Chicken Coops for Sale in Staplehurst, Nebraska
Chicken Coops for Sale in Staplehurst, Nebraska
Our Finished Chicken Coop
These past few days had us outside enjoying the beautiful weather. One of the jobs I crossed off the list was to clean out our new chicken coop.
Because of our over the past year or so, our family was going through several dozen eggs a week. (I can’t help it – I’m hooked on !)
So last summer we quit “planning” to get our own chickens, and actually did it. The whole family pitched in to build a little abode for our egg-laying beauties. And because we were first-time chicken owners and newbies in all chicken-related topics, we joined and gleaned months worth of ideas, do’s and don’ts, and building plans. (I can’t recommend this site highly enough! If you have the slightest inclination of doing chicken anything, go here and read to your heart’s content.)
It was so helpful to see photos and designs when we were in the planning stages, I thought I’d share pictures of our coop and the hows and whys of what we did.
The chicken coop
Instead of starting from scratch, we bought a small granary from my brother-in-law; about 9’x7′ inside measurements. This gave us about 3 sq. ft. per bird. The coop is nothing fancy really. It isn’t visible from the road and we don’t live in town with neighbors to care about the view from their back window, so we used as much scrap material as possible. Plus we didn’t think the chickens would mind.
So far they haven’t rebelled.
We re-tinned the roof (that’s my honey!) and I got to use the saw sawl to make holes for the windows and vents. You can call me Mrs. Handyman. . .
Inside the chicken coop
Framing the windows and vents was the most time consuming part since the building wasn’t square. We used insulation and vapor barrier for the walls for added moisture protection and warmth because the windchill can get -40 below or more in the winter.
We made the roosting boards parallel and the same height because apparently hens will act like old biddies and fight for the top most board. (Some people’s kids. . .)
We rounded the edges of the roosting boards so it’s easier on the hens’ feet. The boards can be removed for ease of cleaning the poop boards underneath.
Poop boards seemed quite popular among chicken peoples and we’ve quickly learned why. First, chickens poop more when roosting, so the roosting boards are placed above the poop board. This makes clean up as simple as buying a wide sheetrock mudding tool and scraping the droppings into a bucket each day. We then add the droppings to our compost pile.
We originally built a rollaway community nesting box directly underneath the poop board, but the chickens ended up laying eggs everywhere but there. Eventually we added a ‘normal’ set of 12″x12″x12″ nesting boxes and they’re happy campers again.
We decided to use the deep litter method. We spread a bag of wood chips on the floor and because the hens leave most of their droppings on the poop boards, there’s minimal waste on the floor. The chickens like to scratch and fluff the wood chips so it gets stirred up and aerated. This means the coop is less smelly, and there’s only a few minutes of daily cleaning of the boards. If needed, you can add more wood chips throughout the year.
We clean the coop out fully in the spring and fall. So far it’s worked wonderfully.
We nailed a board across the doorway to prevent the rising litter from falling out every time we opened the door.
The feeders are gravity fed. They’re made of PVC pipe with a 90 degree corner and a cap at the end. We like that we can leave for several days at a time and don’t have to worry about having someone come out to do chicken chores for us.
This water stand was Travis’s idea. The hens have a platform to stand on so no matter how high the litter gets, they can reach the water comfortably.
The chicken nipples underneath are another idea shared by BYC that I LOVE. The water doesn’t drip, there is no poop or mud to worry about, and our full grown hens figured it out within 24 hrs. The pails are covered with lids to prevent the water from getting dirty and it lasts for at least a week (we add apple cider vinegar).
When we’re home, we clean them out and give them fresh water every few days.
There’s electricity on the wall above the waterers with a timed light switch. We use bird bath heaters to keep the water from freezing during the winter. We had to add the slanted plywood because the hens were roosting on the pails. (I told you they fought for highest roosting privileges.)
The pop door is a simple design, and it works great. It slides up and down, held in by L shaped boards.
When in the closed position, the hook and eye on the right prevent racoons (or children!) from trying to lift the door from the outside.
We used 1/2″ x 1/2″ hardware cloth to cover the insides of the windows and vents. . .
. . .and plexiglass for the actual windows.
We made sure to have plenty of vents (thanks to sage advice from Pat’s Ventilation Page) and used eyes and rope to open and close them at different heights.
Finally, we added a small lean-to to the side so the hens could come out in the winter. This helps block snow drifts right in front of the pop door, and they can still come out for fresh air and sunshine when they get cabin fever.
It might not win a beauty contest – but there’s something to be said for function-ability Hope this gave you some ideas!
What have you done to your chicken coop? We’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions!
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Chicken Coop And Run in Staplehurst, Nebraska
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Staplehurst Nebraska" 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 Staplehurst Nebraska chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Staplehurst, Nebraska With the huge rise in chicken maintaining there has actually been a similarly big rise in the array of fowl stuff for sale. Chicken housing is a proceedings in point. It's likewise a timeless example of the great old bandwagon being got on as numerous prospective chicken real estate experts market a selection of accommodation claiming to be the ideal remedy to your chicken real estate needs. Frequently the price looks attractive, your house looks appealing, hell also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Definitely they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are many low-cost and also awful coops swamping the marketplace. I understand this as I've checked a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed bucket showed up. The result was nothing but an expensive pile of firewood and also a little flock of bemused and currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Hut in Staplehurst, Nebraska
Generally these standardized versions are built of fast grown up lumber - come the first decrease of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a doorway that won't close, or tearing the doorway furniture off in a vain effort to launch the squawking residents. The very first warm and comfortable day suggests the wood dries and cracks, the really felt roof covering bubbles and boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not due to their disappointment at the decline of their when attractive commercial property yet since the hovel is now a sanctuary for, as well as most likely crawling with, the chicken keeper's bane, red mite. Add the fact that it said on the blurb that it would suit 4 large hens 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 and also some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to four birds must cost you around ₤ 300 though this can rely on whether you choose for a cost-free standing house or one with a run affixed. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a large room as well as the pop hole door is big sufficient for the breed you keep, after that the primary needs of housing come down to three factors which will specify the number of birds the house will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. The majority of types of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch must preferably be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch needs to be higher than the nest box entrance as chickens will additionally normally look for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce the most poo) leading to soiled eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries might take place when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require regarding 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is obviously much less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in the house they must be greater 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. Preferably your house ought to have a the very least one nest box for every single 3 birds as well as these need to be off the ground and in the darkest area of the house. Your home needs to have sufficient air flow: without it then condensation will accumulate every evening, even in the coldest of climate. Understand, ventilation works on the principle of cozy air leaving through a high void attracting cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of openings on opposite wall surfaces of your home and also at the exact same degree, this is exactly what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed after that the points above are still true, but you should additionally think about the run dimension. The EU maximum lawful stocking thickness for a complimentary array bird is (and also allow's encounter it, one of the motivations for keeping some hens in the house is perhaps improved or much better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close take a look at several of the bargain houses - it could well be your home has the right perches, appropriate air flow and also 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 spend the day on? And so as the saying goes, "you obtain what you spend for". You may think you've grabbed a deal, however you as well as your group could possibly rue the day you did. Purchase the right house and it will certainly last for a couple of decades, if not longer provided the proper treatment. In the long run your chicken and also your fowl keeping encounter will certainly be much the far better for it.diy coops
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