 inc. VAT and a 10 x 12 Pony & Livestock Shelter at £1,917.00 inc. VAT. The site also lists sale sections for equestrian buildings and hen houses, and offers gift vouchers.