Chicken Coops for Sale in Avalon, New Jersey
Chicken Coops for Sale in Avalon, New Jersey
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!
shared with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Related Posts
Latest posts by Paula ()
- - March 22, 2016
- - January 28, 2016
- - January 22, 2016
Chicken Coop Plans Pdf in Avalon, New Jersey
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Avalon New Jersey" 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 Avalon New Jersey chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Avalon, New Jersey With the massive boost in chicken keeping there has actually been an equally huge surge in the variety of chicken stuff for sale. Chicken real estate is a proceedings in factor. It's additionally a timeless example of the good old bandwagon being got on as various potential chicken real estate specialists pitch a selection of holiday accommodation claiming to be the ideal remedy to your chicken housing demands. Often the rate looks attractive, your house looks attractive, heck also the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Undoubtedly they recognize a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of cheap and also nasty coops swamping the marketplace. I understand this as I've tested a number of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run straight via one when the feed pail appeared. The outcome was only an expensive pile of firewood and also a little group of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Kit For 6 Chickens in Avalon, New Jersey
Generally these standardized designs are constructed of rapid grown hardwood - come the very first decrease of rainfall they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that won't close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain effort to launch the squawking inhabitants. The very first cozy day indicates the lumber dries and also cracks, the felt roof bubbles and also boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to enter. This is not due to their disappointment at the decrease of their as soon as attractive building yet due to the fact that the hovel is currently a haven for, as well as possibly abounding, the chicken keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it said on the blurb that it would certainly suit four large hens when that equipping thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also exactly what are you entrusted? A few joints and also some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds should cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a large room and also the pop opening door is big enough for the type you maintain, then the main needs of real estate come down to three factors which will define the number of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. The majority of types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost during the night, this perch should ideally be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off edges so the foot sits easily on it. The perch needs to be higher than the nest box access as chickens will certainly also naturally search for the highest point to perch. A perch less than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce one of the most poo) leading to soiled eggs the list below day. They should not however be so high off the floor of the house that leg injuries can occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is obviously less), plus if greater than one perch is installed in your home they should be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your house ought to have a the very least one nest box for every three birds as well as these should be off the ground and in the darkest area of your home. The house must have sufficient air flow: without it then condensation will accumulate every night, also in the chilliest of weather condition. Be aware, air flow works on the principle of cozy air leaving with a high void drawing cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a collection of holes on other walls of the house as well as at the exact same level, this is what's called a draft. If you have a house with a run attached then the factors above are still real, however you should also consider the run dimension. The EU optimum legal stocking thickness for a complimentary array bird is (as well as let's encounter it, among the inspirations for maintaining some chickens in the house is possibly improved or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close take a look at some of the deal homes - it could well be the house has the appropriate perches, right air flow and ample nest boxes for a sensible number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you get what you spend for". You could believe you've got hold of a deal, however you as well as your group might rue the day you did. Acquisition the best house and it will last for a few years, if not longer provided the proper therapy. In the long run your poultry as well as your poultry maintaining experience will certainly be a lot the better for it.chickens diy
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Absecon, New Jersey
Chicken Coops for Sale in Allenwood, New Jersey
Chicken Coops for Sale in Alpine, New Jersey
Chicken Coops for Sale in Allendale, New Jersey
Chicken Coops for Sale in Atco, New Jersey