Chicken Coops for Sale in Hardaway, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Hardaway, Alabama
Cleaning the Chicken Coop; Fall Chores
Pallets leaned against Coop act as a wind break in Winter.
One of the chores I like to save for beautiful Fall weather is cleaning out the coop. I know that before I got chickens, I really wanted to see other people’s coops and how exactly they did things. So here is a look at my coop and the regular maintenance I have to do to keep my girls happy.
My coop is basically a chicken tractor made permanent. See how I built my chicken coop . It is only good to protect my egg laying divas during the night. I have to get up in the morning to let them out. Trust me they let me know if I am late. Late is after 8 am, so it is not like they start wailing at 5 o’clock in the morning or anything. They have a kind of wail that they only make when they want out. It is the strangest sound, kind of like a long drawn out moooooom , where are youuuuuuu? You have to hear it to understand.
Shoveling out the “raised bed” that my coop rests on.
To clean out my coop I have get someone to help me lift the coop off of the raised bed it is resting on. I have handles on either end, but it is too heavy for me to lift by myself. Thankfully my strong boys help me. Shoveling out all the old bedding and putting in new wood shavings is not too hard of a task, considering you only have to do it about 3 times per year. I empty out the nest boxes and add new hay to freshen things up. I heard for the first time the other day that it is a good idea to add crushed dried herbs to the nest boxes to make them more appealing to your hens. I tried crushed basil this time. Yes, hens are a constant source of amusement. They always want to lay eggs where everyone else is laying. I just have 2 nest boxes for my 10 hens. I call them nest boxes but they are a little unconventional. One is an old basket, the other is an old drawer. This time of year as we transition into winter the light wanes as the days grow shorter. You will notice your egg production reducing quite a bit. This is why commercial growers put a light on their chickens 24 hours a day; to keep their egg production up. Here at the homestead we try to work with nature instead of against it. That means more kale, less eggs. This is also the time that the rabbits really start producing well. While one thing lessens another takes it’s place. This probably wouldn’t work up north but I lean pallets against the coop to provide a wind break. A lot of people ask me if I need to provide a heat source for my girls when temps fall below freezing. The answer is no. It is important to make sure their water is unfrozen. Other than that chickens really do better in the Winter here than the heat of the Summer.
My hens checking out the new fresh nest box.
After the coop is all cleaned out it is time to add new wood chips. I get what is called a “Country Boy” which is farmer speak for a big packed bag of wood shavings. I get mine from my local feed store in Garland. When I first started chickens I used Fall leaves gathered from the curb. I like the shavings better because the compost turns out better, but oak leaves work out well as chicken bedding too. It is hard to see in the picture but the bottom of the coop against the ground is wire screen(yard cloth) to keep digging critters out.
My hens get very curious about all the changes taking place and come to check it all out. I put the old bedding into a bin and drag it to my compost. Thankfully I don’t have to go too far. I keep my compost in my chicken yard so that my hens can stir my compost and so that they can get the minerals they need to keep their egg shells hard. I put the cracked egg shells in the compost where my hens can gobble them up therefore getting the calcium they need to keep their egg shells firm. I also put other left over kitchen scraps in the compost for them to enjoy. Speaking of compost, a lot of people ask me about mine. Let me just say that trying to heat up a compost pile without manure of some sort is NOT easy. To heat up a compost pile without manure add fresh grass clippings. However right about the time fall leaves are readily abundant, grass clippings are NOT readily available. If you have read my posts at all you are probably sensing a theme; get an animal or a source of manure for your garden. Chickens or rabbits, even worms; your garden will thank you with beautiful veggies.
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Chicken Coop Run Plans in Hardaway, Alabama
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Hardaway 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 Hardaway Alabama chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Hardaway, Alabama With the massive rise in chicken maintaining there has actually been an equally large increase in the variety of poultry paraphernalia on sale. Chicken real estate is an instance in factor. It's likewise a timeless example of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as numerous would-be fowl real estate professionals peddle a range of holiday accommodation claiming to be the perfect solution to your chicken housing demands. Commonly the rate looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks eye-catching, hell also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Surely they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous economical and unpleasant cages swamping the marketplace. I recognize this as I've tested a variety of them in the area, as well as seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed bucket appeared. The result was just a costly heap of fire wood and a small group of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coops For Sale in Hardaway, Alabama
Generally these standardized versions are built of quick grown up lumber - come the very first drop of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that will not shut, or tearing the door furniture off in a vain attempt to release the squawking residents. The first cozy day means the wood dries as well as splits, the really felt roof covering bubbles as well as boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens refuse to enter. This is not due to their disappointment at the decrease of their as soon as attractive property but since the hovel is currently a place for, and probably crawling with, the fowl keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add the fact that it said on the blurb that it would certainly match four large chickens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you entrusted? A number of joints and also some kindling. A good coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you choose for a cost-free standing house or one with a run attached. Thinking you are varying your birds in a large area and the pop hole doorway allows enough for the breed you keep, then the major needs of housing come down to 3 factors which will certainly define the variety of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. Many types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost at night, this perch must preferably be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off sides so the foot rests easily on it. The perch should be above the nest box access as chickens will likewise naturally look for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is incidentally when they produce the most poo) resulting in stained eggs the following day. They should not nonetheless be so high off the floor of the house that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in tiny breeds this is clearly much less), plus if more than one perch is installed in your home they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their next-door neighbors but are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your house must have a least one nest box for every 3 birds as well as these ought to be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of the house. The house must have adequate ventilation: without it after that condensation will develop every evening, also in the coldest of weather. Realize, ventilation works on the concept of cozy air leaving via a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a set of holes on other walls of the house and at the very same degree, this is just what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run connected after that the points above are still real, however you ought to also consider the run size. The EU optimum legal stocking density for a cost-free variety bird is (as well as let's face it, one of the inspirations for maintaining some chickens in your home is perhaps enhanced or better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m made even. Take a close take a look at several of the deal homes - it could well be the house has the appropriate perches, appropriate air flow and also adequate nest boxes for a sensible number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? And so as the claiming goes, "you obtain exactly what you pay for". You could think you've got a deal, however you as well as your group could possibly rue the day you did. Purchase the appropriate house and also it will certainly last for a couple of decades, otherwise longer given the right therapy. In the long run your chicken and also your fowl keeping encounter will be much the better for it.chicken plan
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