Chicken Coops for Sale in Zion, Illinois
Chicken Coops for Sale in Zion, Illinois
The Chicken Coop Is Done…Enough.
The builder of our chicken coop turned it over to us with just a few final details left to handle: painting, notably, and any sort of facade-bling we wanted to add.
We painted Coop 2.0 gray because that was the only color exterior paint we had on hand (you may recall me saying that exact same thing about Coop 1.0.; it’s the same bucket of paint). We had this idea to build a cute little mock picket fence on the outside. Maybe one day…for now, the coop is done enough.
We based our coop on the design. We customized our coop to make it larger, and changed many of the finish differences, but otherwise took quite a bit from the plans we downloaded.
Want the tour? Okay, here ya go.
The footprint of the coop and run is 8 feet deep and 12 feet wide. It was designed to make maximum use of standard dimension lumber with a minimum of cutting (we figured the size when the plan was still to built it ourselves, and we’re not experts at the precision cutting). The enclosed coop is 8 feet deep and 4 feet wide. This size should fit all the chickens we will ever think of keeping on our suburban lot – 6 hens being our goal.
The height of the coop and run (not including sloped roof) is a little under 7 feet. The top of the coop and run is fully enclosed with hardware cloth (freaking expensive 1/2-inch metal mesh that keeps out rats and raccoons). Above the hardware cloth is a sloped roof made from angle cut 2x12s and translucent corrugated roofing panels.
The coop itself sports a few roosting bar options, and we are collecting nicely sized natural branches, rake handles, and anything else that seems like something the chickens might like, to add additional roosting places in the coop and run area. So far they aren’t complaining.
The girls have a three-compartment nesting box with a highly pitched roof to discourage nesting, and hence pooping, above the eggs. Each compartment is around 12″ x 14″. When we moved them from the brooder to the coop, they all (yes, all six of them) swarmed into a single nesting box. They still seem to enjoy sleeping pig-pile style.
The interior panel of the coop swings completely open and is held up by gas struts our builder pulled off of a Cadillac from the junk yard. Seriously, Caddy hood struts. And yes, we did tip our builder.
The floor of the coop is lined with a piece of vinyl flooring remnant to prevent poop juices from soaking into the OSB floor of the coop. I’ve forgotten which of the Northwest Edible Life Facebook fans recommended this to me, but we thought it was genius. (If you are the brilliant suggester behind this tip, please stand up and take credit!)
The interior door has a window cut-out so we can watch Chicken TV while the girls are in the coop. This was a truly last minute addition to the design but we’re so glad we have it.
The girls have a moderately sloped ramp which they navigate easily.
Because our coop is fully covered and enclosed with hardware cloth, we feel fairly confident about leaving our feed supplies in the coop itself. We store the feed in big food-safe plastic buckets on metal shelving. This has made the daily feeding of the chicks really simple and easy.
So that’s the coop! This chickens seem plenty happy. What do you think?
Chicken Coop Setup in Zion, Illinois
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Zion 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 Zion Illinois chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Zion, Illinois With the big increase in poultry maintaining there has been an equally large increase in the range of chicken stuff for sale. Fowl housing is a situation in factor. It's additionally a traditional instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as various potential poultry housing specialists peddle a range of holiday accommodation claiming to be the ideal remedy to your chicken housing needs. Usually the cost looks desirable, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks appealing, hell even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Surely they understand a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are many inexpensive and also nasty cages flooding the market. I recognize this as I've checked a number of them in the area, and seen a ewe run straight through one when the feed pail appeared. The outcome was nothing but an expensive heap of fire wood and also a small flock of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Construction in Zion, Illinois
Typically these standardized models are created of fast grown wood - come the initial drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that will not shut, or ripping the doorway furnishings off in a vain effort to release the squawking occupants. The very first warm and comfortable day suggests the wood dries as well as cracks, the felt roof bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not as a result of their disappointment at the decrease of their as soon as attractive commercial property however since the hovel is now a haven for, as well as possibly abounding, the chicken caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would suit four big hens when that stocking density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and just what are you left with? A number of hinges as well as some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds need to cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you elect for a free standing house or one with a run attached. Presuming you are varying your birds in a large area and also the pop opening doorway allows enough for the type you keep, after that the primary requirements of real estate come down to three factors which will specify the number of birds your home will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. A lot of types of chicken will perch when they visit roost during the night, this perch should ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off sides so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch needs to be above the nest box entrance as chickens will also normally look for the highest point to perch. A perch less than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they generate the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the following day. They should not however be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries might happen when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens require regarding 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is certainly much less), plus if greater than one perch is installed in your home they ought to be more than 30cm apart. They will 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 the house should have a the very least one nest box for each 3 birds and these need to be off the ground and in the darkest area of your house. Your house must have sufficient air flow: without it after that condensation will develop every night, also in the chilliest of climate. Know, ventilation works with the principle of cozy air leaving via a high gap drawing cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a collection of holes on contrary wall surfaces of your house as well as at the same degree, this is just what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached after that the points above are still true, however you must additionally consider the run size. The EU optimum legal stocking thickness for a totally free array bird is (as well as let's face it, among the inspirations for keeping some hens in your home is perhaps enhanced or much better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m squared. Take a close take a look at some of the bargain homes - it could well be your home has the right perches, proper ventilation and also enough nest boxes for an affordable variety of birds, however 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 just what you spend for". You might believe you've grabbed a deal, but you and your group might rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house as well as it will last for a couple of decades, otherwise longer offered the correct treatment. In the end your chicken and also your poultry keeping encounter will certainly be much the much better for it.chick build
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