close

Chicken Coops for Sale in Fountain, Colorado

Chicken Coops for Sale in Fountain, Colorado

How to Rodent Proof a Chicken Coop

One morning I opened the metal trash can I used to keep the chicken feed in and plunged a scoop into the feed. In that cup of feed there was some additional protein in the form of a small, freaked-out mouse. I shrieked and the mouse jumped out of my hand and dashed off. Then I peered into the bag of feed. Like the plot of a rodent horror movie, I found two other mice running around along with a dead and bloody mouse. I’ll leave it to you to fill in the mysterious details of that story. But I knew it was time to deal with the problem.

Thankfully, like , most chicken pest problems can be taken care of with simple sanitation. In my case that meant putting the food away at night and investing in rodent proof feed containers.

Every night I put the entire feeder within the trash can you can see in the picture on the right (it has a much more secure lid than the larger can I used to keep the feed in). In the morning I put the food out again for our four hens. It means that I have to get up just a few minutes earlier than I usually do but that’s not a big deal as I’m one of those tedious and boring morning persons.

Some folks use rodent proof treadle feeders. These feeders open when the hens step on a small metal platform. I was sent a treadle feeder like the one above but my skittish hens would not get anywhere near it even with the treadle kept open. I probably could have trained them to use it but I’ve found that putting the feed away at night is no big chore. I gave the treadle feeder away to some other chicken enthusiasts whose hens are less afraid of the contraption.

As to rodent-proof feed containers I’m using two , one for the feed and the other for scratch. They have a locking, rodent and water proof lid. The small trash can in the picture (that I put the whole feeder in at night) seems to be working.

For more information on controlling mice and rats see UC Davis’ Integrated Pest Management information for and . We used to have mice in the house but the cats have taken care of that problem. As to the issue of rodents eating fruit, I’m still working on that problem.

Share this post

Email this post

Related Posts

Chicken coops for sale in Fountain Colorado can be found in agricultural newspapers and community newspapers. The coops are designed for housing for chickens in a safe and secure environment. They generally consist of a small building or large box that is then sectioned off to smaller boxes where the chickens go to roost (or sleep). Chicken coops are a must for raising chickens. Fountain Colorado chicken coops are commonly constructed from wood products. They are not very stable buildings and provide only minimal protection from the elements. Now chicken houses used for large production facilities are a entirely different structure, they are huge and can hold up to 10000 chickens. The coops are typically used for backyard operations, or small family farms. They vary in size depending on the number of residents they house. chicken-coops-in-Fountain-COFinding chicken coops for sale in Fountain Colorado is probably not one of the easiest of items to find. There are manufacturers of chicken houses and coops that sell them out right and Fountain Colorado farm supply stores that they can also be purchased through, but generally speaking it will take some effort to find a chicken coop for sale in Fountain Colorado, especially if your location is not a typically rural location. In rural locations that are much more abundant and easily had. Chicken Coops for sale in Fountain CO

Chicken Coop Basics in Fountain, Colorado

A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Fountain 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 Fountain Colorado chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Fountain, Colorado With the substantial increase in chicken maintaining there has actually been a similarly big rise in the array of fowl materiel for sale. Fowl housing is a proceedings in factor. It's also a classic example of the excellent old bandwagon being jumped on as various would-be chicken real estate professionals market an array of cottage declaring to be the perfect solution to your chicken real estate demands. Typically the rate looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks appealing, heck also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Certainly they recognize a quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of cheap and also horrible coops flooding the marketplace. I know this as I've examined a number of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed bucket appeared. The result was only a costly pile of firewood as well as a little group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams. Chickens for sale in Fountain CO

Chicken Coop Build in Fountain, Colorado

Typically these standardized designs are created of rapid grown wood - come the 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 cozy day implies the lumber dries as well as cracks, the felt roofing system bubbles and also boils, and come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not as a result of their disappointment at the decline of their once desirable residential property however since the hovel is currently a place for, and possibly abounding, the chicken keeper's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly suit four big chickens when that equipping thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also exactly what are you left with? A few hinges and also some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds should cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you choose for a free standing house or one with a run connected. Thinking you are varying your birds in a large space and also the pop hole door allows enough for the type you maintain, then the main requirements of real estate boil down to 3 factors which will certainly define the variety of birds your house will hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. The majority of breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch must preferably be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off sides so the foot sits easily on it. The perch must be higher than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly also normally try to find the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they create the most poo) resulting in stained eggs the following day. They shouldn't however be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries might happen when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in small types this is obviously less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in your home they must be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors but are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally the house should have a the very least one nest box for every three birds and also these ought to be off the ground and in the darkest area of your house. Your home must have sufficient air flow: without it then condensation will certainly build up every evening, even in the coldest of weather condition. Be aware, air flow deals with the principle of warm air leaving with a high space drawing cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a set of openings on contrary walls of your house and at the same degree, this is exactly what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run connected then the factors above are still true, yet you need to also consider the run dimension. The EU maximum lawful stocking density for a complimentary range bird is (as well as let's face it, among the inspirations for maintaining some chickens at home is potentially improved or better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close take a look at several of the bargain residences - it could well be your home has the ideal perches, proper air flow and also sufficient nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? And so as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for". You may assume you've got hold of a deal, but you and your group can rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and also it will certainly last for a couple of decades, otherwise longer offered the right treatment. Ultimately your chicken as well as your fowl maintaining encounter will be a lot the better for it.
plans     plans
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Cimarron, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Craig, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Drake, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Amherst, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Delta, Colorado