Chicken Coops for Sale in New Memphis, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in New Memphis, 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 And Run For Sale in New Memphis, Illinois
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in New Memphis 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 New Memphis Illinois chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in New Memphis, Illinois With the substantial rise in poultry keeping there has been a similarly huge increase in the range of chicken stuff on sale. Fowl housing is a case in factor. It's additionally a classic example of the great old bandwagon being got on as different would-be poultry housing specialists peddle a variety of accommodation declaring to be the ideal remedy to your chicken housing needs. Commonly the rate looks eye-catching, the house looks appealing, hell also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Certainly they know a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are several inexpensive as well as horrible coops swamping the market. I understand this as I've checked a number of them in the area, and also seen a ewe run straight via one when the feed pail showed up. The result was just a costly heap of firewood as well as a little flock of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coops For Sale in New Memphis, Illinois
Generally these mass produced models are created of rapid grown up timber - come the very first drop of rain they swell, leaving you either defending a door that won't close, or tearing the doorway furniture off in a vain effort to launch the squawking inhabitants. The first cozy day suggests the timber dries out and splits, the felt roof covering bubbles as well as boils, and come nightfall the hens choose not to go in. This is not due to their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their once desirable commercial property but because the hovel is now a sanctuary for, as well as probably abounding, the chicken keeper's bane, red mite. Add the fact that it said on the blurb that it would suit four huge hens when that equipping thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also what are you entrusted? A number of hinges and also some kindling. A decent coop for thee to 4 birds ought to cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run affixed. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a large area and also the pop hole door allows enough for the type you maintain, then the major requirements of real estate come down to 3 factors which will certainly define the variety of birds your house will hold; perches, nest boxes and also air flow. Most types of chicken will perch when they visit roost during the night, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off sides so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch should be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will certainly additionally naturally try to find 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 the most poo) bring about dirtied eggs the following day. They should not however be so high off the floor of the house that leg injuries can take place when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in small types this is obviously less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your home they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors but are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally your house should have a the very least one nest box for every single three birds as well as these should be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your home. Your home ought to have adequate air flow: without it after that condensation will certainly build up every night, also in the chilliest of weather condition. Understand, air flow works on the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving with a high gap drawing cooler air in from a lower space - it's not a set of holes on contrary wall surfaces of the house as well as at the very same degree, this is just what's called a draft. If you have a house with a run attached after that the factors above are still real, however you must also think about the run size. The EU optimum legal equipping density for a complimentary variety bird is (and allow's face it, among the inspirations for maintaining some chickens at home is perhaps enhanced or far better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close look at a few of the bargain residences - it could well be the house has the ideal perches, proper air flow and also sufficient nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the claiming goes, "you get just what you pay for". You might believe you've grabbed a bargain, however you and your flock could possibly rue the day you did. Acquisition the appropriate house as well as it will certainly last for a couple of years, otherwise longer provided the proper therapy. In the long run your chicken as well as your chicken keeping encounter will certainly be considerably the much better for it.diy plan
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