Chicken Coops for Sale in Goessel, Kansas
Chicken Coops for Sale in Goessel, Kansas
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 Near Me in Goessel, Kansas
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Goessel Kansas" 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 Goessel Kansas chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Goessel, Kansas With the significant increase in chicken maintaining there has been an equally huge rise in the variety of chicken paraphernalia on sale. Poultry housing is a case in factor. It's also a classic example of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as various potential fowl real estate specialists market a variety of accommodation claiming to be the ideal solution to your chicken real estate needs. Typically the cost looks desirable, your house looks desirable, hell even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Surely they recognize a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several inexpensive and also nasty coops flooding the marketplace. I understand this as I've tested a variety of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed container showed up. The result was just a costly heap of firewood as well as a tiny group of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Plans Pdf in Goessel, Kansas
Most of the time these standardized designs are built of rapid grown up hardwood - come the initial drop of rain they swell, leaving you either defending a door that will not close, or ripping the door furnishings off in a vain effort to release the squawking citizens. The first cozy day suggests the hardwood dries and cracks, the really felt roof covering bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the chickens refuse to go in. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their as soon as eye-catching building but since the hovel is now a haven for, as well as possibly crawling with, the poultry keeper's bane, red mite. Add that it said on the blurb that it would match 4 large hens when that stocking thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and just what are you entrusted? A couple of joints and some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are varying your birds in a big room and also the pop opening door allows sufficient for the type you keep, after that the primary demands of real estate boil down to three points which will specify the variety of birds your home will hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. Most types of chicken will perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch should ideally be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off edges so the foot sits comfortably on it. The perch needs to be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will certainly additionally naturally search for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they produce the most poo) causing stained eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries could possibly take place when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in small breeds this is undoubtedly less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in the house they need to be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your home should have a least one nest box for every single three birds and also these must be off the ground and in the darkest location of your home. Your house needs to have sufficient ventilation: without it after that condensation will develop every evening, even in the chilliest of weather. Know, air flow works on the concept of warm air leaving through a high void drawing cooler air in from a reduced space - it's not a set of holes on contrary wall surfaces of your house and at the very same degree, this is just what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the factors above are still real, however you must likewise consider the run size. The EU optimum lawful stocking thickness for a cost-free variety bird is (and let's encounter it, among the inspirations for maintaining some hens at home is potentially boosted or better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m squared. Take a close check out several of the deal residences - it could well be your home has the ideal perches, right air flow as well as adequate nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? And so as the saying goes, "you get just what you pay for". You may believe you've got a deal, but you and also your group could rue the day you did. Purchase the right house and it will certainly last for a few years, if not longer provided the proper treatment. Eventually your chicken and your poultry keeping experience will certainly be much the much better for it.chicken coop
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