Chicken Coops for Sale in Earp, California
Chicken Coops for Sale in Earp, California
How To Set Up Your Chicken Coop
Often when people buy chickens from us they’ve never owned poultry before therefore I usually find myself explaining the basics of operating a healthy and effective coop. As I grew up on a farm much of it is second nature but many city folk are unsure of just whats involved. The easiest and quickest way to get the message across is to take them on a tour of our back section to see how everything in our coop has be arranged.
The important aspects I talk about are:
Feed …
Because chickens grow so fast I use larger feeders as soon as possible. If you are raising them from day one there are feeders available that have been designed to cover the first couple of weeks. After that one on an adjustable rope works well as its just a matter of raising the height from time to time as the chickens grow. To get the best results it needs to be kept high enough to be accessible but not too low as to allow litter and droppings to be scratched into it. As can be seen in the photo above an off cut of PVC down pipe with holes drilled through it works well as a cheap grit feeder. Commercial feeds normally have grit added however I wonder if its sufficient as our hens regularly go through a 2 kilo bag of crushed oyster shell.
Feeding guide …
Day old to 6 -8 weeks … chick starter crumbles. 8 – 14 weeks … pullet grower or similar. 14 weeks onward … regular chook feed. 18 – 20 weeks or just prior to the commencement of laying … oyster shell grit.
Don’t over do the kitchen scraps as the nutritional value from these is fairly low. If they are fed as a substitute for a properly balance diet egg production will suffer.
Water …
Its important to have a plentiful supply of good clean water at all times. Hens don’t drink much at anyone time but they do drink often and even more so during spring and summer when air temperatures increase. I always leave the coop door open when our hens free range as they can get cool water whenever they need it. Hens drinking dirty contaminated water from containers and puddles is a recipe for disease.
If its not clean enough for you to drink you shouldn’t give it to your hens.
As shown above I prefer to used a fixed water container as the hanging versions leak and spill water when knocked. Its easily removed for cleaning and is installed in such a way to prevent debris getting into it.
Perches …
Chickens have a natural instinct to perch therefore it important to provide good sturdy perches. The ones in our coup are about 5cm square and have the sharp edges taken off to make them more chicken friendly. Tree branches of a similar diameter also work well if they are reasonably straight. The perches shown above are approximately 50cm and 80cm above the floor however I set them at lower levels when I first introduce 3 to 4 week old chicks. They should be fixed securely to the coop walls whilst being easily removable for cleaning.
Even when I have day old chicks under lights I provide perches as its a habit that I want them to learn as soon as possible because it makes my job so much easier. There’s no space on my daily to do list for cleaning dirty nesting boxes and eggs. Perch space per bird should be about 20cm.
Without suitable perches hens will perch on what ever is handy namely nesting boxes, feeders and the like or they will crowd into a corner of a coop. The end result will be a hard mound of droppings which will ultimately end up in feathers on claws then into nesting boxes and subsequently onto eggs. Correctly positioned perches eliminates crowding, flighty hens, dirty eggs and ensures your hens will be more relaxed and manageable.
Like all females of the species they need to be pampered. My other half constantly reminds me that I pay more attention to our Flora’s that I do to her. Its not true of course !!
Nesting boxes …
For me keeping hens is all about egg production therefore when we I invested extra time and effort into creating workable nesting boxes.
- One nesting box for every 4 hens, wonder why sometimes as they all seem to lay in the same box.
- Easily accessible for me from the outside.
- Easily accessible for the hens from the inside.
- Removable for easy cleaning.
- Spacious … 40cm height x 40cm width x 40cm depth or thereabouts.
- Weather proof.
- 10cm lip at the front to keep shavings and eggs in.
When introducing young chickens I keep the boxes closed off until near the time when they will start laying. This is to ensure that they use the perches rather than sleeping in and fouling the boxes. As mentioned previously this means only one thing, dirty eggs.
Deep litter …
We use a deep litter system as it makes for easy maintenance and reduces the need to be continually cleaning chicken manure out of the coop. Simply put the floor is covered with a 10cm layer of untreated wood shavings which is raked over every few days. A more detailed explanation of this concept can be .
Access – easy and straight forward …
- Human sized entry, applicable if you need a large coop.
- Removing old litter is almost effortless, especially when I have to work the camera !
- Predator proof entry- exit.
A user friendly coop ensures that keeping hens doesn’t become just another unwanted chore so build or buy wisely.
Chicken Coop Ebay in Earp, California
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Earp California" 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 Earp California chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Earp, California With the big rise in poultry keeping there has actually been a similarly huge surge in the variety of chicken paraphernalia for sale. Fowl housing is a case in point. It's likewise a traditional example of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as various potential poultry housing experts pitch a range of cottage claiming to be the optimal option to your chicken real estate requirements. Frequently the cost looks appealing, the house looks attractive, heck even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they understand a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are several affordable and horrible coops swamping the market. I recognize this as I've tested a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run straight through one when the feed container showed up. The outcome was only a pricey pile of fire wood and a tiny group of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Sale in Earp, California
More often than not these mass produced versions are constructed of quick grown hardwood - come the very first decline of rain they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that will not shut, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking residents. The very first warm day implies the timber dries out as well as cracks, the felt roofing system bubbles and also boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to enter. This is not as a result of their frustration at the decline of their as soon as desirable commercial property however due to the fact that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, and possibly crawling with, the fowl keeper's bane, red mite. Add the fact that it claimed on the blurb that it would suit 4 large hens when that stocking density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also just what are you left with? A couple of hinges and some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds ought to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could depend on whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a big space as well as the pop opening doorway allows enough for the type you maintain, after that the major needs of housing boil down to three factors which will certainly define the number of birds your home will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. Many breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off sides so the foot sits comfortably on it. The perch ought to be more than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly also naturally seek the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they create one of the most poo) resulting in dirtied eggs the list below day. They should not however be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries could happen when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in small types this is obviously less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your home they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your home should have a the very least one nest box for every single three birds and these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of your home. Your home ought to have sufficient air flow: without it after that condensation will accumulate every evening, even in the chilliest of weather. Know, ventilation works with the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high void attracting cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a set of holes on contrary walls of your home and at the very same level, this is what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached after that the factors above are still true, but you ought to likewise consider the run size. The EU maximum lawful stocking thickness for a totally free variety bird is (as well as allow's encounter it, one of the motivations for keeping some hens in your home is potentially enhanced or better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m squared. Take a close take a look at several of the bargain residences - it could well be your house has the appropriate perches, appropriate ventilation as well as enough nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you get exactly what you spend for". You might think you've got a bargain, however you as well as your flock can rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house and it will last for a few decades, if not longer offered the correct therapy. Ultimately your fowl as well as your poultry keeping encounter will be much the far better for it.diy chicken
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