Chicken Coops for Sale in Shelbiana, Kentucky
Chicken Coops for Sale in Shelbiana, Kentucky
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 Chickens For Sale in Shelbiana, Kentucky
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Shelbiana Kentucky" 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 Shelbiana Kentucky chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Shelbiana, Kentucky With the significant boost in poultry keeping there has been a similarly large rise in the array of chicken stuff on sale. Poultry real estate is an instance in factor. It's additionally a timeless example of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as different would-be fowl real estate professionals market a variety of lodging claiming to be the optimal solution to your chicken housing demands. Frequently the price looks desirable, your house looks desirable, heck even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Undoubtedly they know a professional chicken house when they see one? There are many cheap as well as horrible cages flooding the marketplace. I recognize this as I've examined a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed container appeared. The outcome was just a pricey pile of firewood and a tiny flock of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Baby Chickens For Sale in Shelbiana, Kentucky
Generally these standardized models are constructed of quick grown hardwood - come the initial decline of rain they swell, leaving you either blockading a door that won't close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain effort to release the squawking occupants. The first cozy day suggests the lumber dries out and cracks, the really felt roof covering bubbles and also boils, and come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their once eye-catching home however since the hovel is currently a haven for, and probably abounding, the chicken keeper's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly match four big chickens when that stocking density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you left with? A couple of hinges and some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds need to cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can rely on whether you elect for a cost-free standing house or one with a run attached. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large area and also the pop hole door is big enough for the type you keep, after that the main needs of real estate come down to 3 factors which will certainly specify the variety of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and air flow. A lot of types of chicken will perch when they visit roost during the night, this perch must preferably be 5-8cm large with smoothed off edges so the foot rests comfortably on it. The perch needs to be higher than the nest box access as chickens will also normally search for the highest point to perch. A perch less than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they produce one of the most poo) bring about stained eggs the list below day. They should not nevertheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries could take place when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in tiny breeds this is certainly less), plus if more than one perch is set up in the house they must be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on 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 these ought to be off the ground and in the darkest location of the house. Your house must have ample ventilation: without it then condensation will build up every night, also in the chilliest of weather condition. Be aware, ventilation works on the concept of cozy air leaving via a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a set of holes on contrary wall surfaces of the house as well as at the same level, this is what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the points above are still true, yet you should additionally take into consideration the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful equipping density for a cost-free array bird is (and also let's face it, among the inspirations for keeping some hens at home is possibly improved or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close check out some of the deal homes - it could well be your house has the right perches, right ventilation and also sufficient nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you get exactly what you spend for". You may think you've grabbed a bargain, however you as well as your flock could possibly rue the day you did. Purchase the right house and also it will last for a few decades, if not longer provided the appropriate treatment. In the long run your fowl and your chicken keeping experience will be considerably the much better for it.chickens diy
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