Chicken Coops for Sale in Haven, Kansas
Chicken Coops for Sale in Haven, Kansas
Make a Thrifty DIY Swingset Chicken Coop
Do you have one of those old A-shaped swingsets rusting in your backyard? If you do, then you have the basis for an awesome swingset chicken coop! (And if you don’t, watch Craigslist – there are frequently people offering them for free to whoever comes to pick them up.) Creativity is key .
When we moved recently we had to leave our wonderful chicken coop behind, since it was attached to the barn. While I drooled over some of , I’m on a pretty tight budget so it was important to use items that I could acquire either cheap or free. Luckily, the house we moved to had some pretty interesting stuff in a shed and an old rusty swingset in the woods.
I don’t have a lot of construction skills but the guy who put up my fence does, and luckily, he was on board with my wacky, freebie-scrounging ideas.
For the price of some labor, some hardware, some chicken wire, and a fancy-dancy hanging chicken waterer, I got a snazzy new coop that keeps my chickens safe and sound.
Here’s what we used:
- A swingset with the swings removed
- 2 pieces of corrugated metal on the top 3/4 plus a strip of it over the top to help weather proof
- Some sheets of plywood for the bottom back of the coop
- A piece of chain link fencing for the bottom in order to keep out predators
- Some old pieces of fence posts for the bottom of the coop to attach the chicken wire and chain link to
- Some lumber for the door
- Chicken wire (It was cheaper than from my local store)
If you’re making a scrounged chicken coop, be creative and see what you components you can find for cheap or free. Because most of the items used were found, this isn’t as much a how-to as it is something to inspire you. Here are some photos so you can see how my coop was assembled.
The Scoop on my Swingset Chicken Coop
The door is very heavy, which adds a layer of security against critters that might try to get in during the night. During the day, I use a bungee to hold the door open in the event of wind so no chickens get squashed. (They’re at the door because they know they’re either getting food or getting out.)
There is also a heavy duty double hinged latch that I fasten with a carabiner at night for an added layer of security. (.)
The bottom is covered with a piece of chain link fencing that is attached to the boards that form the bottom edge of the coop.
My biggest splurge is this hanging 5 gallon water dispenser. It stays much cleaner raised a few inches off the ground, only needs to be refilled every few days, and I used the exisiting hook for a swing to hang it from. (You can – it is a lower price than it was at my local feed store.)
Here’s the interior of theswingset chicken coop. The chickens like to roost on the cross bars on each end, and there is an extra bar from an old closet that was also installed. I used some cubbies from my previous garage for nesting boxes. (I probably should have taken the interior pic before I put the chickens in here to poop on everything. Of course, anyone who has chickens knows that a coop only looks clean for about 10 minutes.)
The coop in all of its glory. I’ll be painting the plywood soon to make it a little prettier.
Thor, our LGD, is happy to follow the chickens around and protect them because he realized they’re like little feathered Pez dispensers, dropping nice little egg treats around the yard for him to enjoy. I lock them in the coop a couple of days per week and that gives us more than enough eggs for our needs. The rest of the eggs get scattered around the yard for a doggie version of an Easter egg hunt. Thor’s a little skinny so the added fat will do him good. You can see him licking his dog lips in the photo below.
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Chicken Coop Kits in Haven, Kansas
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Haven 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 Haven Kansas chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Haven, Kansas With the huge boost in chicken keeping there has been a similarly huge increase in the variety of poultry paraphernalia on sale. Poultry real estate is a situation in point. It's additionally a classic instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as numerous potential fowl real estate professionals pitch a selection of accommodation asserting to be the perfect option to your chicken real estate needs. Usually the cost looks eye-catching, your house looks appealing, heck even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Certainly they recognize a quality chicken house when they see one? There are many low-cost and awful cages flooding the marketplace. I know this as I've checked a variety of them in the area, and also seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed pail showed up. The outcome was just a costly stack of firewood and a tiny group of bemused and currently homeless bantams.
Baby Chicks in Haven, Kansas
More often than not these mass produced designs are built of rapid grown up hardwood - come the first decrease of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that will not shut, or tearing the doorway furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking inhabitants. The first warm day implies the lumber dries out and cracks, the really felt roofing system bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not due to their dissatisfaction at the decline of their when eye-catching building but since the hovel is now a sanctuary for, and most likely crawling with, the fowl keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add that it stated on the blurb that it would suit four large hens when that equipping density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also what are you entrusted? A few hinges and some kindling. A good coop for thee to 4 birds ought to cost you around ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you choose for a free standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large area as well as the pop opening door is big enough for the type you keep, after that the major requirements of real estate come down to three factors which will certainly define the number of birds the house will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. Most types of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch should preferably be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off edges so the foot rests comfortably on it. The perch ought to be above the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly likewise normally search for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they produce the most poo) causing stained eggs the following day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries could possibly take place when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is clearly less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your house they ought to be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors but are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your house must have a the very least one nest box for each 3 birds and these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest area of your house. The house needs to have adequate ventilation: without it then condensation will certainly accumulate every night, even in the coldest of weather condition. Be aware, ventilation deals with the concept of cozy air leaving with a high gap attracting cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a collection of openings on other wall surfaces of your home as well as at the exact same level, this is just what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still real, however you ought to likewise take into consideration the run size. The EU maximum lawful stocking density for a cost-free variety bird is (and also allow's encounter it, among the motivations for maintaining some chickens in the house is possibly enhanced or much better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m settled. Take a close check out several of the bargain homes - it could well be your home has the right perches, right air flow as well as sufficient nest boxes for a sensible variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? And so as the claiming goes, "you obtain exactly what you pay for". You might assume you've got a deal, however you and also your group might rue the day you did. Purchase the right house as well as it will last for a few years, otherwise longer given the correct treatment. In the end your chicken as well as your fowl maintaining encounter will be a lot the much better for it.plan chick
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