Chicken Coops for Sale in Dixon, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Dixon, Illinois
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 And Run in Dixon, Illinois
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Dixon 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 Dixon Illinois chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Dixon, Illinois With the substantial rise in poultry keeping there has been an equally large increase in the variety of chicken stuff for sale. Chicken housing is a situation in factor. It's likewise a classic example of the good old bandwagon being jumped on as different would-be chicken real estate professionals market a selection of lodging asserting to be the suitable remedy to your chicken housing demands. Frequently the rate looks desirable, your house looks appealing, hell even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Definitely they understand a professional chicken house when they see one? There are several affordable and also nasty coops swamping the market. I know this as I've checked a number of them in the area, and seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed bucket showed up. The result was nothing but an expensive heap of fire wood and a small group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Kit For 6 Chickens in Dixon, Illinois
Usually these mass produced models are constructed of rapid grown up timber - come the initial decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that won't shut, or ripping the doorway furnishings off in a vain effort to launch the squawking occupants. The very first warm and comfortable day suggests the wood dries as well as splits, the really felt roofing system bubbles as well as boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not because of their frustration at the decline of their when desirable property yet because the hovel is now a haven for, and also most likely abounding, the poultry caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add that it said on the blurb that it would certainly match four huge chickens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you left with? A couple of hinges as well as some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to four birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run affixed. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a big room as well as the pop opening doorway is big sufficient for the type you maintain, then the major needs of real estate come down to 3 points which will certainly specify the variety of birds your house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. A lot of types of chicken will perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch needs to ideally be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off sides so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch needs to be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will additionally normally 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) causing stained eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries can take place when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is obviously less), plus if greater than one perch is set up in your house they should be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors however are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your house needs to have a least one nest box for every 3 birds as well as these should be off the ground and in the darkest location of your house. Your house must have appropriate air flow: without it after that condensation will develop every evening, even in the coldest of weather condition. Be aware, ventilation works on the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a set of holes on other wall surfaces of the house as well as at the exact same degree, this is exactly what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run attached after that the points above are still real, however you need to also consider the run size. The EU optimum legal equipping density for a complimentary array bird is (as well as let's encounter it, one of the inspirations for maintaining some chickens in your home is possibly enhanced or far better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m made even. Take a close take a look at several of the deal residences - it could well be your home has the ideal perches, correct ventilation as well as sufficient nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you obtain exactly what you pay for". You may assume you've got hold of a deal, yet you as well as your flock might rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house as well as it will last for a few decades, otherwise longer offered the correct treatment. Eventually your fowl and also your poultry keeping experience will be considerably the much better for it.chick build
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