Chicken Coops for Sale in Fairfield, Iowa
Chicken Coops for Sale in Fairfield, Iowa
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.
Baby Chick For Sale in Fairfield, Iowa
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Fairfield Iowa" 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 Fairfield Iowa chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Fairfield, Iowa With the big rise in chicken maintaining there has been a similarly huge surge in the range of chicken stuff for sale. Chicken real estate is a situation in point. It's likewise a classic instance of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as numerous potential chicken housing specialists market an array of accommodation claiming to be the optimal remedy to your chicken real estate requirements. Commonly the price looks appealing, your house looks eye-catching, heck also the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Certainly they recognize a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several inexpensive and unpleasant coops swamping the market. I understand this as I've checked a number of them in the field, and also seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed bucket appeared. The outcome was only a pricey pile of firewood and a little flock of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Tips in Fairfield, Iowa
Most of the time these mass produced models are created of fast grown up wood - come the initial drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that will not shut, or ripping the doorway furniture off in a vain effort to launch the squawking inhabitants. The very first warm and comfortable day means the hardwood dries out as well as fractures, the felt roofing bubbles and also boils, and come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not due to their disappointment at the decline of their once desirable residential property but since the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, and most likely crawling with, the fowl keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly fit four big chickens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also exactly what are you left with? A number of hinges and some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds need to cost you around ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run attached. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a big area and the pop opening door allows sufficient for the breed you keep, after that the main needs of housing boil down to three points which will certainly specify the number of birds your house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. The majority of breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch needs to ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off sides so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch ought to be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will additionally normally try to find the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they create one of the most poo) leading to soiled eggs the list below day. They should not nonetheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries could occur when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is undoubtedly less), plus if more than one perch is installed in your house they ought to be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably the house must have a the very least one nest box for every single 3 birds and also these should be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of your house. The house should have adequate air flow: without it after that condensation will certainly build up every evening, also in the coldest of climate. Know, ventilation works on the concept of cozy air leaving through a high gap drawing cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a collection of holes on contrary wall surfaces of the house as well as at the same level, this is exactly what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the factors above are still true, but you need to additionally consider the run size. The EU maximum lawful equipping thickness for a free variety bird is (and also let's encounter it, among the motivations for maintaining some hens in your home is possibly boosted or far better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close consider some of the bargain houses - it could well be the house has the best perches, correct air flow and enough nest boxes for a sensible number of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you obtain just what you pay for". You may assume you've got hold of a bargain, but you and also your group could rue the day you did. Purchase the appropriate house and also it will last for a couple of decades, otherwise longer provided the right therapy. Eventually your chicken and your chicken maintaining encounter will be considerably the better for it.coop diy
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