Chicken Coops for Sale in Normal, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Normal, Alabama
Our Finished Chicken Coop
These past few days had us outside enjoying the beautiful weather. One of the jobs I crossed off the list was to clean out our new chicken coop.
Because of our over the past year or so, our family was going through several dozen eggs a week. (I can’t help it – I’m hooked on !)
So last summer we quit “planning” to get our own chickens, and actually did it. The whole family pitched in to build a little abode for our egg-laying beauties. And because we were first-time chicken owners and newbies in all chicken-related topics, we joined and gleaned months worth of ideas, do’s and don’ts, and building plans. (I can’t recommend this site highly enough! If you have the slightest inclination of doing chicken anything, go here and read to your heart’s content.)
It was so helpful to see photos and designs when we were in the planning stages, I thought I’d share pictures of our coop and the hows and whys of what we did.
The chicken coop
Instead of starting from scratch, we bought a small granary from my brother-in-law; about 9’x7′ inside measurements. This gave us about 3 sq. ft. per bird. The coop is nothing fancy really. It isn’t visible from the road and we don’t live in town with neighbors to care about the view from their back window, so we used as much scrap material as possible. Plus we didn’t think the chickens would mind.
So far they haven’t rebelled.
We re-tinned the roof (that’s my honey!) and I got to use the saw sawl to make holes for the windows and vents. You can call me Mrs. Handyman. . .
Inside the chicken coop
Framing the windows and vents was the most time consuming part since the building wasn’t square. We used insulation and vapor barrier for the walls for added moisture protection and warmth because the windchill can get -40 below or more in the winter.
We made the roosting boards parallel and the same height because apparently hens will act like old biddies and fight for the top most board. (Some people’s kids. . .)
We rounded the edges of the roosting boards so it’s easier on the hens’ feet. The boards can be removed for ease of cleaning the poop boards underneath.
Poop boards seemed quite popular among chicken peoples and we’ve quickly learned why. First, chickens poop more when roosting, so the roosting boards are placed above the poop board. This makes clean up as simple as buying a wide sheetrock mudding tool and scraping the droppings into a bucket each day. We then add the droppings to our compost pile.
We originally built a rollaway community nesting box directly underneath the poop board, but the chickens ended up laying eggs everywhere but there. Eventually we added a ‘normal’ set of 12″x12″x12″ nesting boxes and they’re happy campers again.
We decided to use the deep litter method. We spread a bag of wood chips on the floor and because the hens leave most of their droppings on the poop boards, there’s minimal waste on the floor. The chickens like to scratch and fluff the wood chips so it gets stirred up and aerated. This means the coop is less smelly, and there’s only a few minutes of daily cleaning of the boards. If needed, you can add more wood chips throughout the year.
We clean the coop out fully in the spring and fall. So far it’s worked wonderfully.
We nailed a board across the doorway to prevent the rising litter from falling out every time we opened the door.
The feeders are gravity fed. They’re made of PVC pipe with a 90 degree corner and a cap at the end. We like that we can leave for several days at a time and don’t have to worry about having someone come out to do chicken chores for us.
This water stand was Travis’s idea. The hens have a platform to stand on so no matter how high the litter gets, they can reach the water comfortably.
The chicken nipples underneath are another idea shared by BYC that I LOVE. The water doesn’t drip, there is no poop or mud to worry about, and our full grown hens figured it out within 24 hrs. The pails are covered with lids to prevent the water from getting dirty and it lasts for at least a week (we add apple cider vinegar).
When we’re home, we clean them out and give them fresh water every few days.
There’s electricity on the wall above the waterers with a timed light switch. We use bird bath heaters to keep the water from freezing during the winter. We had to add the slanted plywood because the hens were roosting on the pails. (I told you they fought for highest roosting privileges.)
The pop door is a simple design, and it works great. It slides up and down, held in by L shaped boards.
When in the closed position, the hook and eye on the right prevent racoons (or children!) from trying to lift the door from the outside.
We used 1/2″ x 1/2″ hardware cloth to cover the insides of the windows and vents. . .
. . .and plexiglass for the actual windows.
We made sure to have plenty of vents (thanks to sage advice from Pat’s Ventilation Page) and used eyes and rope to open and close them at different heights.
Finally, we added a small lean-to to the side so the hens could come out in the winter. This helps block snow drifts right in front of the pop door, and they can still come out for fresh air and sunshine when they get cabin fever.
It might not win a beauty contest – but there’s something to be said for function-ability Hope this gave you some ideas!
What have you done to your chicken coop? We’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions!
shared with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Related Posts
Latest posts by Paula ()
- - March 22, 2016
- - January 28, 2016
- - January 22, 2016
Chicken Coop Run Plans in Normal, Alabama
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Normal 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 Normal Alabama chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Normal, Alabama With the massive increase in poultry maintaining there has actually been an equally huge surge in the range of poultry stuff for sale. Fowl housing is an instance in point. It's likewise a timeless example of the good old bandwagon being jumped on as different prospective chicken housing professionals pitch an array of accommodation declaring to be the perfect solution to your chicken real estate demands. Frequently the price looks desirable, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks attractive, hell also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Surely they understand a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are many affordable and also nasty cages flooding the marketplace. I recognize this as I've tested a variety of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed container appeared. The result was just a pricey heap of fire wood as well as a little flock of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Adelaide in Normal, Alabama
Generally these mass produced designs are created of fast grown up hardwood - come the very first drop of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a doorway that will not shut, or ripping the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking inhabitants. The initial warm day implies the timber dries out and also fractures, the felt roofing system bubbles and boils, and come nightfall the hens refuse to enter. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decline of their when attractive property however due to the fact that the hovel is now a haven for, and possibly abounding, the chicken caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly match four big chickens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and exactly what are you entrusted? A few hinges and some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are varying your birds in a large room and also the pop opening door allows enough for the type you maintain, after that the primary demands of housing come down to three factors which will specify the number of birds your house will hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. The majority of breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch should ideally be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch ought to be above the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly likewise normally look for the acme to perch. A perch less than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce one of the most poo) bring about dirtied eggs the list below day. They should not nonetheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries might take place when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in tiny breeds this is undoubtedly less), plus if more than one perch is set up in the house they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably your house needs to have a the very least one nest box for every single 3 birds and also these should be off the ground and in the darkest area of your house. The house should have adequate air flow: without it then condensation will certainly accumulate every evening, also in the chilliest of weather. Be aware, air flow works on the principle of warm air leaving with a high void attracting cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of holes on contrary walls of your house and at the same degree, this is what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the factors above are still real, yet you need to likewise take into consideration the run size. The EU maximum legal equipping density for a free array bird is (as well as let's encounter it, among the motivations for keeping some chickens in the house is possibly improved or much better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close check out several of the deal houses - it could well be your house has the ideal perches, right ventilation and also adequate nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you obtain what you pay for". You could think you've got a bargain, yet you as well as your group could rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house and it will certainly last for a couple of years, if not longer provided the appropriate treatment. Ultimately your poultry and your poultry keeping encounter will certainly be much the far better for it.plans diy
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Daleville, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Arab, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Logan, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Gaylesville, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Jachin, Alabama