Chicken Coops for Sale in Acme, New Mexico
Chicken Coops for Sale in Acme, New Mexico
Cleaning the Chicken Coop; Fall Chores
Pallets leaned against Coop act as a wind break in Winter.
One of the chores I like to save for beautiful Fall weather is cleaning out the coop. I know that before I got chickens, I really wanted to see other people’s coops and how exactly they did things. So here is a look at my coop and the regular maintenance I have to do to keep my girls happy.
My coop is basically a chicken tractor made permanent. See how I built my chicken coop . It is only good to protect my egg laying divas during the night. I have to get up in the morning to let them out. Trust me they let me know if I am late. Late is after 8 am, so it is not like they start wailing at 5 o’clock in the morning or anything. They have a kind of wail that they only make when they want out. It is the strangest sound, kind of like a long drawn out moooooom , where are youuuuuuu? You have to hear it to understand.
Shoveling out the “raised bed” that my coop rests on.
To clean out my coop I have get someone to help me lift the coop off of the raised bed it is resting on. I have handles on either end, but it is too heavy for me to lift by myself. Thankfully my strong boys help me. Shoveling out all the old bedding and putting in new wood shavings is not too hard of a task, considering you only have to do it about 3 times per year. I empty out the nest boxes and add new hay to freshen things up. I heard for the first time the other day that it is a good idea to add crushed dried herbs to the nest boxes to make them more appealing to your hens. I tried crushed basil this time. Yes, hens are a constant source of amusement. They always want to lay eggs where everyone else is laying. I just have 2 nest boxes for my 10 hens. I call them nest boxes but they are a little unconventional. One is an old basket, the other is an old drawer. This time of year as we transition into winter the light wanes as the days grow shorter. You will notice your egg production reducing quite a bit. This is why commercial growers put a light on their chickens 24 hours a day; to keep their egg production up. Here at the homestead we try to work with nature instead of against it. That means more kale, less eggs. This is also the time that the rabbits really start producing well. While one thing lessens another takes it’s place. This probably wouldn’t work up north but I lean pallets against the coop to provide a wind break. A lot of people ask me if I need to provide a heat source for my girls when temps fall below freezing. The answer is no. It is important to make sure their water is unfrozen. Other than that chickens really do better in the Winter here than the heat of the Summer.
My hens checking out the new fresh nest box.
After the coop is all cleaned out it is time to add new wood chips. I get what is called a “Country Boy” which is farmer speak for a big packed bag of wood shavings. I get mine from my local feed store in Garland. When I first started chickens I used Fall leaves gathered from the curb. I like the shavings better because the compost turns out better, but oak leaves work out well as chicken bedding too. It is hard to see in the picture but the bottom of the coop against the ground is wire screen(yard cloth) to keep digging critters out.
My hens get very curious about all the changes taking place and come to check it all out. I put the old bedding into a bin and drag it to my compost. Thankfully I don’t have to go too far. I keep my compost in my chicken yard so that my hens can stir my compost and so that they can get the minerals they need to keep their egg shells hard. I put the cracked egg shells in the compost where my hens can gobble them up therefore getting the calcium they need to keep their egg shells firm. I also put other left over kitchen scraps in the compost for them to enjoy. Speaking of compost, a lot of people ask me about mine. Let me just say that trying to heat up a compost pile without manure of some sort is NOT easy. To heat up a compost pile without manure add fresh grass clippings. However right about the time fall leaves are readily abundant, grass clippings are NOT readily available. If you have read my posts at all you are probably sensing a theme; get an animal or a source of manure for your garden. Chickens or rabbits, even worms; your garden will thank you with beautiful veggies.
This post was shared at
Related Posts
Chicken Coop Ebay in Acme, New Mexico
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Acme New Mexico" 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 Acme New Mexico chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Acme, New Mexico With the substantial increase in poultry keeping there has actually been an equally huge increase in the range of fowl paraphernalia on sale. Fowl real estate is an instance in factor. It's additionally a classic example of the good old bandwagon being jumped on as different prospective fowl real estate professionals pitch a selection of holiday accommodation claiming to be the optimal remedy to your chicken real estate demands. Often the price looks attractive, your house looks desirable, heck even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Certainly they recognize a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several economical as well as nasty coops flooding the marketplace. I understand this as I've checked a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run straight via one when the feed pail showed up. The result was nothing but an expensive pile of fire wood and also a little group of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Blueprints in Acme, New Mexico
Generally these mass produced versions are built of quick grown timber - come the first drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a doorway that won't close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain effort to launch the squawking residents. The very first cozy day implies the hardwood dries out as well as cracks, the really felt roofing bubbles as well as boils, as well as come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not due to their disappointment at the decrease of their as soon as desirable apartment however considering that the hovel is now a haven for, and most likely abounding, the chicken caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly suit four huge chickens when that stocking density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also what are you entrusted? A few hinges and also some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you elect for a cost-free standing house or one with a run attached. Thinking you are varying your birds in a big area and also the pop hole doorway is big sufficient for the type you keep, then the main requirements of housing boil down to 3 points which will define the number of birds your house will hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. Most types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost at night, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off edges so the foot sits conveniently on it. The perch ought to be above the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly additionally normally look for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they create one of the most poo) causing dirtied eggs the following day. They should not nevertheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries might occur when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is clearly less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your house they must be more 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 the house should have a least one nest box for every single 3 birds as well as these ought to be off the ground and also in the darkest area of your house. Your house should have adequate ventilation: without it then condensation will accumulate every evening, even in the chilliest of weather condition. Understand, air flow works with the principle of cozy air leaving through a high gap attracting cooler air in from a lower space - it's not a collection of holes on contrary wall surfaces of your 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 after that the factors above are still true, however you ought to likewise consider the run size. The EU maximum legal equipping density for a complimentary range bird is (and allow's face it, among the inspirations for maintaining some chickens in the house is perhaps enhanced or much better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m settled. Take a close take a look at a few of the bargain residences - it could well be the house has the right perches, proper air flow and enough nest boxes for a sensible variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? And so as the claiming goes, "you get what you pay for". You could think you've got hold of a deal, but you and your group could rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house as well as it will last for a couple of decades, if not longer provided the proper treatment. In the end your chicken and your chicken keeping encounter will certainly be much the far better for it.for sale plan
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Abiquiu, New Mexico
Chicken Coops for Sale in Acme, New Mexico
Chicken Coops for Sale in Abbott, New Mexico
Chicken Coops for Sale in Alamogordo, New Mexico