Chicken Coops for Sale in Altoona, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Altoona, Alabama
Make a Thrifty DIY Swingset Chicken Coop
Do you have one of those old A-shaped swingsets rusting in your backyard? If you do, then you have the basis for an awesome swingset chicken coop! (And if you don’t, watch Craigslist – there are frequently people offering them for free to whoever comes to pick them up.) Creativity is key .
When we moved recently we had to leave our wonderful chicken coop behind, since it was attached to the barn. While I drooled over some of , I’m on a pretty tight budget so it was important to use items that I could acquire either cheap or free. Luckily, the house we moved to had some pretty interesting stuff in a shed and an old rusty swingset in the woods.
I don’t have a lot of construction skills but the guy who put up my fence does, and luckily, he was on board with my wacky, freebie-scrounging ideas.
For the price of some labor, some hardware, some chicken wire, and a fancy-dancy hanging chicken waterer, I got a snazzy new coop that keeps my chickens safe and sound.
Here’s what we used:
- A swingset with the swings removed
- 2 pieces of corrugated metal on the top 3/4 plus a strip of it over the top to help weather proof
- Some sheets of plywood for the bottom back of the coop
- A piece of chain link fencing for the bottom in order to keep out predators
- Some old pieces of fence posts for the bottom of the coop to attach the chicken wire and chain link to
- Some lumber for the door
- Chicken wire (It was cheaper than from my local store)
If you’re making a scrounged chicken coop, be creative and see what you components you can find for cheap or free. Because most of the items used were found, this isn’t as much a how-to as it is something to inspire you. Here are some photos so you can see how my coop was assembled.
The Scoop on my Swingset Chicken Coop
The door is very heavy, which adds a layer of security against critters that might try to get in during the night. During the day, I use a bungee to hold the door open in the event of wind so no chickens get squashed. (They’re at the door because they know they’re either getting food or getting out.)
There is also a heavy duty double hinged latch that I fasten with a carabiner at night for an added layer of security. (.)
The bottom is covered with a piece of chain link fencing that is attached to the boards that form the bottom edge of the coop.
My biggest splurge is this hanging 5 gallon water dispenser. It stays much cleaner raised a few inches off the ground, only needs to be refilled every few days, and I used the exisiting hook for a swing to hang it from. (You can – it is a lower price than it was at my local feed store.)
Here’s the interior of theswingset chicken coop. The chickens like to roost on the cross bars on each end, and there is an extra bar from an old closet that was also installed. I used some cubbies from my previous garage for nesting boxes. (I probably should have taken the interior pic before I put the chickens in here to poop on everything. Of course, anyone who has chickens knows that a coop only looks clean for about 10 minutes.)
The coop in all of its glory. I’ll be painting the plywood soon to make it a little prettier.
Thor, our LGD, is happy to follow the chickens around and protect them because he realized they’re like little feathered Pez dispensers, dropping nice little egg treats around the yard for him to enjoy. I lock them in the coop a couple of days per week and that gives us more than enough eggs for our needs. The rest of the eggs get scattered around the yard for a doggie version of an Easter egg hunt. Thor’s a little skinny so the added fat will do him good. You can see him licking his dog lips in the photo below.
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Chicken Coops For Sale in Altoona, Alabama
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Altoona Alabama" into any one of the numerous search engines and a wealth of information will pop up. This information will provide links to other websites that will be informative and will provide the right direction for finding Altoona Alabama chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Altoona, Alabama With the big rise in chicken maintaining there has actually been a similarly huge surge in the array of poultry materiel on sale. Poultry real estate is a situation in point. It's likewise a traditional example of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as various potential poultry real estate specialists peddle a selection of lodging declaring to be the perfect solution to your chicken real estate requirements. Usually the rate looks appealing, the house looks desirable, hell also the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Undoubtedly they recognize a quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous affordable and also horrible coops flooding the market. I know this as I've examined a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed container appeared. The result was nothing but a costly pile of firewood and also a tiny group of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Quality in Altoona, Alabama
Typically these mass produced models are built of fast grown up wood - come the first decrease of rainfall they swell, leaving you either blockading a door that will not close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking citizens. The very first warm and comfortable day implies the timber dries and also fractures, the really felt roofing bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the hens choose not to enter. This is not due to their frustration at the decrease of their once desirable home yet due to the fact that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, as well as most likely crawling with, the chicken caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly fit four large chickens when that stocking density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you left with? A number of joints and also some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds ought to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you elect for a free standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are varying your birds in a huge space and also the pop opening doorway allows sufficient for the type you keep, after that the primary requirements of real estate come down to three points which will certainly define the number of birds your house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. The majority of breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost at night, this perch needs to ideally be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off sides so the foot rests comfortably on it. The perch should be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will also naturally look for the highest point to perch. A perch below that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is incidentally when they generate one of the most poo) causing stained eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is certainly much less), plus if greater than one perch is installed in your house they must be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally your home should have a least one nest box for every three birds and also these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest area of your house. The house ought to have sufficient air flow: without it then condensation will certainly build up every night, even in the chilliest of weather condition. Know, air flow works with the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high void drawing cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a collection of openings on other wall surfaces of the house as well as at the very same level, this is just what's referred to as a draft. If you have a house with a run attached then the factors above are still true, but you must also think about the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful equipping density for a totally free variety bird is (and let's face it, among the motivations for keeping some chickens in your home is potentially boosted or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m settled. Take a close consider some of the deal homes - it could well be your house has the appropriate perches, proper ventilation and adequate nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the claiming goes, "you obtain just what you pay for". You might assume you've got hold of a deal, but you and your flock could possibly rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house and it will last for a couple of decades, otherwise longer provided the proper therapy. In the end your chicken as well as your chicken keeping encounter will certainly be considerably the much better for it.plans chick
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