Chicken Coops for Sale in Middlefield, Connecticut
Chicken Coops for Sale in Middlefield, Connecticut
Make a Thrifty DIY Swingset Chicken Coop
Do you have one of those old A-shaped swingsets rusting in your backyard? If you do, then you have the basis for an awesome swingset chicken coop! (And if you don’t, watch Craigslist – there are frequently people offering them for free to whoever comes to pick them up.) Creativity is key .
When we moved recently we had to leave our wonderful chicken coop behind, since it was attached to the barn. While I drooled over some of , I’m on a pretty tight budget so it was important to use items that I could acquire either cheap or free. Luckily, the house we moved to had some pretty interesting stuff in a shed and an old rusty swingset in the woods.
I don’t have a lot of construction skills but the guy who put up my fence does, and luckily, he was on board with my wacky, freebie-scrounging ideas.
For the price of some labor, some hardware, some chicken wire, and a fancy-dancy hanging chicken waterer, I got a snazzy new coop that keeps my chickens safe and sound.
Here’s what we used:
- A swingset with the swings removed
- 2 pieces of corrugated metal on the top 3/4 plus a strip of it over the top to help weather proof
- Some sheets of plywood for the bottom back of the coop
- A piece of chain link fencing for the bottom in order to keep out predators
- Some old pieces of fence posts for the bottom of the coop to attach the chicken wire and chain link to
- Some lumber for the door
- Chicken wire (It was cheaper than from my local store)
If you’re making a scrounged chicken coop, be creative and see what you components you can find for cheap or free. Because most of the items used were found, this isn’t as much a how-to as it is something to inspire you. Here are some photos so you can see how my coop was assembled.
The Scoop on my Swingset Chicken Coop
The door is very heavy, which adds a layer of security against critters that might try to get in during the night. During the day, I use a bungee to hold the door open in the event of wind so no chickens get squashed. (They’re at the door because they know they’re either getting food or getting out.)
There is also a heavy duty double hinged latch that I fasten with a carabiner at night for an added layer of security. (.)
The bottom is covered with a piece of chain link fencing that is attached to the boards that form the bottom edge of the coop.
My biggest splurge is this hanging 5 gallon water dispenser. It stays much cleaner raised a few inches off the ground, only needs to be refilled every few days, and I used the exisiting hook for a swing to hang it from. (You can – it is a lower price than it was at my local feed store.)
Here’s the interior of theswingset chicken coop. The chickens like to roost on the cross bars on each end, and there is an extra bar from an old closet that was also installed. I used some cubbies from my previous garage for nesting boxes. (I probably should have taken the interior pic before I put the chickens in here to poop on everything. Of course, anyone who has chickens knows that a coop only looks clean for about 10 minutes.)
The coop in all of its glory. I’ll be painting the plywood soon to make it a little prettier.
Thor, our LGD, is happy to follow the chickens around and protect them because he realized they’re like little feathered Pez dispensers, dropping nice little egg treats around the yard for him to enjoy. I lock them in the coop a couple of days per week and that gives us more than enough eggs for our needs. The rest of the eggs get scattered around the yard for a doggie version of an Easter egg hunt. Thor’s a little skinny so the added fat will do him good. You can see him licking his dog lips in the photo below.
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Chicken Coop Yard Design in Middlefield, Connecticut
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Middlefield Connecticut" 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 Middlefield Connecticut chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Middlefield, Connecticut With the substantial increase in poultry keeping there has been an equally large surge in the variety of poultry paraphernalia on sale. Chicken housing is a case in point. It's likewise a classic example of the good old bandwagon being jumped on as different prospective chicken housing experts pitch a selection of lodging declaring to be the ideal option to your chicken real estate needs. Typically the rate looks appealing, the house looks appealing, hell also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Definitely they recognize a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are several affordable and horrible cages swamping the marketplace. I know this as I've tested a number of them in the field, and seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed bucket showed up. The outcome was only a pricey pile of firewood as well as a tiny group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Sale in Middlefield, Connecticut
Most of the time these mass produced models are created of quick grown up wood - come the very first drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either blockading a doorway that won't shut, or ripping the door furnishings off in a vain effort to release the squawking citizens. The very first cozy day indicates the timber dries out and fractures, the felt roofing bubbles and also boils, and come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decline of their when appealing property however since the hovel is now a place for, as well as most likely abounding, the fowl keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add on the fact that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly match four huge hens when that equipping density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also exactly what are you left with? A number of hinges and also some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you elect 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 hole door is big sufficient for the breed you keep, after that the primary requirements of housing boil down to three factors which will define the variety of birds the house will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. Many breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost at night, this perch needs to ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off sides so the foot sits pleasantly on it. The perch should be more than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly additionally normally search for the acme to perch. A perch below that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is incidentally when they create one of the most poo) resulting in stained eggs the following day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in tiny breeds this is clearly less), plus if more than one perch is installed 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. Preferably the house must have a least one nest box for every three birds as well as these ought to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of the house. Your house should have ample ventilation: without it then condensation will certainly develop every night, even in the coldest of climate. Understand, air flow works with the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving via a high void drawing cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of openings on opposite wall surfaces of the house and also at the exact same degree, this is what's called a draft. If you have a house with a run connected after that the points above are still true, however you must likewise think about the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful stocking density for a complimentary range bird is (and let's encounter it, among the motivations for maintaining some chickens at home is potentially boosted or better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m made even. Take a close look at several of the bargain residences - it could well be your house has the best perches, right ventilation as well as enough nest boxes for a practical number of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you get just what you spend for". You might assume you've grabbed a deal, but you as well as your flock can rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house as well as it will certainly last for a few decades, if not longer provided the right therapy. In the long run your fowl as well as your fowl maintaining encounter will be much the far better for it.chick plans
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