Chicken Coops for Sale in Stockton, Alabama
Chicken Coops for Sale in Stockton, Alabama
Adventures in Country Living at Shalom Engedi Farm
We've been raising meat chickens for a few years now and each year we've learned a few things to add to our list of disasters and a few to add to our triumphs.
Let me explain how we started. A few years ago when we lived in the city we built the worlds most expensive chicken coop. You can read about it . In many ways it was fabulous - for 6 chickens. When you get a few more - like 50 meat birds - it won't do at all.
Every summer that we've had chickens at the farm they've been in different pens. We would solve one problem by making a change the next year only to create more problems we didn't anticipate. The first year we used the only pen we had available in the barn but it was a little small for the 60 chickens that lived in it. We figured they would be outside most of the time anyway and it WOULD BE FINE. Leaving the feed in their pen at all times was also a mistake as it caused them to grow too fast. We didn't get the chicks until September which meant they needed 8 weeks to grow to full size which also meant we were getting into wintery weather by the time they left. Oh dear - can you say chicken poop? They were the laziest chickens you ever saw. They hated going outside even though we chased them outside every day. They just sat and got fat and pooped. End of story. By the time they were ready for the butcher we were REALLY happy to get rid of them because the coop was impossible to keep clean. Without enough exercise and with too much food they got so big they had leg problems too so we lost a few birds in the process.
Fast forward to the next spring when we had the great idea to build them a huge pen. You can read about that . It was such a good idea except now we couldn't get them to gain weight because they got TOO MUCH exercise. They didn't have any leg problems though!. After a few extra weeks of feed before we brought them to the butcher we ended up with really yummy but rather scrawny birds. Sigh* I don't think we got close to breaking even when we sold them that year.
So - lets try that again!!! We recently purchased an old dog kennel through Kijiji - it's 5x15 feet and made of chain link with a good sturdy door. We know from our past coops that Overkilled Fort Knox is the way to go. There can be NO WAY for animals to get in or reach in.
We started by wiring the chain link fencing on far more securely than it was originally - we wanted to keep a dog (and others) OUT! We used two 4 foot pieces of hardware cloth on the ground and zip ties to connect them together - slightly overlapping the pieces. This provides a strong bottom so predator animals can't dig under the coop.
Then we wrapped the top edge of the kennel with 3 foot wide hardware cloth - attaching it with zip ties as well. The bottom section is a full sheet of lattice. It covers the hardware cloth on the top and is connected with zip ties again to the frame and the hardware cloth that makes up the floor. The roof is plywood sheets cut to fit so there is a 6 inch overhang ( 4 sheets cut to 6 feet each - the roof is 6 feet wide and 16 feet long) We cut an old tarp to size and stapled it on top. We were going to have the tarp overhang and peg it to the ground but it made the interior too dark. It took some creative cutting to fill in all the little spaces around the door to create a tight fit but with enough space that we could still open the door.
After adding shavings and a waterer we had to solve the problem of feeding 50 starving chickens at once without them killing each other in the process. They get pretty excited when they're hungry. We have multiple feeders but they never seemed enough. I solved the problem by purchasing a new 10 foot eaves trough with ends and screwed some 1 foot pieces of an old 2x4 across the bottom to act as feet - I used four pieces. When it's situated in the middle of the coop the chickens can access it from both sides and finally there is room for everyone to eat. The coop is bright and airy and doesn't smell bad at all...of course I am not really an expert on that subject! There is great air flow, plenty of space but not too much space and it's a safe place for them to spend the night. We also built the coop within sight of the kitchen window so I can keep an eye on them. In past years we let them free range as far as they wanted to - but sometimes they didn't come back. Our losses were just too great so this year they are kept in a large fenced area. They still have access to plants and bugs and sunshine but they don't disappear as someones lunch! So far this year we haven't lost any birds to predators. We also situated the coop in the shade of several large trees. Meatie birds are not that smart and sometimes when it's really hot they will lay in the sun and die of dehydration before they get up and get a drink. | The rake in the picture is my Chicken Encourager - I use it to gently encourage the chickens to leave the coop! |
The fencing we used is something we've also used to fence our vegetable garden. The material is a plastic mesh that comes in 50 foot rolls for less than $15.00. The posts are a little pricey but since they can be easily moved and re-used we thought it was worth it. You may be wondering why the fence is so short - it's only two feet tall. The fencing comes in three foot height as well but the due to a problem in the pricing for the fence posts it was more economical to buy the two foot fencing instead. We've found that our meat birds grow so fast that they don't fly very well. Occasionally one gets out but they never go far and the fence is more to contain them than to keep them safe from predators.
This coop is not going to be used in the winter - it's a little too airy for subzero temperatures but it could be modified in a pinch. Necessity is the Mother of Invention they say! If you can get a good deal on a kennel and shop around or use what you have already have you can make a similar coop and have the fencing like this for under $450.00. If all goes well it should pay for itself this summer and last for many years. The chickens seem to like their new digs and are growing well! Three tries and I think we got it right!! 
Chicken Coop For 10 Chickens in Stockton, Alabama
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Stockton 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 Stockton Alabama chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Stockton, Alabama With the substantial boost in poultry maintaining there has been an equally big surge in the variety of fowl stuff on sale. Poultry housing is an instance in factor. It's additionally a classic instance of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as various would-be poultry housing specialists pitch a variety of holiday accommodation claiming to be the suitable remedy to your chicken real estate needs. Frequently the price looks attractive, your house looks attractive, hell also the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Surely they know a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of affordable and horrible cages flooding the market. I know this as I've checked a number of them in the field, and seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed bucket showed up. The outcome was just a pricey pile of firewood and also a small group of bemused and also now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Kits For Sale in Stockton, Alabama
More often than not these mass produced designs are created of quick grown hardwood - come the first decrease of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that won't shut, or ripping the doorway furnishings off in a vain effort to launch the squawking inhabitants. The very first cozy day suggests the wood dries and splits, the felt roofing system bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not because of their disappointment at the decrease of their as soon as appealing home yet since the hovel is currently a haven for, and possibly crawling with, the fowl caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would suit 4 large hens when that stocking thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also exactly what are you entrusted? A number of joints and some kindling. A good coop for thee to four birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this could depend on whether you elect for a cost-free standing house or one with a run affixed. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a big area and the pop opening door allows enough for the type you maintain, after that the primary demands of housing boil down to 3 points which will certainly specify the variety of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. Most breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch ought to preferably be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch must be more than the nest box entry as chickens will certainly additionally normally look for the acme to perch. A perch less than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they produce the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the list below day. They should not however be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in small breeds this is clearly less), plus if greater than one perch is installed in your house they need to be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably your home must have a least one nest box for every single 3 birds as well as these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of the house. The house ought to have adequate air flow: without it after that condensation will certainly develop every night, also in the coldest of climate. Understand, air flow deals with the principle of cozy air leaving with a high gap drawing cooler air in from a lower space - it's not a set of holes on opposite wall surfaces of your home as well as at the very same level, this is exactly what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still true, but you must also take into consideration the run dimension. The EU maximum legal stocking thickness for a cost-free range bird is (as well as let's encounter it, among the inspirations for maintaining some chickens at home is potentially improved or much better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close check out some of the deal homes - it could well be the house has the right perches, appropriate air flow and also enough nest boxes for an affordable number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you obtain what you pay for". You may believe you've got a deal, but you and also your flock might rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and also it will certainly last for a couple of decades, if not longer provided the correct treatment. In the end your chicken and your poultry keeping encounter will certainly be a lot the much better for it.coop plans
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