Chicken Coops for Sale in East Saint Louis, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in East Saint Louis, Illinois
Changes in the Chicken Coop
Courtesy of Natalie Honan
Changes in the Chicken Coop
By Natalie Honan
Many students have realized in passing that the chicken coop has been looking a bit more crowded than usual. Recently, a group of new chickens were introduced into the current chicken habitat south of the Grove House.
Six chickens, who originally lived off campus, were about to become homeless, when Teddy Menard PZ’16 volunteered to house the chickens at Pitzer. To make room for these new birds, members of the Garden Club built a chicken coop which was located in the grove and backed onto the fence surrounding Harvey Mudd’s field.
During a Garden Club meeting, Jim Miller PZ ’18 and Gabe Elliot PZ ’18 spontaneously volunteered to assume some caregiving responsibilities for the new group of chickens.
“Our basic duties were just to make sure that they had food and water and to collect their eggs. We also wanted to spend some time with them because even a little human companionship can brighten up their day,” Elliot said.
The new chickens were content in their original home in the orchard until one night, when a creature made its way into the coop and ate one of the chickens. Apparently, a long tree which extended over and around the coop allowed for an unknown animal to enter the chickens’ habitat.
After the first attack, Miller and Elliot decided to confine the chickens into the physical structure within their coop to try to keep them safe. Once the chickens were inside, rocks were placed against the exit as to keep the chickens in and the killer out.
However, after two days had passed, one morning students discovered the rocks had been moved and another chicken was found dead.
Miller and Elliot are guessing the creature was either a raccoon or a bobcat. The creature was nimble enough to remove all the rocks out of place, pointing to a raccoon. However, bobcats are physically stronger and could slaughter a chicken a lot easier than a raccoon might have.
“We’ll just call it the creature,” Elliot said.
Menard also speculated that whatever the creature was, it had to be able to climb a very tall fence, strong enough to kill a chicken, and agile enough to break into the hutch.
“To get up the fence, the creature would have had to climb seven or eight feet and then climb down the tree into the hutch. So maybe it was something small, like a fox,” Menard said.
Many animals have been wandering towards more urban settings as a result of the drought wiping out food sources in their natural habitats.
To keep the remaining chickens safe from the creature, the Garden Club decided to relocate the chickens into the original chicken coop. Miller and Elliot explained that the group did not initially want to combine the flocks, due to the dangers of discord and disease within the two chicken populations.
“They grew up separately, they each have their own defined pecking orders and by putting them together, we were worried that they would fight to try and establish dominance over each other,” Elliot said.
“There’s also the issue of disease. One flock of chickens is used to a different set of germs, bacteria, and parasites than the other. So when you introduce them together, there’s the risk that one group will not have built an immunity that the other one has,” Miller added.
Regardless, the creature was a more direct and guaranteed threat to the safety of the chickens than the risks that came with combining the flocks. Left with no other choice, the Garden Club moved the four remaining chickens of the newer flock in with Pitzer’s original flock.
Upon first introducing the two flocks to each other, the chickens were met with some disagreement. The chickens did not socialize with each other and chased each other around when they were fed.
“There were definitely cliques formed, they did not get along. The original chicken flock would hang out closer to Mead and the other one would stay in their separate corner,” said Miller.
Miller and Elliot stated they believe the main reason for the preliminary conflict was limited space in the small tree in which most of the chickens sleep.
“There were complaints from people in Mead about all the noise the chickens were making because the chickens were fighting in the morning,” Elliot said, “This probably had to do with them all getting out of the tree in an orderly fashion.”
With time, the chickens are slowly growing more comfortable with each other. According to Elliot and Miller, they chickens have started mingling with each other. Menard reported not seeing chicken feathers (an indication of chicken violence) or hearing as much squabbling.
“I think overall it was a good transition, I think they’re safer and hopefully happier. Although, they are missing two of their comrades,” Elliot said.
Currently, members of the Garden Club are planning to expand the size of the coop as well as the housing structure to eventually have the capacity for up to 20 chickens.
Miller and Elliot both said the chickens play an important role in “bringing joy to the community.” They like to think of the chickens as the celebrities of Pitzer College. Menard added that the chickens “give students a special chance to engage with their campus.”
“They’re a very unique and interesting opportunity to express responsibility. The opportunity to have a relationship with the chickens is also important” Menard said.
Moreover, the chicken coop adds visual appeal to the grounds. The chickens are a highlight of the admissions tours and to school visitors.
“It’s a lovely space. The chicken coop is very old. It’s on display and very visible, so I think aesthetically it plays a very important role,” Menard said.
They also provide eggs for the Pitzer Food Collective and other Pitzer students.
Elliot and Miller wanted to dedicate this article to the first chicken who was slaughtered, “R.I.P. Mona.”
Chicken Coop House Plans in East Saint Louis, Illinois
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in East Saint Louis 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 East Saint Louis Illinois chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in East Saint Louis, Illinois With the big increase in poultry keeping there has been a just as big surge in the array of fowl materiel for sale. Poultry real estate is a proceedings in factor. It's likewise a classic instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as different prospective fowl real estate specialists peddle a range of lodging claiming to be the ideal option to your chicken housing needs. Often the price looks attractive, the house looks desirable, heck even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Certainly they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are many cheap as well as nasty cages swamping the market. I know this as I've tested a variety of them in the field, and also seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed pail appeared. The outcome was nothing but a costly pile of firewood and a tiny flock of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop in East Saint Louis, Illinois
Most of the time these mass produced models are built of rapid grown up lumber - come the initial drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a door that won't shut, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking residents. The initial warm and comfortable day suggests the wood dries as well as fractures, the really felt roofing bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the hens choose not to go in. This is not as a result of their disappointment at the decrease of their as soon as appealing building but because the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, as well as possibly abounding, the chicken keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it stated on the blurb that it would match 4 big chickens when that stocking density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you entrusted? A number of hinges and some kindling. A good coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you choose for a free standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are varying your birds in a big area and also the pop opening doorway is big enough for the type you keep, after that the major requirements of real estate boil down to 3 points which will define the number of birds the house will hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. A lot of breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost at night, this perch must preferably be 5-8cm large with smoothed off sides so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch should be higher than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly additionally naturally look for the highest point to perch. A perch less than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce one of the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the following day. They should not however be so high off the flooring of your house that leg injuries can take place when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens require regarding 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is undoubtedly less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in your house they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably your home needs to have a the very least one nest box for every 3 birds and also these must be off the ground and also in the darkest area of your house. Your home ought to have ample ventilation: without it then condensation will certainly accumulate every night, even in the coldest of climate. Know, ventilation works on the principle of cozy air leaving through a high space drawing cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a set of holes on opposite walls of the house as well as at the very same degree, this is just what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed after that the points above are still real, however you must also think about the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful stocking density for a free array bird is (as well as allow's encounter it, among the motivations for keeping some hens in the house is possibly boosted or far better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m made even. Take a close look at several of the bargain homes - it could well be your home has the best perches, correct air flow as well as ample nest boxes for an affordable number of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you obtain what you spend for". You could believe you've got hold of a bargain, however you and your group might rue the day you did. Acquisition the appropriate house as well as it will certainly last for a couple of years, if not longer given the right treatment. Ultimately your poultry and also your fowl maintaining encounter will certainly be much the better for it.for sale plan
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Alsey, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Dahlgren, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Beardstown, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Brussels, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Carthage, Illinois