Chicken Coops for Sale in Dunkirk, Indiana
Chicken Coops for Sale in Dunkirk, Indiana
Cleaning the Chicken Coop; Fall Chores
Pallets leaned against Coop act as a wind break in Winter.
One of the chores I like to save for beautiful Fall weather is cleaning out the coop. I know that before I got chickens, I really wanted to see other people’s coops and how exactly they did things. So here is a look at my coop and the regular maintenance I have to do to keep my girls happy.
My coop is basically a chicken tractor made permanent. See how I built my chicken coop . It is only good to protect my egg laying divas during the night. I have to get up in the morning to let them out. Trust me they let me know if I am late. Late is after 8 am, so it is not like they start wailing at 5 o’clock in the morning or anything. They have a kind of wail that they only make when they want out. It is the strangest sound, kind of like a long drawn out moooooom , where are youuuuuuu? You have to hear it to understand.
Shoveling out the “raised bed” that my coop rests on.
To clean out my coop I have get someone to help me lift the coop off of the raised bed it is resting on. I have handles on either end, but it is too heavy for me to lift by myself. Thankfully my strong boys help me. Shoveling out all the old bedding and putting in new wood shavings is not too hard of a task, considering you only have to do it about 3 times per year. I empty out the nest boxes and add new hay to freshen things up. I heard for the first time the other day that it is a good idea to add crushed dried herbs to the nest boxes to make them more appealing to your hens. I tried crushed basil this time. Yes, hens are a constant source of amusement. They always want to lay eggs where everyone else is laying. I just have 2 nest boxes for my 10 hens. I call them nest boxes but they are a little unconventional. One is an old basket, the other is an old drawer. This time of year as we transition into winter the light wanes as the days grow shorter. You will notice your egg production reducing quite a bit. This is why commercial growers put a light on their chickens 24 hours a day; to keep their egg production up. Here at the homestead we try to work with nature instead of against it. That means more kale, less eggs. This is also the time that the rabbits really start producing well. While one thing lessens another takes it’s place. This probably wouldn’t work up north but I lean pallets against the coop to provide a wind break. A lot of people ask me if I need to provide a heat source for my girls when temps fall below freezing. The answer is no. It is important to make sure their water is unfrozen. Other than that chickens really do better in the Winter here than the heat of the Summer.
My hens checking out the new fresh nest box.
After the coop is all cleaned out it is time to add new wood chips. I get what is called a “Country Boy” which is farmer speak for a big packed bag of wood shavings. I get mine from my local feed store in Garland. When I first started chickens I used Fall leaves gathered from the curb. I like the shavings better because the compost turns out better, but oak leaves work out well as chicken bedding too. It is hard to see in the picture but the bottom of the coop against the ground is wire screen(yard cloth) to keep digging critters out.
My hens get very curious about all the changes taking place and come to check it all out. I put the old bedding into a bin and drag it to my compost. Thankfully I don’t have to go too far. I keep my compost in my chicken yard so that my hens can stir my compost and so that they can get the minerals they need to keep their egg shells hard. I put the cracked egg shells in the compost where my hens can gobble them up therefore getting the calcium they need to keep their egg shells firm. I also put other left over kitchen scraps in the compost for them to enjoy. Speaking of compost, a lot of people ask me about mine. Let me just say that trying to heat up a compost pile without manure of some sort is NOT easy. To heat up a compost pile without manure add fresh grass clippings. However right about the time fall leaves are readily abundant, grass clippings are NOT readily available. If you have read my posts at all you are probably sensing a theme; get an animal or a source of manure for your garden. Chickens or rabbits, even worms; your garden will thank you with beautiful veggies.
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Chicken Coop Near Me in Dunkirk, Indiana
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Dunkirk Indiana" 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 Dunkirk Indiana chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Dunkirk, Indiana With the significant boost in chicken maintaining there has been an equally big surge in the array of chicken stuff for sale. Chicken housing is a proceedings in factor. It's additionally a timeless instance of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as different prospective chicken real estate professionals pitch a range of accommodation asserting to be the excellent option to your chicken real estate requirements. Frequently the price looks desirable, your house looks attractive, heck also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Surely they know a professional chicken house when they see one? There are many economical and also horrible coops flooding the market. I know this as I've checked a variety of them in the field, and seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed pail appeared. The outcome was just an expensive heap of firewood and also a small flock of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Pictures in Dunkirk, Indiana
Typically these mass produced versions are created of fast grown lumber - come the first decrease of rain they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that will not shut, or tearing the door furnishings off in a vain effort to launch the squawking citizens. The initial warm day indicates the hardwood dries out and also fractures, the really felt roofing bubbles and boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not as a result of their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their when attractive apartment however considering that the hovel is currently a place for, and most likely crawling with, the fowl caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add the fact that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly match four big hens when that stocking density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you entrusted? A couple of hinges and also some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds need to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you choose for a free standing house or one with a run attached. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a big area and the pop hole door is big sufficient for the breed you keep, after that the main needs of real estate boil down to three factors which will specify the number of birds your home will hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. Most types of chicken will perch when they go to roost at night, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch ought to be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will likewise naturally try to find the highest point 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 generate one of the most poo) leading to stained eggs the list below day. They should not nonetheless be so high off the flooring of your house that leg injuries could occur when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is clearly much less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your house they must be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly 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 house needs to have a least one nest box for each 3 birds and these should be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of the house. The house ought to have appropriate air flow: without it then condensation will build up every night, also in the coldest of weather condition. Be aware, air flow deals with the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving with a high gap attracting cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a set of openings on opposite walls of the house as well as at the same level, this is exactly what's called a draft. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still real, however you need to additionally consider the run size. The EU maximum lawful stocking density for a totally free array bird is (and let's face it, one of the motivations for maintaining some hens in the house is possibly improved or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m settled. Take a close consider several of the bargain residences - it could well be your home has the appropriate perches, proper ventilation and adequate nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the claiming goes, "you obtain just what you pay for". You could believe you've got a bargain, however you and your group can rue the day you did. Acquisition the appropriate house and it will certainly last for a couple of decades, if not longer provided the correct treatment. Ultimately your poultry and your fowl keeping experience will certainly be considerably the better for it.build plans
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