Chicken Coops for Sale in Westwood, Massachusetts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Westwood, Massachusetts
Snake in the Chicken Coop!
Yesterday morning was, shall we say, eventful, around here.
Usually I while the children run around doing chores like feeding bucks, chickens, etc.Well, I was almost finished milking when Lucas came and said, in a most serious voice “Mom, I have some news.”
He had gone to feed our chicks, who had just outgrown their brooder box, and been placed in the only 2 days before, when he spotted a snake inside with a suspicious lump in its belly. It had already eaten a chick.
You may not know this about me, but I don’t do snakes. At all. Like when my kids go to the zoo, they have to hope we meet friends there, because mommy is doing good to wait calmly outside the reptile house while other sweet mommies take them in. Like I don’t go into pet stores because I think the birds are squawking to warn me that the snakes are out. Like I dashed out the side door at Lucas’ school field trip because the exit they were leading us out was between 2 snake tanks. Who does that? Shame on you Huntsville Botanical Gardens! How about warning a girl?
Anywho, I don’t do snakes.
I also cannot just let one roam around our property eating my animals, eating my children, eating me, etc, now can I? I’m the adult in charge during the day, so it was my job to handle it. Lucas had opened the door to let the chicks out, and I went to the house to prepare for battle. First, I needed my . *affiliate* I feel much safer in my muck boots.
| Aren’t they pretty? |
Next I grabbed not one, not two, but THREE guns and I headed to the pasture. I tried to walk close to the coop, but my phobia prevented me getting as close as might have been prudent, so instead, I went to my garden. I feel safe there. (Don’t worry, the coop was near the garden, at least.) I set my excess guns down on the beehive. Bees don’t scare me, by the way. And I set to the business at hand.
| This shot was taken last month, before anything was growing, but the coop is still in the same spot! |
Warn neighbor who is standing outside. Check.
Yell at goat who is eating the chicken feed and blocking the shot. Check.
Yell at turkey who keeps sticking its head in the shot. Check.
Throw things at goat who won’t go away. Check, check, check, and check.
Ready, aim, fire. 5 rounds from my rifle. At least 4 were hits. Wait.
The dang things starts trying to slither off! Can I get a big southern girl “OH, HELL NO!”?
9 shots from Grandaddy’s pistol. (It’s a good thing the gun holds 9 shots because it isn’t accurate at all!)
One more shot from my usual sidearm, and I finally call it dead. I would have emptied that gun too, but it is a higher caliber and I didn’t want to accidentally put any holes in my coop! See, I can think under pressure. Kind of.
Anyway, it was a L O N G day of waiting for Eric to get home from work. I did all sorts of things that did not include mowing the pasture, which had been my goal for the day. Finally Eric came home. He pronounced the snake dead. He also said that the first shots I fired from the rifle had been adequate.
Whatever dude. This crazy stuff never happens when you are home.
Anyway, he disposed of the snake, but not before he gave a science lesson to the kids as they cut it open to see which chick had been eaten. *shudder*
I sure am glad that’s over. I sure would appreciate a calm, relaxing day on the farm today. Yeah right.
On the bright side, Eric has promised me a for snake dispatching, and I’m holding him to it. I thought about using his, but it probably would have knocked me over shooting it, and then the snake would have eaten me.
Happy Weekend Everyone!
P.S. No, I will not be posting pictures of it.
P.P.S. Don’t mess with my animals.
Did you enjoy this story? Believe it or not, crazy stuff like this happens around here all. the. time. Read all about it from the cow’s point of view with Beulah’s moooooooooosletter!
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Chicken Coop Kits For Sale in Westwood, Massachusetts
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Westwood Massachusetts" 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 Westwood Massachusetts chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Westwood, Massachusetts With the significant boost in chicken keeping there has actually been a similarly huge rise in the variety of fowl materiel on sale. Chicken housing is a case in point. It's additionally a classic instance of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as various prospective poultry housing experts pitch a range of cottage declaring to be the suitable remedy to your chicken housing demands. Usually the price looks desirable, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks attractive, hell also the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Undoubtedly they know a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous economical and also nasty cages flooding the market. I recognize this as I've tested a variety of them in the field, and seen a ewe run straight via one when the feed container showed up. The outcome was just a costly heap of firewood and also a tiny group of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Necessities in Westwood, Massachusetts
Usually these mass produced versions are constructed of quick grown timber - come the first drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a door that will not shut, or ripping the door furniture off in a vain effort to release the squawking citizens. The very first warm and comfortable day suggests the timber dries as well as fractures, the felt roof bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the chickens refuse to go in. This is not due to their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their once desirable apartment however due to the fact that the hovel is currently a haven for, as well as possibly crawling with, the chicken caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly match four huge chickens when that equipping thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as what are you left with? A couple of hinges and also some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds need to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you choose for a totally free standing house or one with a run connected. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a big area and also the pop hole doorway is big sufficient for the type you maintain, after that the major needs of housing come down to three points which will certainly specify the number of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. Most breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost during the night, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off edges so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch needs to be above the nest box entry as chickens will certainly additionally naturally seek the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they generate one of the most poo) leading to soiled eggs the list below day. They should not nevertheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries might take place when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in small breeds this is clearly less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in your house they need to be greater 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 your home needs to have a the very least one nest box for every single 3 birds and these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of the house. Your home must have adequate ventilation: without it then condensation will certainly build up every evening, also in the coldest of weather condition. Know, air flow works on the principle of warm air leaving via a high space drawing cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a set of holes on opposite walls of the house as well as at the same level, this is exactly what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still true, yet you ought to additionally take into consideration the run size. The EU maximum legal equipping thickness for a free variety bird is (and also let's encounter it, among the inspirations for keeping some hens in the house is possibly enhanced or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m settled. Take a close take a look at several of the deal homes - it could well be your home has the right perches, correct ventilation and ample nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater 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 assume you've grabbed a deal, but you and also your flock might rue the day you did. Acquisition the appropriate house as well as it will certainly last for a couple of years, if not longer given the correct treatment. In the long run your poultry as well as your fowl keeping encounter will certainly be a lot the better for it.chickens diy
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