Chicken Coops for Sale in Chimney Rock, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Chimney Rock, Colorado
DIY Pallet Chicken Coop
I like chickens.
A lot.
Maybe because when I was small, I remember walking out to my mother’s chicken house, and gathering eggs…I’m not sure why I like them so much, but every spring I look at the signs that say: “Chicks here!” and want them so badly. We recently got a Murdoch’s Farm & Ranch store in our town. I love Farm & Ranch stores, by the way. Anyways, so when they started advertising ‘Chick Days’, I stopped in a few times to let the kids look at the chicks. At least that was my excuse! It was actually a good excuse for ME to get my chick fix. I have tried 3 times to keep chickens here, and they always get eaten – either by fox, coon, or skunk. I had told myself firmly that it was a waste of time, money and energy to try again. But on the third trip to Murdoch’s, I caved. I got 3 Red Star, 3 Buff’s, and 3 Wyandottes. I like variety. I also was trying to get cold-hardy birds, since they will be living in a drafty coop most of the year. If they survive.
I knew the set-up I had been using was not going to work, so I set out to build me a coop. Now, as you know, I am not a carpenter. I do, however, believe anyone can do anything if they want to bad enough. I think more ‘skill’, and ‘talent’ is in our hard work, than in natural ability. I think anyone can be a musician, great cook, cowboy, writer, or, yes, even a carpenter, with enough learning, perseverance, and hard work. I know certain people can naturally do certain things alot easier than others. But usually its more experience or desire than actual talent.
Case in point: My Cowboy never wanted to be a carpenter. Never enjoyed it. But he is an excellent carpenter. He can build anything, without a plan. And it lasts, believe me. Why is he so good? Because he started when young, and worked with his dad, who taught him all he needed to know, little by little, hard day of work after hard day of work.
Me? Why, I had a dad who despised carpentry, never built anything he didn’t have to, and therefore most of my family is slightly lacking in carpenter skills. (except for a few brothers who actually enjoy it, and learned later. ) So I had no examples, and certainly no help building things. But I have built my first freestanding, semi-solid, totally un-square, sorta-kinda-cute, and totally functional structure! It held my chickies for the first time last night, and despite the multitude of cracks, they (the chicks) are still all there this morning! I hope the critters don’t find a way in – cause I have certainly tried to make it critter-proof, if not weather proof. It does keep out the rain, thankfully, as it rained last night. Here is how to build a coop on the cheap frugal, with minimal zero expertise…
I dug about 24 of these 1×4’s out of the ranch dump. They are from a fallen windbreak, I think. They are 8 ft. each. I had to jerk out about 4-6 old nails out of each one.
Then I got 3 old pallets that were sturdy, and nailed the boards over the cracks. Instant studs! Yay!
I cut out a section of the one pallet for a nest-box entrance, and made a nest box out of scraps I found in the barn.
I missed taking pics of whole sections of the process, but anyways, here it is – the nest box isn’t finished yet, and it need some paint. The roof is longer in the back to help protect the nest box from rain/snow. (that sounds good, anyways…the real reason was because i didn’t want to cut metal, and this piece was basically the right size.)
The front. I did have to frame this, since I just couldn’t wrap my brain around how to cut/fasten a door in a pallet. It was pretty easy, tho. Took me two tries to get the angle right on the door cross-support. Just being honest here.
The inside. here you can see the pallets. I used some corner braces to fasten it to the floor. I couldn’t think of any other way. Didn’t have long enough screws to screw through the oak stringers. Check out my skylight! I wasn’t sure how to build a window, so I found this piece of clear roofing, and it works great as a skylight. Some days I will have to leave them in the coop all day, and I wanted them to get light.
Frank painted it last night. Well, some of it. See the nest box out the back? It missed getting painted, but I will finish it soon. I am quite pleased with my little coop. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but functional, and not totally sloppy-looking. And I didn’t have any help from the master carpenter, aka: My Cowboy. The cord is for the heat lamp, in case you wondered. Its still pretty cold here at night. (30º – 40º)
I was so worried last night, I kept waking and wondering if the fox/coons had found a way in to the coop…I went out this morning and there they all were – hale and hearty. I got that Tom Hanks/Castaway moment of “I can build! I have made a chicken coop!” Ha ha!
I had several things I wanted in my coop. 1. Easy access to the nest box from the outside. Check. 2. Natural light source, so I wouldn’t have to run a light. Check. I have to have a heat lamp, but don’t want to have to run a light when they are grown. 3. Door big enough for an adult to get in, if necessary. Check. 4. Somewhat rustic/cute. Check. 5. Critter-proof. Check. I am satisfied.
You might also enjoy these:
Thanks for sharing!
Like this:
Chicken Coop And Run For Sale in Chimney Rock, Colorado
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Chimney Rock Colorado" 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 Chimney Rock Colorado chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Chimney Rock, Colorado With the big rise in poultry maintaining there has been a just as big rise in the variety of poultry stuff for sale. Chicken real estate is a situation in point. It's likewise a classic example of the good old bandwagon being got on as numerous potential poultry real estate professionals pitch a range of cottage declaring to be the excellent option to your chicken real estate requirements. Often the cost looks desirable, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks desirable, hell also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Certainly they recognize a professional chicken house when they see one? There are lots of affordable as well as unpleasant coops flooding the marketplace. I understand this as I've tested a variety of them in the area, as well as seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed bucket showed up. The outcome was just a pricey stack of firewood and a little group of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Kits in Chimney Rock, Colorado
Typically these mass produced versions are created of rapid grown lumber - come the initial decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that will not shut, or ripping the door furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking inhabitants. The very first warm and comfortable day implies the lumber dries out and fractures, the really felt roofing bubbles and boils, and also come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not as a result of their frustration at the decrease of their when eye-catching property but because the hovel is now a place for, and most likely crawling with, the poultry caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on that it said on the blurb that it would fit 4 big chickens when that stocking density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and just what are you left with? A number of hinges and also some kindling. A good coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this could depend on whether you choose for a free standing house or one with a run attached. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a large space and also the pop opening doorway is big enough for the type you maintain, after that the primary demands of real estate boil down to three factors which will certainly specify the number of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also air flow. A lot of types of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch must preferably be 5-8cm large with smoothed off sides so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch must be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will certainly additionally naturally seek the acme to perch. A perch below that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they generate one of the most poo) leading to dirtied eggs the list below day. They should not nevertheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries could possibly take place when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in tiny breeds this is clearly less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in your house they need to be more than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their next-door neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally the house ought to have a the very least one nest box for every three birds as well as these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your house. Your home should have sufficient air flow: without it after that condensation will build up every evening, also in the coldest of weather condition. Know, air flow deals with the principle of cozy air leaving through a high void drawing cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a set of holes on other walls of your home and at the very same level, this is what's referred to as a draft. If you have a house with a run affixed then the factors above are still true, yet you need to likewise take into consideration the run size. The EU maximum legal equipping density for a cost-free variety bird is (and also let's encounter it, one of the inspirations for maintaining some chickens in your home is possibly boosted or much better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m settled. Take a close check out a few of the bargain residences - it could well be your house has the appropriate perches, correct air flow and sufficient 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? And so as the saying goes, "you obtain what you pay for". You could think you've got hold of a bargain, but you as well as your flock could rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and also it will last for a couple of years, if not longer offered the appropriate treatment. In the long run your fowl and your poultry keeping experience will be considerably the better for it.plan for sale
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Carbondale, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Austin, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Agate, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Chama, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Centennial, Colorado