Chicken Coops for Sale in Clio, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Clio, Alabama
Tour of the Chicken Coop
After nearly three months of work, the coop is DONE! That makes me happy because 1.) we’re getting chickens TOMORROW, and 2.) Karl will maaaaybe start working on some indoor house projects. The coop has been a labor of love for Karl. I’ve never seen such perfectionist tendencies in him before! Maybe he just wanted to avoid housework and unpacking? Who knows. But the coop is pretty swanky.
We’re modeling much of what we do on the farm on ’s theories. In case you’ve never heard of him, Salatin is the farmer profiled in the film and the book . He’s a prolific, engaging writer and we’re making our way through most of his . He believes in diversity and symbiosis on a farm, not monoculture. Fruits and vegetables do best if there is some animal component with them – “manure is magic.” His farming practices make the land better and the products better nutritionally.
He uses “Eggmobiles” for his laying hens – movable coops. By moving the coop regularly to a fresh piece of pasture, you first of all save your grass from being torn up (a common complaint amongst backyard chicken owners). Second of all, the chickens get fresh grass and bugs with each new patch of grass. Third of all, the chickens fertilize your entire property by moving them around.
In Salatin’s system, the chickens follow the cows. They scratch through the cow patties, breaking them up and fertilizing the grass, and they eat all the bugs in the cow patties, making super-nutritious eggs. But, we’re not quite ready for cows yet. That’s on the “one day” list!
Karl found an old hitch in the woods on our property. All he had to do was buy new tires. It hooks to the back of our riding lawnmower. He built a basic four-sided, square structure with a flat roof. The laying boxes have access from the outside, so we can easily collect our eggs everyday. The bungees close the coop tight, keeping out the raccoons and foxes.
There are 2×4’s on the second level for the chickens to roost at night. I love the “ladder” Karl made with sticks from the yard.
There are windows lined in chicken wire to get air in the summer, and they close tight in the winter. The water container is high and covered, using gravity to distribute water and keeping the chickens from getting food and poop in their water. The food container travels with the coop, and it closes tight, keeping it safe from raccoons and foxes. A hoe also travels with the coop, making it easy to scrape out the bottom and clean the coop every week.
But the piece de la resistance? The real reason Karl has been tinkering in the garage for three months? An automatic door on a timer!
You see, we’re lazy farmers. We have no desire to traipse outside at the crack of dawn to let the chickens out in the morning, especially while we’re both still working full-time! Karl and his engineer sister spent weeks talking about circuits and volts. Karl also did a lot of farm blog reading. Questions on his design? Contact me and I’ll connect you with him. It’s all over my head, but I’m grateful we’ll be able to sleep in Saturday mornings. At least until the baby comes!
Next update? Life with chickens! I’m very excited to meet them tomorrow!
Chicken Coop Run Ideas in Clio, Alabama
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Clio 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 Clio Alabama chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Clio, Alabama With the substantial rise in chicken keeping there has been an equally large increase in the variety of chicken stuff on sale. Fowl real estate is a situation in factor. It's likewise a classic instance of the good old bandwagon being got on as various potential fowl housing specialists market a variety of holiday accommodation asserting to be the perfect option to your chicken real estate needs. Typically the price looks eye-catching, your house looks attractive, hell also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Certainly they understand a professional chicken house when they see one? There are many economical and unpleasant coops flooding the market. I understand this as I've checked a number of them in the field, and seen a ewe run straight via one when the feed container showed up. The result was only an expensive pile of firewood as well as a little group of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Near Me in Clio, Alabama
Most of the time these standardized versions are created of quick grown up lumber - come the initial decrease of rainfall they swell, leaving you either barricading a doorway that will not shut, or ripping the door furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking occupants. The first warm day means the wood dries and also fractures, the felt roof bubbles as well as boils, as well as come nightfall the hens choose not to enter. This is not because of their frustration at the decrease of their as soon as attractive building however because the hovel is now a sanctuary for, as well as probably abounding, the chicken caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add that it stated on the blurb that it would match 4 big chickens when that stocking density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as exactly what are you left with? A number of joints and some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a cost-free standing house or one with a run connected. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a big room and also the pop opening door allows enough for the type you maintain, then the main requirements of real estate come down to 3 points which will define the variety of birds your house will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. The majority of breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch should preferably be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off sides so the foot sits easily on it. The perch needs to be higher than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly likewise naturally seek the highest point to perch. A perch below that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they generate the most poo) causing dirtied eggs the list below day. They should not however be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries can occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is certainly much less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in your house they must be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors yet are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your home needs to have a the very least one nest box for every three birds as well as these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest area of the house. Your house should have ample ventilation: without it after that condensation will build up every night, also in the coldest of weather condition. Be aware, air flow deals with the concept of cozy air leaving with a high void drawing cooler air in from a reduced space - it's not a collection of holes on opposite walls of your home and also at the exact same level, this is what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the factors above are still true, yet you must also think about the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful stocking thickness for a totally free array bird is (and also let's face it, one of the inspirations for maintaining some chickens in your home is potentially enhanced or far better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m made even. Take a close check out some of the bargain residences - it could well be your home has the appropriate perches, correct air flow and also ample nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the claiming goes, "you get exactly what you pay for". You may assume you've grabbed a deal, but you and also your group could rue the day you did. Acquisition the best house as well as it will last for a couple of years, if not longer offered the right treatment. In the end your fowl and also your poultry keeping encounter will be a lot the much better for it.coops coop
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