Chicken Coops for Sale in Elba, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Elba, Alabama
A Recycled Chicken Coop – Part 2
Yesterday I about how we picked the old building to remodel into our chicken coop. We also started building the run but the ground froze before we could get all the posts set. Ah the joys of a Wisconsin winter! Since we couldn’t work on the run any more, we moved on to the building itself. I’m a list/classify kinda gal so I like to think of the work in phases.
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 1: Destroy
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 2: Rebuild
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 3: Details
So we jumped right in with Phase 1. We slipped on some face masks and gloves, grabbed the snow shovel and started cleaning up the raccoon poop and broken pots. We also removed the two old broken windows. The third window was in good shape so we left it. (And by “we” I mainly mean Josh. I forget where I was, but I’m sure it was very important to miss such a fun time.) I arrived on the scene just in time to take a photo. (Hmm, maybe I was out buying a camera since this is now in the ANC time period: After New Camera.)
Once we got it all relatively nice and clean, we made a huge mess by ripping the cardboard wall coverings down. It was pretty yucky because the board had gotten wet and was a little soggy and gooey.
Next we pulled down all the old siding on two walls of the building. Most of it was rotten and in pretty rough shape. We even removed the door because of the raccoon pet door (AKA: huge hole) in the bottom.
Before
After
Everybody helped!
Both sides done
And with that, Phase 1: Destroy! was completed.
Now we move on to Phase 2: Rebuild. We scored two big storm windows off Craigslist for $10 each so Josh built frames for them. Here we are testing the first one to make sure it fits. Being newbies at this sort of thing, it’s always hit or miss. Sometimes we amaze ourselves and sometimes, well, it ain’t pretty. So we held our breath and fit it into place.
Success! Sometimes we can read a tape measure! (And in case you are wondering, yes it is on backwards. My dad pointed that out as soon as I showed him this photo. I’d like to say that we knew that but, um, we didn’t. We thought it wouldn’t matter but for drainage purposes you shouldn’t just turn them inside out. Live and learn, right?)
So we removed the test window and then covered the two bare sides with tar paper that is normally used for roofing. Now, I’m not sure if that is exactly what we should have used (again, newbies!) but I got it from someone on Freecycle for FREE so that’s what we went with. (I also got a few bundles of shingles with the paper. We need to re-shingle another building here on the homestead. Gotta love Freecycle! If you don’t know about it, check it out .)
After cutting out the windows and door areas from the black paper, we went shopping on the homestead again, this time for siding. Now, our lives would have been easier if we just went to a real store and bought something new. But in the interest of money-saving and world-saving, we wanted to use whatever we could from the farm. We had two buildings to work with. First was the old chicken coop and the second was an old building behind the barn. A previous owner had already removed the siding from one wall of building so we figured we could too.
The result of previous siding shopping trips
What we removed
I don’t know how we would have done it without our little nail puller. Even though it took us a long time, it was worth it. Not only did I save some money, but I am glad that these buildings were able to still be useful. Both the old chicken coop and the building in the photos were part of the original homestead over 100 years ago. They have the remains of plaster and molding in them. You can see where stairs and woodstoves once sat. It’s easy to imagine a child climbing the stairs to their bed in the loft or a woman cooking over the big stove in the center of the room. Since their glory days, they have been used as houses for chickens, hogs and lambs. That kind of rough life has taken it’s toll on the buildings.
The old farmhouse where the stairs once led up to the loft
It makes me sad that they have gotten so rundown so I’m glad that we can make them useful again, even if it is only in a very small way.
The next two weekends were spent taking down siding from the old buildings, cutting them for the new coop and putting them up.
Our workstation - professional looking isn't it?
We had to work around the snowstorms but we finally got it done! Once we permanently installed the windows, it looked like a REAL building! Imagine that. We were pretty proud of ourselves since we really had no clue what we were doing.
Our "new" siding and windows
That concludes Phase 2: Rebuild! (If only it were that simple and quick in real life.) And since you’re probably on photo overload, I’d better conclude this post for today. But I’ll be back tomorrow with Phase 3: Details. See you then!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Chicken Coop Out Of Pallets in Elba, Alabama
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Elba 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 Elba Alabama chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Elba, Alabama With the substantial boost in poultry maintaining there has been an equally big surge in the variety of fowl materiel on sale. Fowl real estate is a case in point. It's additionally a traditional instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as different would-be fowl real estate specialists pitch a range of accommodation claiming to be the suitable option to your chicken real estate requirements. Often the cost looks attractive, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks eye-catching, heck even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Certainly they recognize a professional chicken house when they see one? There are lots of cheap as well as unpleasant coops swamping the market. I understand this as I've checked a variety of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed container showed up. The outcome was just a pricey stack of fire wood and also a tiny flock of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop With Run in Elba, Alabama
More often than not these mass produced versions are constructed of fast grown wood - come the first drop of rain they swell, leaving you either defending a door that won't shut, or ripping the doorway furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking residents. The first cozy day implies the lumber dries and fractures, the felt roofing system bubbles and boils, and come nightfall the chickens refuse to go in. This is not due to their dissatisfaction at the decline of their once attractive commercial property yet since the hovel is currently a place for, and possibly crawling with, the chicken keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add on the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly suit 4 huge hens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also exactly what are you left with? A couple of joints as well as some kindling. A good coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this can depend upon whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a huge room and also the pop hole doorway is big enough for the breed you keep, after that the major needs of real estate boil down to 3 points which will specify the number of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. The majority of breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot sits conveniently on it. The perch must be above the nest box access as chickens will additionally normally 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 create one of the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the flooring of your house that leg injuries might happen when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is certainly much less), plus if more than one perch is set up in your house they need to be more than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their next-door neighbors but are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your home must have a least one nest box for every 3 birds and also these ought to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your home. The house must have adequate ventilation: without it after that condensation will certainly develop every night, even in the chilliest of weather. Realize, air flow deals with the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving with a high void drawing cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a set of holes on contrary walls of your home as well as at the very same degree, this is just what's known as a draft. If you have a house with a run connected then the points above are still real, however you should also take into consideration the run dimension. The EU maximum legal equipping thickness for a complimentary array bird is (and let's face it, among the inspirations for maintaining some hens in your home is potentially enhanced or much better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m settled. Take a close look at a few of the bargain residences - it could well be your house has the appropriate perches, correct ventilation and adequate nest boxes for a practical number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you obtain just what you spend for". You may believe you've got a deal, however you as well as your group can rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house and it will certainly last for a few decades, if not longer offered the right therapy. In the end your fowl and also your poultry keeping encounter will certainly be a lot the better for it.coops chicken
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