Chicken Coops for Sale in Glendive, Montana
Chicken Coops for Sale in Glendive, Montana
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.
Chicken Coop Building Plans in Glendive, Montana
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Glendive Montana" 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 Glendive Montana chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Glendive, Montana With the significant increase in poultry maintaining there has been a just as large increase in the variety of fowl stuff on sale. Poultry housing is a case in point. It's likewise a timeless example of the good old bandwagon being got on as numerous would-be poultry housing specialists pitch a variety of accommodation claiming to be the suitable solution to your chicken real estate requirements. Commonly the cost looks desirable, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks appealing, hell even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Surely they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several low-cost and also awful cages swamping the marketplace. I recognize this as I've checked a number of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed pail appeared. The result was only an expensive heap of firewood as well as a small group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Baby Chicks Hatching in Glendive, Montana
Typically these standardized designs are created of fast grown up lumber - come the first drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a doorway that won't close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking residents. The initial warm day means the wood dries out and also fractures, the felt roof covering bubbles and boils, and also come nightfall the hens refuse to enter. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decline of their as soon as appealing building but due to the fact that the hovel is currently a haven for, and probably crawling with, the chicken caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add on the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would match 4 huge hens when that stocking thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and exactly what are you left with? A couple of hinges and some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds should cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this could depend on whether you choose for a totally free standing house or one with a run connected. Assuming you are varying your birds in a huge area as well as the pop hole doorway is big enough for the type you keep, after that the major needs of real estate boil down to three factors which will specify the variety of birds your house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and air flow. Most breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost during the night, this perch needs to preferably be 5-8cm large with smoothed off sides so the foot rests easily on it. The perch must be above the nest box access as chickens will certainly additionally naturally look for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they generate the most poo) resulting in dirtied eggs the following day. They shouldn't however be so high off the flooring of your house that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in small breeds this is obviously much less), plus if greater than one perch is set up in your home they need to be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally your home needs to have a least one nest box for every single three birds as well as these ought to be off the ground and in the darkest location of the house. Your house ought to have appropriate air flow: without it then condensation will certainly build up every evening, even in the chilliest of climate. Know, ventilation works with the concept of warm air leaving through a high gap attracting cooler air in from a reduced space - it's not a collection of holes on contrary walls of your home as well as at the exact same level, this is what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still real, but you ought to also think about the run dimension. The EU optimum legal stocking density for a totally free variety bird is (and allow's encounter it, one of the inspirations for keeping some chickens in the house is potentially boosted or much better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m made even. Take a close take a look at several of the deal residences - it could well be the house has the best perches, correct ventilation and enough nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you obtain exactly what you pay for". You may assume you've grabbed a deal, however you and your flock can rue the day you did. Purchase the right house and also it will last for a few years, if not longer offered the right therapy. Eventually your chicken as well as your fowl maintaining encounter will certainly be much the far better for it.coop coops
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