close

Chicken Coops for Sale in Uniontown, Kansas

Chicken Coops for Sale in Uniontown, Kansas

How to Rodent Proof a Chicken Coop

One morning I opened the metal trash can I used to keep the chicken feed in and plunged a scoop into the feed. In that cup of feed there was some additional protein in the form of a small, freaked-out mouse. I shrieked and the mouse jumped out of my hand and dashed off. Then I peered into the bag of feed. Like the plot of a rodent horror movie, I found two other mice running around along with a dead and bloody mouse. I’ll leave it to you to fill in the mysterious details of that story. But I knew it was time to deal with the problem.

Thankfully, like , most chicken pest problems can be taken care of with simple sanitation. In my case that meant putting the food away at night and investing in rodent proof feed containers.

Every night I put the entire feeder within the trash can you can see in the picture on the right (it has a much more secure lid than the larger can I used to keep the feed in). In the morning I put the food out again for our four hens. It means that I have to get up just a few minutes earlier than I usually do but that’s not a big deal as I’m one of those tedious and boring morning persons.

Some folks use rodent proof treadle feeders. These feeders open when the hens step on a small metal platform. I was sent a treadle feeder like the one above but my skittish hens would not get anywhere near it even with the treadle kept open. I probably could have trained them to use it but I’ve found that putting the feed away at night is no big chore. I gave the treadle feeder away to some other chicken enthusiasts whose hens are less afraid of the contraption.

As to rodent-proof feed containers I’m using two , one for the feed and the other for scratch. They have a locking, rodent and water proof lid. The small trash can in the picture (that I put the whole feeder in at night) seems to be working.

For more information on controlling mice and rats see UC Davis’ Integrated Pest Management information for and . We used to have mice in the house but the cats have taken care of that problem. As to the issue of rodents eating fruit, I’m still working on that problem.

Share this post

Email this post

Related Posts

Chicken coops for sale in Uniontown Kansas can be found in agricultural newspapers and community newspapers. The coops are designed for housing for chickens in a safe and secure environment. They generally consist of a small building or large box that is then sectioned off to smaller boxes where the chickens go to roost (or sleep). Chicken coops are a must for raising chickens. Uniontown Kansas chicken coops are commonly constructed from wood products. They are not very stable buildings and provide only minimal protection from the elements. Now chicken houses used for large production facilities are a entirely different structure, they are huge and can hold up to 10000 chickens. The coops are typically used for backyard operations, or small family farms. They vary in size depending on the number of residents they house. chicken-coops-in-Uniontown-KSFinding chicken coops for sale in Uniontown Kansas is probably not one of the easiest of items to find. There are manufacturers of chicken houses and coops that sell them out right and Uniontown Kansas farm supply stores that they can also be purchased through, but generally speaking it will take some effort to find a chicken coop for sale in Uniontown Kansas, especially if your location is not a typically rural location. In rural locations that are much more abundant and easily had. Chicken Coops for sale in Uniontown KS

Chicken Coop With Run in Uniontown, Kansas

A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Uniontown 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 Uniontown Kansas chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Uniontown, Kansas With the massive boost in chicken maintaining there has been an equally huge surge in the variety of chicken stuff for sale. Poultry housing is a situation in point. It's also a traditional instance of the excellent old bandwagon being jumped on as numerous potential chicken real estate experts peddle a selection of holiday accommodation asserting to be the suitable option to your chicken housing requirements. Often the price looks desirable, the house looks attractive, hell also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Surely they recognize a professional chicken house when they see one? There are many affordable and also unpleasant cages flooding the market. I understand this as I've checked a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed pail appeared. The outcome was only a pricey heap of fire wood and also a tiny group of bemused and now homeless bantams. Chickens for sale in Uniontown KS

Chicken Coop On Wheels in Uniontown, Kansas

Generally these standardized models are created of quick grown up lumber - come the initial decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that won't close, or tearing the door furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking inhabitants. The very first cozy day implies the wood dries out and fractures, the felt roofing system bubbles as well as boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens choose not to enter. This is not as a result of their dissatisfaction at the decline of their once eye-catching home yet due to the fact that the hovel is now a place for, and also possibly crawling with, the poultry caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly suit 4 huge chickens when that stocking density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as exactly what are you left with? A few hinges as well as some kindling. A decent coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can depend upon whether you choose for a cost-free standing house or one with a run connected. Assuming you are varying your birds in a large room and also the pop hole door is big sufficient for the type you keep, then the main demands of real estate boil down to 3 factors which will define the variety of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and air flow. Many breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off sides so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch must be above the nest box entry as chickens will certainly additionally normally try to find 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 generate the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the list below day. They shouldn't however be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in small types this is clearly less), plus if greater than one perch is set up in your home they must be more 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. Ideally the house needs to have a least one nest box for every three birds and these need to be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of your home. Your home ought to have sufficient ventilation: without it after that condensation will certainly build up every evening, even in the chilliest of weather condition. Realize, ventilation deals with the principle of warm air leaving with a high gap attracting cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of openings on opposite wall surfaces of your house as well as at the very same level, this is just what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run connected after that the points above are still real, however you must likewise take into consideration the run dimension. The EU optimum legal stocking density for a totally free array bird is (and allow's face it, among the motivations for maintaining some hens at home is perhaps improved or better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m squared. Take a close look at some of the deal homes - it could well be your home has the best perches, proper air flow and adequate nest boxes for a practical number of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you obtain what you spend for". You may think you've grabbed a deal, however you and also your flock could possibly rue the day you did. Acquisition the best house and it will last for a few years, otherwise longer provided the right therapy. Ultimately your fowl as well as your poultry keeping encounter will be much the much better for it.
coop     plans
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Holcomb, Kansas
Chicken Coops for Sale in Lehigh, Kansas
Chicken Coops for Sale in Matfield Green, Kansas
Chicken Coops for Sale in Greenwich, Kansas
Chicken Coops for Sale in Newton, Kansas