Chicken Coops for Sale in Waltham, Minnesota
Chicken Coops for Sale in Waltham, Minnesota
A Recycled Chicken Coop – Part 2
Yesterday I about how we picked the old building to remodel into our chicken coop. We also started building the run but the ground froze before we could get all the posts set. Ah the joys of a Wisconsin winter! Since we couldn’t work on the run any more, we moved on to the building itself. I’m a list/classify kinda gal so I like to think of the work in phases.
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 1: Destroy
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 2: Rebuild
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 3: Details
So we jumped right in with Phase 1. We slipped on some face masks and gloves, grabbed the snow shovel and started cleaning up the raccoon poop and broken pots. We also removed the two old broken windows. The third window was in good shape so we left it. (And by “we” I mainly mean Josh. I forget where I was, but I’m sure it was very important to miss such a fun time.) I arrived on the scene just in time to take a photo. (Hmm, maybe I was out buying a camera since this is now in the ANC time period: After New Camera.)
Once we got it all relatively nice and clean, we made a huge mess by ripping the cardboard wall coverings down. It was pretty yucky because the board had gotten wet and was a little soggy and gooey.
Next we pulled down all the old siding on two walls of the building. Most of it was rotten and in pretty rough shape. We even removed the door because of the raccoon pet door (AKA: huge hole) in the bottom.
Before
After
Everybody helped!
Both sides done
And with that, Phase 1: Destroy! was completed.
Now we move on to Phase 2: Rebuild. We scored two big storm windows off Craigslist for $10 each so Josh built frames for them. Here we are testing the first one to make sure it fits. Being newbies at this sort of thing, it’s always hit or miss. Sometimes we amaze ourselves and sometimes, well, it ain’t pretty. So we held our breath and fit it into place.
Success! Sometimes we can read a tape measure! (And in case you are wondering, yes it is on backwards. My dad pointed that out as soon as I showed him this photo. I’d like to say that we knew that but, um, we didn’t. We thought it wouldn’t matter but for drainage purposes you shouldn’t just turn them inside out. Live and learn, right?)
So we removed the test window and then covered the two bare sides with tar paper that is normally used for roofing. Now, I’m not sure if that is exactly what we should have used (again, newbies!) but I got it from someone on Freecycle for FREE so that’s what we went with. (I also got a few bundles of shingles with the paper. We need to re-shingle another building here on the homestead. Gotta love Freecycle! If you don’t know about it, check it out .)
After cutting out the windows and door areas from the black paper, we went shopping on the homestead again, this time for siding. Now, our lives would have been easier if we just went to a real store and bought something new. But in the interest of money-saving and world-saving, we wanted to use whatever we could from the farm. We had two buildings to work with. First was the old chicken coop and the second was an old building behind the barn. A previous owner had already removed the siding from one wall of building so we figured we could too.
The result of previous siding shopping trips
What we removed
I don’t know how we would have done it without our little nail puller. Even though it took us a long time, it was worth it. Not only did I save some money, but I am glad that these buildings were able to still be useful. Both the old chicken coop and the building in the photos were part of the original homestead over 100 years ago. They have the remains of plaster and molding in them. You can see where stairs and woodstoves once sat. It’s easy to imagine a child climbing the stairs to their bed in the loft or a woman cooking over the big stove in the center of the room. Since their glory days, they have been used as houses for chickens, hogs and lambs. That kind of rough life has taken it’s toll on the buildings.
The old farmhouse where the stairs once led up to the loft
It makes me sad that they have gotten so rundown so I’m glad that we can make them useful again, even if it is only in a very small way.
The next two weekends were spent taking down siding from the old buildings, cutting them for the new coop and putting them up.
Our workstation - professional looking isn't it?
We had to work around the snowstorms but we finally got it done! Once we permanently installed the windows, it looked like a REAL building! Imagine that. We were pretty proud of ourselves since we really had no clue what we were doing.
Our "new" siding and windows
That concludes Phase 2: Rebuild! (If only it were that simple and quick in real life.) And since you’re probably on photo overload, I’d better conclude this post for today. But I’ll be back tomorrow with Phase 3: Details. See you then!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Chicken Coop Free Plans in Waltham, Minnesota
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Waltham Minnesota" 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 Waltham Minnesota chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Waltham, Minnesota With the big rise in poultry keeping there has actually been an equally large rise in the range of chicken stuff on sale. Fowl real estate is a proceedings in factor. It's likewise a timeless example of the good old bandwagon being got on as various would-be chicken housing specialists peddle a variety of lodging declaring to be the excellent remedy to your chicken housing demands. Usually the price looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks appealing, hell also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Certainly they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several cheap and also nasty coops flooding the marketplace. I understand this as I've checked a number of them in the field, and seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed bucket appeared. The outcome was nothing but a costly pile of fire wood and a small group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Baby Chick House in Waltham, Minnesota
Typically these standardized designs are constructed of quick grown lumber - come the very first drop of rain they swell, leaving you either fortifying a doorway that will not shut, or ripping the door furniture off in a vain effort to launch the squawking occupants. The first cozy day means the hardwood dries and fractures, the really felt roof bubbles and boils, as well as come nightfall the hens refuse to enter. This is not due to their disappointment at the decline of their when desirable residential property yet considering that the hovel is currently a place for, as well as most likely crawling with, the fowl caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would match 4 huge chickens when that stocking density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also exactly what are you entrusted? A few joints and some kindling. A good coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you elect for a cost-free standing house or one with a run connected. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a big room as well as the pop hole door allows enough for the type you maintain, after that the primary demands of real estate come down to 3 points which will define the variety of birds the house will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. Many breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch should ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off sides so the foot sits easily on it. The perch should be more than the nest box entrance as chickens will additionally naturally seek 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 generate one of the most poo) causing dirtied eggs the following day. They should not nevertheless be so high off the flooring of your house that leg injuries could happen when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is undoubtedly less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your home they must be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors but are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally the house must have a least one nest box for each 3 birds as well as these should be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your house. Your home ought to have sufficient ventilation: without it then condensation will accumulate every night, also in the coldest of climate. Know, air flow works on the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high gap drawing cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a collection of openings on other wall surfaces of your house as well as at the exact same level, this is just what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run connected after that the points above are still true, yet you must additionally think about the run dimension. The EU optimum legal stocking density for a free range bird is (as well as let's face it, one of the motivations for maintaining some chickens in the house is potentially boosted or far better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m made even. Take a close consider several of the bargain homes - it could well be your home has the best perches, right air flow as well as ample nest boxes for a reasonable number 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 saying goes, "you get what you pay for". You might think you've got hold of a deal, however you as well as your flock can rue the day you did. Purchase the appropriate house and also it will certainly last for a few years, otherwise longer offered the correct therapy. Eventually your chicken as well as your fowl maintaining experience will certainly be a lot the better for it.coops chick
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