Chicken Coops for Sale in Lee Center, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Lee Center, Illinois
Adventures in Country Living at Shalom Engedi Farm
We've been raising meat chickens for a few years now and each year we've learned a few things to add to our list of disasters and a few to add to our triumphs.
Let me explain how we started. A few years ago when we lived in the city we built the worlds most expensive chicken coop. You can read about it . In many ways it was fabulous - for 6 chickens. When you get a few more - like 50 meat birds - it won't do at all.
Every summer that we've had chickens at the farm they've been in different pens. We would solve one problem by making a change the next year only to create more problems we didn't anticipate. The first year we used the only pen we had available in the barn but it was a little small for the 60 chickens that lived in it. We figured they would be outside most of the time anyway and it WOULD BE FINE. Leaving the feed in their pen at all times was also a mistake as it caused them to grow too fast. We didn't get the chicks until September which meant they needed 8 weeks to grow to full size which also meant we were getting into wintery weather by the time they left. Oh dear - can you say chicken poop? They were the laziest chickens you ever saw. They hated going outside even though we chased them outside every day. They just sat and got fat and pooped. End of story. By the time they were ready for the butcher we were REALLY happy to get rid of them because the coop was impossible to keep clean. Without enough exercise and with too much food they got so big they had leg problems too so we lost a few birds in the process.
Fast forward to the next spring when we had the great idea to build them a huge pen. You can read about that . It was such a good idea except now we couldn't get them to gain weight because they got TOO MUCH exercise. They didn't have any leg problems though!. After a few extra weeks of feed before we brought them to the butcher we ended up with really yummy but rather scrawny birds. Sigh* I don't think we got close to breaking even when we sold them that year.
So - lets try that again!!! We recently purchased an old dog kennel through Kijiji - it's 5x15 feet and made of chain link with a good sturdy door. We know from our past coops that Overkilled Fort Knox is the way to go. There can be NO WAY for animals to get in or reach in.
We started by wiring the chain link fencing on far more securely than it was originally - we wanted to keep a dog (and others) OUT! We used two 4 foot pieces of hardware cloth on the ground and zip ties to connect them together - slightly overlapping the pieces. This provides a strong bottom so predator animals can't dig under the coop.
Then we wrapped the top edge of the kennel with 3 foot wide hardware cloth - attaching it with zip ties as well. The bottom section is a full sheet of lattice. It covers the hardware cloth on the top and is connected with zip ties again to the frame and the hardware cloth that makes up the floor. The roof is plywood sheets cut to fit so there is a 6 inch overhang ( 4 sheets cut to 6 feet each - the roof is 6 feet wide and 16 feet long) We cut an old tarp to size and stapled it on top. We were going to have the tarp overhang and peg it to the ground but it made the interior too dark. It took some creative cutting to fill in all the little spaces around the door to create a tight fit but with enough space that we could still open the door.
After adding shavings and a waterer we had to solve the problem of feeding 50 starving chickens at once without them killing each other in the process. They get pretty excited when they're hungry. We have multiple feeders but they never seemed enough. I solved the problem by purchasing a new 10 foot eaves trough with ends and screwed some 1 foot pieces of an old 2x4 across the bottom to act as feet - I used four pieces. When it's situated in the middle of the coop the chickens can access it from both sides and finally there is room for everyone to eat. The coop is bright and airy and doesn't smell bad at all...of course I am not really an expert on that subject! There is great air flow, plenty of space but not too much space and it's a safe place for them to spend the night. We also built the coop within sight of the kitchen window so I can keep an eye on them. In past years we let them free range as far as they wanted to - but sometimes they didn't come back. Our losses were just too great so this year they are kept in a large fenced area. They still have access to plants and bugs and sunshine but they don't disappear as someones lunch! So far this year we haven't lost any birds to predators. We also situated the coop in the shade of several large trees. Meatie birds are not that smart and sometimes when it's really hot they will lay in the sun and die of dehydration before they get up and get a drink. | The rake in the picture is my Chicken Encourager - I use it to gently encourage the chickens to leave the coop! |
The fencing we used is something we've also used to fence our vegetable garden. The material is a plastic mesh that comes in 50 foot rolls for less than $15.00. The posts are a little pricey but since they can be easily moved and re-used we thought it was worth it. You may be wondering why the fence is so short - it's only two feet tall. The fencing comes in three foot height as well but the due to a problem in the pricing for the fence posts it was more economical to buy the two foot fencing instead. We've found that our meat birds grow so fast that they don't fly very well. Occasionally one gets out but they never go far and the fence is more to contain them than to keep them safe from predators.
This coop is not going to be used in the winter - it's a little too airy for subzero temperatures but it could be modified in a pinch. Necessity is the Mother of Invention they say! If you can get a good deal on a kennel and shop around or use what you have already have you can make a similar coop and have the fencing like this for under $450.00. If all goes well it should pay for itself this summer and last for many years. The chickens seem to like their new digs and are growing well! Three tries and I think we got it right!! 
Chicken Coop Accessories in Lee Center, Illinois
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Lee Center 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 Lee Center Illinois chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Lee Center, Illinois With the huge rise in poultry keeping there has been a just as huge increase in the variety of chicken materiel on sale. Chicken real estate is a case in point. It's likewise a traditional example of the good old bandwagon being jumped on as different prospective poultry housing experts peddle a variety of holiday accommodation declaring to be the excellent option to your chicken housing demands. Commonly the price looks desirable, your house looks desirable, heck also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are many cheap and also nasty cages flooding the market. I know this as I've tested a number of them in the area, as well as seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed bucket appeared. The result was nothing but an expensive pile of fire wood as well as a tiny flock of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Sale in Lee Center, Illinois
More often than not these mass produced models are created of fast grown hardwood - come the first decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a doorway that won't close, or ripping the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking occupants. The first warm day implies the lumber dries and cracks, the felt roof bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not as a result of their frustration at the decline of their as soon as appealing property yet considering that the hovel is now a place for, as well as most likely abounding, the chicken caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would suit 4 large hens when that equipping thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as what are you entrusted? A number of joints and also some kindling. A good coop for thee to four birds should cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend on whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run connected. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large space and also the pop hole door allows sufficient for the type you maintain, then the major demands of real estate come down to three points which will specify the number of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. A lot of breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch should be more than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly additionally naturally seek the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is incidentally when they create the most poo) bring about dirtied eggs the following day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries can occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require regarding 20cm of perch each (in little types this is undoubtedly less), plus if more than one perch is installed in your home they need to be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably your home should have a the very least one nest box for every three birds as well as these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of your home. Your home needs to have adequate air flow: without it then condensation will certainly develop every night, also in the coldest of climate. Know, ventilation works on the concept of warm air leaving via a high void attracting cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a set of holes on contrary wall surfaces of your home and also at the exact same degree, this is what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the points above are still true, however you must additionally take into consideration the run size. The EU optimum lawful stocking density for a cost-free array bird is (and let's encounter it, among the motivations for maintaining some chickens at home is perhaps enhanced or better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m settled. Take a close consider a few of the deal homes - it could well be your house has the right perches, appropriate ventilation and sufficient nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? And so as the claiming goes, "you obtain what you pay for". You may assume you've got hold of a bargain, yet you as well as your flock could rue the day you did. Purchase the ideal house and also it will certainly last for a couple of years, otherwise longer provided the right therapy. Eventually your fowl and your fowl keeping experience will be considerably the far better for it.plan coop
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Buckner, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Belle Rive, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Annapolis, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Claytonville, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Bethany, Illinois