Chicken Coops for Sale in Rand, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Rand, Colorado
A Recycled Chicken Coop – Part 2
Yesterday I about how we picked the old building to remodel into our chicken coop. We also started building the run but the ground froze before we could get all the posts set. Ah the joys of a Wisconsin winter! Since we couldn’t work on the run any more, we moved on to the building itself. I’m a list/classify kinda gal so I like to think of the work in phases.
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 1: Destroy
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 2: Rebuild
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 3: Details
So we jumped right in with Phase 1. We slipped on some face masks and gloves, grabbed the snow shovel and started cleaning up the raccoon poop and broken pots. We also removed the two old broken windows. The third window was in good shape so we left it. (And by “we” I mainly mean Josh. I forget where I was, but I’m sure it was very important to miss such a fun time.) I arrived on the scene just in time to take a photo. (Hmm, maybe I was out buying a camera since this is now in the ANC time period: After New Camera.)
Once we got it all relatively nice and clean, we made a huge mess by ripping the cardboard wall coverings down. It was pretty yucky because the board had gotten wet and was a little soggy and gooey.
Next we pulled down all the old siding on two walls of the building. Most of it was rotten and in pretty rough shape. We even removed the door because of the raccoon pet door (AKA: huge hole) in the bottom.
Before
After
Everybody helped!
Both sides done
And with that, Phase 1: Destroy! was completed.
Now we move on to Phase 2: Rebuild. We scored two big storm windows off Craigslist for $10 each so Josh built frames for them. Here we are testing the first one to make sure it fits. Being newbies at this sort of thing, it’s always hit or miss. Sometimes we amaze ourselves and sometimes, well, it ain’t pretty. So we held our breath and fit it into place.
Success! Sometimes we can read a tape measure! (And in case you are wondering, yes it is on backwards. My dad pointed that out as soon as I showed him this photo. I’d like to say that we knew that but, um, we didn’t. We thought it wouldn’t matter but for drainage purposes you shouldn’t just turn them inside out. Live and learn, right?)
So we removed the test window and then covered the two bare sides with tar paper that is normally used for roofing. Now, I’m not sure if that is exactly what we should have used (again, newbies!) but I got it from someone on Freecycle for FREE so that’s what we went with. (I also got a few bundles of shingles with the paper. We need to re-shingle another building here on the homestead. Gotta love Freecycle! If you don’t know about it, check it out .)
After cutting out the windows and door areas from the black paper, we went shopping on the homestead again, this time for siding. Now, our lives would have been easier if we just went to a real store and bought something new. But in the interest of money-saving and world-saving, we wanted to use whatever we could from the farm. We had two buildings to work with. First was the old chicken coop and the second was an old building behind the barn. A previous owner had already removed the siding from one wall of building so we figured we could too.
The result of previous siding shopping trips
What we removed
I don’t know how we would have done it without our little nail puller. Even though it took us a long time, it was worth it. Not only did I save some money, but I am glad that these buildings were able to still be useful. Both the old chicken coop and the building in the photos were part of the original homestead over 100 years ago. They have the remains of plaster and molding in them. You can see where stairs and woodstoves once sat. It’s easy to imagine a child climbing the stairs to their bed in the loft or a woman cooking over the big stove in the center of the room. Since their glory days, they have been used as houses for chickens, hogs and lambs. That kind of rough life has taken it’s toll on the buildings.
The old farmhouse where the stairs once led up to the loft
It makes me sad that they have gotten so rundown so I’m glad that we can make them useful again, even if it is only in a very small way.
The next two weekends were spent taking down siding from the old buildings, cutting them for the new coop and putting them up.
Our workstation - professional looking isn't it?
We had to work around the snowstorms but we finally got it done! Once we permanently installed the windows, it looked like a REAL building! Imagine that. We were pretty proud of ourselves since we really had no clue what we were doing.
Our "new" siding and windows
That concludes Phase 2: Rebuild! (If only it were that simple and quick in real life.) And since you’re probably on photo overload, I’d better conclude this post for today. But I’ll be back tomorrow with Phase 3: Details. See you then!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Chicken Coop Ideas Diy in Rand, Colorado
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Rand 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 Rand Colorado chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Rand, Colorado With the big rise in chicken keeping there has actually been a just as large surge in the array of chicken paraphernalia on sale. Poultry real estate is a proceedings in factor. It's also a classic instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as different potential poultry real estate professionals pitch a variety of cottage asserting to be the suitable solution to your chicken housing needs. Commonly the cost looks attractive, the house looks appealing, heck also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Undoubtedly they understand a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous cheap and also nasty cages swamping the market. I recognize this as I've tested a number of them in the field, and seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed bucket appeared. The result was nothing but an expensive pile of firewood and also a small group of bemused and currently homeless bantams.
Baby Chicken in Rand, Colorado
Typically these mass produced designs are created of rapid grown up wood - come the first decline of rain they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that will not close, or ripping the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking residents. The very first warm day means the hardwood dries out and also splits, the really felt roof bubbles and also 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 once eye-catching residential property yet because the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, as well as possibly abounding, the poultry keeper's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it said on the blurb that it would certainly fit four huge hens when that equipping thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as what are you left with? A couple of hinges as well as some kindling. A decent coop for thee to four birds must cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend on whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are varying your birds in a big space and also the pop hole door allows enough for the type you maintain, then the main needs of housing boil down to three factors which will specify the variety 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 in the evening, this perch needs to ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off sides so the foot rests comfortably on it. The perch needs to be above the nest box access as chickens will additionally normally look for the acme to perch. A perch less than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they generate the most poo) causing stained eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries could occur when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in little types this is obviously less), plus if more than one perch is installed in the house they should be more than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors however are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your house should have a least one nest box for every single three birds as well as these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of the house. The house must have ample ventilation: without it after that condensation will certainly build up every night, also in the chilliest of weather condition. Be aware, air flow works with the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving via a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower space - it's not a set of openings on contrary wall surfaces of your house as well as at the exact same level, this is exactly what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed after that the factors above are still true, but you ought to additionally think about the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful stocking thickness for a free variety bird is (as well as allow's face it, one of the motivations for maintaining some chickens at home is potentially enhanced or much better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m made even. Take a close look at several of the bargain homes - it could well be the house has the appropriate perches, correct ventilation as well as ample nest boxes for a sensible variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you get exactly what you pay for". You may think you've grabbed a bargain, however you and your group could possibly rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house and it will last for a couple of decades, otherwise longer offered the appropriate treatment. In the end your fowl as well as your fowl keeping encounter will certainly be considerably the much better for it.coops chicken
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Centennial, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Eagle, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Pitkin, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Fowler, Colorado
Chicken Coops for Sale in Atwood, Colorado