Chicken Coops for Sale in Brimfield, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Brimfield, Illinois
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 With Run in Brimfield, Illinois
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Brimfield Illinois" 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 Brimfield Illinois chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Brimfield, Illinois With the significant rise in chicken maintaining there has been a similarly huge surge in the array of poultry paraphernalia for sale. Fowl housing is a situation in point. It's likewise a traditional instance of the excellent old bandwagon being jumped on as various potential chicken real estate specialists peddle a selection of cottage declaring to be the excellent remedy to your chicken housing requirements. Commonly the cost looks attractive, your house looks attractive, heck also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Surely they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are many cheap and also awful cages flooding the marketplace. I recognize this as I've checked a variety of them in the field, and seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed container showed up. The outcome was just a pricey heap of firewood as well as a little flock of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Plans Free in Brimfield, Illinois
Usually these standardized models are constructed of rapid grown up hardwood - come the very first decrease of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that will not close, or ripping the door furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking residents. The first warm and comfortable day indicates the lumber dries and cracks, the really felt roof covering bubbles and boils, and come nightfall the chickens refuse to enter. This is not due to their frustration at the decrease of their as soon as attractive residential property yet considering that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, and probably abounding, the poultry keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add the fact that it said on the blurb that it would certainly suit four big chickens when that equipping thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and just what are you entrusted? A couple of hinges as well as some kindling. A good coop for thee to four birds should cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a cost-free standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are varying your birds in a huge area and also the pop hole doorway allows enough for the type you keep, then the major needs of real estate boil down to three factors which will certainly define the number of birds your house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. Many types of chicken will perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch should ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch ought to be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will certainly likewise normally search 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 create one of the most poo) bring about stained eggs the list below day. They should not nonetheless be so high off the floor of the house that leg injuries might occur when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is undoubtedly less), plus if more than one perch is installed in your home they should be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their next-door neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your home needs to have a least one nest box for every three birds as well as these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest area of the house. Your house should have ample air flow: without it after that condensation will certainly develop every night, also in the coldest of weather. Be aware, ventilation works on the concept of warm air leaving with a high gap drawing cooler air in from a reduced space - it's not a set of openings on opposite wall surfaces of the house and also at the very same level, this is what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the factors above are still true, but you should likewise think about the run size. The EU maximum legal equipping density for a complimentary variety bird is (as well as let's face it, among the inspirations for maintaining some hens at home is potentially boosted or better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close check out some of the bargain houses - it could well be the house has the appropriate perches, appropriate air flow as well as sufficient nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you obtain exactly what you spend for". You might assume you've got a deal, but you as well as your group could possibly rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house and also it will last for a couple of years, otherwise longer offered the right treatment. In the end your poultry as well as your poultry keeping encounter will be considerably the much better for it.plan plan
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