Chicken Coops for Sale in Alma, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Alma, New York
Make a Thrifty DIY Swingset Chicken Coop
Do you have one of those old A-shaped swingsets rusting in your backyard? If you do, then you have the basis for an awesome swingset chicken coop! (And if you don’t, watch Craigslist – there are frequently people offering them for free to whoever comes to pick them up.) Creativity is key .
When we moved recently we had to leave our wonderful chicken coop behind, since it was attached to the barn. While I drooled over some of , I’m on a pretty tight budget so it was important to use items that I could acquire either cheap or free. Luckily, the house we moved to had some pretty interesting stuff in a shed and an old rusty swingset in the woods.
I don’t have a lot of construction skills but the guy who put up my fence does, and luckily, he was on board with my wacky, freebie-scrounging ideas.
For the price of some labor, some hardware, some chicken wire, and a fancy-dancy hanging chicken waterer, I got a snazzy new coop that keeps my chickens safe and sound.
Here’s what we used:
- A swingset with the swings removed
- 2 pieces of corrugated metal on the top 3/4 plus a strip of it over the top to help weather proof
- Some sheets of plywood for the bottom back of the coop
- A piece of chain link fencing for the bottom in order to keep out predators
- Some old pieces of fence posts for the bottom of the coop to attach the chicken wire and chain link to
- Some lumber for the door
- Chicken wire (It was cheaper than from my local store)
If you’re making a scrounged chicken coop, be creative and see what you components you can find for cheap or free. Because most of the items used were found, this isn’t as much a how-to as it is something to inspire you. Here are some photos so you can see how my coop was assembled.
The Scoop on my Swingset Chicken Coop
The door is very heavy, which adds a layer of security against critters that might try to get in during the night. During the day, I use a bungee to hold the door open in the event of wind so no chickens get squashed. (They’re at the door because they know they’re either getting food or getting out.)
There is also a heavy duty double hinged latch that I fasten with a carabiner at night for an added layer of security. (.)
The bottom is covered with a piece of chain link fencing that is attached to the boards that form the bottom edge of the coop.
My biggest splurge is this hanging 5 gallon water dispenser. It stays much cleaner raised a few inches off the ground, only needs to be refilled every few days, and I used the exisiting hook for a swing to hang it from. (You can – it is a lower price than it was at my local feed store.)
Here’s the interior of theswingset chicken coop. The chickens like to roost on the cross bars on each end, and there is an extra bar from an old closet that was also installed. I used some cubbies from my previous garage for nesting boxes. (I probably should have taken the interior pic before I put the chickens in here to poop on everything. Of course, anyone who has chickens knows that a coop only looks clean for about 10 minutes.)
The coop in all of its glory. I’ll be painting the plywood soon to make it a little prettier.
Thor, our LGD, is happy to follow the chickens around and protect them because he realized they’re like little feathered Pez dispensers, dropping nice little egg treats around the yard for him to enjoy. I lock them in the coop a couple of days per week and that gives us more than enough eggs for our needs. The rest of the eggs get scattered around the yard for a doggie version of an Easter egg hunt. Thor’s a little skinny so the added fat will do him good. You can see him licking his dog lips in the photo below.
Share this:
Chicken Coop Adelaide in Alma, New York
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Alma New York" 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 Alma New York chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Alma, New York With the huge rise in poultry maintaining there has been an equally huge rise in the variety of poultry materiel on sale. Poultry housing is a situation in point. It's also a classic instance of the excellent old bandwagon being jumped on as different would-be chicken housing professionals pitch a selection of holiday accommodation declaring to be the excellent remedy to your chicken housing demands. Frequently the rate looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks eye-catching, hell even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Undoubtedly they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are many economical and also nasty coops swamping the marketplace. I understand this as I've checked a variety of them in the area, and also seen a ewe run straight via one when the feed pail showed up. The result was nothing but a pricey stack of fire wood and a little group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Boxes in Alma, New York
Most of the time these mass produced designs are created of rapid grown lumber - come the initial decline of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that won't close, or tearing the door furniture off in a vain effort to launch the squawking residents. The first warm and comfortable day implies the lumber dries out and splits, the really felt roofing bubbles and boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens refuse to go in. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their when desirable home however because the hovel is currently a place for, and probably crawling with, the fowl caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add that it said on the blurb that it would certainly fit four big hens when that equipping thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as exactly what are you entrusted? A few hinges and also some kindling. A decent coop for thee to four birds need to cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can rely on whether you elect for a free standing house or one with a run connected. Assuming you are varying your birds in a huge room and also the pop opening door is big sufficient for the breed you keep, then the main demands of housing come down to 3 factors which will certainly specify the number of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also air flow. A lot of types of chicken will perch when they visit roost during the night, this perch should preferably be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off sides so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch ought to be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will certainly likewise naturally try to find the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they generate one of the most poo) leading to stained eggs the list below day. They should not nonetheless be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries might take place when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in tiny breeds this is undoubtedly much less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in the house they should be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally the house should have a least one nest box for every single 3 birds and also these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of your house. The house needs to have appropriate air flow: without it after that condensation will build up every night, even in the coldest of weather. Realize, air flow deals with the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving with a high gap drawing cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of openings on opposite wall surfaces of your house and also at the very same degree, this is what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run connected after that the points above are still real, yet you should also think about the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful stocking thickness for a free variety bird is (as well as let's encounter it, among the inspirations for keeping some chickens at home is potentially enhanced or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m squared. Take a close consider several of the bargain houses - it could well be the house has the best perches, appropriate air flow as well as ample nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? And so as the saying goes, "you get just what you pay for". You could believe you've grabbed a deal, however you and also your group can rue the day you did. Purchase the right house as well as it will last for a few years, otherwise longer provided the right treatment. Eventually your poultry and also your fowl keeping experience will be much the much better for it.chicken build
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Alden, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Alfred Station, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Almond, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Allegany, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Alexander, New York