Chicken Coops for Sale in Spruce Pine, North Carolina
Chicken Coops for Sale in Spruce Pine, North Carolina
Adventures in Country Living at Shalom Engedi Farm
We've been raising meat chickens for a few years now and each year we've learned a few things to add to our list of disasters and a few to add to our triumphs.
Let me explain how we started. A few years ago when we lived in the city we built the worlds most expensive chicken coop. You can read about it . In many ways it was fabulous - for 6 chickens. When you get a few more - like 50 meat birds - it won't do at all.
Every summer that we've had chickens at the farm they've been in different pens. We would solve one problem by making a change the next year only to create more problems we didn't anticipate. The first year we used the only pen we had available in the barn but it was a little small for the 60 chickens that lived in it. We figured they would be outside most of the time anyway and it WOULD BE FINE. Leaving the feed in their pen at all times was also a mistake as it caused them to grow too fast. We didn't get the chicks until September which meant they needed 8 weeks to grow to full size which also meant we were getting into wintery weather by the time they left. Oh dear - can you say chicken poop? They were the laziest chickens you ever saw. They hated going outside even though we chased them outside every day. They just sat and got fat and pooped. End of story. By the time they were ready for the butcher we were REALLY happy to get rid of them because the coop was impossible to keep clean. Without enough exercise and with too much food they got so big they had leg problems too so we lost a few birds in the process.
Fast forward to the next spring when we had the great idea to build them a huge pen. You can read about that . It was such a good idea except now we couldn't get them to gain weight because they got TOO MUCH exercise. They didn't have any leg problems though!. After a few extra weeks of feed before we brought them to the butcher we ended up with really yummy but rather scrawny birds. Sigh* I don't think we got close to breaking even when we sold them that year.
So - lets try that again!!! We recently purchased an old dog kennel through Kijiji - it's 5x15 feet and made of chain link with a good sturdy door. We know from our past coops that Overkilled Fort Knox is the way to go. There can be NO WAY for animals to get in or reach in.
We started by wiring the chain link fencing on far more securely than it was originally - we wanted to keep a dog (and others) OUT! We used two 4 foot pieces of hardware cloth on the ground and zip ties to connect them together - slightly overlapping the pieces. This provides a strong bottom so predator animals can't dig under the coop.
Then we wrapped the top edge of the kennel with 3 foot wide hardware cloth - attaching it with zip ties as well. The bottom section is a full sheet of lattice. It covers the hardware cloth on the top and is connected with zip ties again to the frame and the hardware cloth that makes up the floor. The roof is plywood sheets cut to fit so there is a 6 inch overhang ( 4 sheets cut to 6 feet each - the roof is 6 feet wide and 16 feet long) We cut an old tarp to size and stapled it on top. We were going to have the tarp overhang and peg it to the ground but it made the interior too dark. It took some creative cutting to fill in all the little spaces around the door to create a tight fit but with enough space that we could still open the door.
After adding shavings and a waterer we had to solve the problem of feeding 50 starving chickens at once without them killing each other in the process. They get pretty excited when they're hungry. We have multiple feeders but they never seemed enough. I solved the problem by purchasing a new 10 foot eaves trough with ends and screwed some 1 foot pieces of an old 2x4 across the bottom to act as feet - I used four pieces. When it's situated in the middle of the coop the chickens can access it from both sides and finally there is room for everyone to eat. The coop is bright and airy and doesn't smell bad at all...of course I am not really an expert on that subject! There is great air flow, plenty of space but not too much space and it's a safe place for them to spend the night. We also built the coop within sight of the kitchen window so I can keep an eye on them. In past years we let them free range as far as they wanted to - but sometimes they didn't come back. Our losses were just too great so this year they are kept in a large fenced area. They still have access to plants and bugs and sunshine but they don't disappear as someones lunch! So far this year we haven't lost any birds to predators. We also situated the coop in the shade of several large trees. Meatie birds are not that smart and sometimes when it's really hot they will lay in the sun and die of dehydration before they get up and get a drink. | The rake in the picture is my Chicken Encourager - I use it to gently encourage the chickens to leave the coop! |
The fencing we used is something we've also used to fence our vegetable garden. The material is a plastic mesh that comes in 50 foot rolls for less than $15.00. The posts are a little pricey but since they can be easily moved and re-used we thought it was worth it. You may be wondering why the fence is so short - it's only two feet tall. The fencing comes in three foot height as well but the due to a problem in the pricing for the fence posts it was more economical to buy the two foot fencing instead. We've found that our meat birds grow so fast that they don't fly very well. Occasionally one gets out but they never go far and the fence is more to contain them than to keep them safe from predators.
This coop is not going to be used in the winter - it's a little too airy for subzero temperatures but it could be modified in a pinch. Necessity is the Mother of Invention they say! If you can get a good deal on a kennel and shop around or use what you have already have you can make a similar coop and have the fencing like this for under $450.00. If all goes well it should pay for itself this summer and last for many years. The chickens seem to like their new digs and are growing well! Three tries and I think we got it right!! 
Chicken Coop And Run in Spruce Pine, North Carolina
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Spruce Pine North Carolina" 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 Spruce Pine North Carolina chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Spruce Pine, North Carolina With the substantial increase in chicken maintaining there has been a just as big rise in the range of poultry materiel for sale. Chicken housing is an instance in point. It's also a classic instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as various prospective fowl real estate experts pitch an array of holiday accommodation asserting to be the optimal solution to your chicken real estate demands. Usually the cost looks attractive, your house looks eye-catching, heck even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Undoubtedly they know a professional chicken house when they see one? There are numerous economical as well as nasty cages swamping the marketplace. I understand this as I've examined a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run straight through one when the feed pail appeared. The outcome was nothing but a costly stack of fire wood and a tiny group of bemused and also now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Build in Spruce Pine, North Carolina
Most of the time these mass produced designs are built of fast grown up timber - come the very first drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either blockading a door that won't close, or tearing the doorway furniture off in a vain effort to launch the squawking citizens. The first cozy day indicates the hardwood dries out and fractures, the felt roofing bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not because of their disappointment at the decline of their as soon as appealing building yet due to the fact that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, and most likely abounding, the poultry keeper's bane, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly fit 4 huge chickens when that equipping thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as what are you left with? A few hinges and some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can depend upon whether you choose for a cost-free standing house or one with a run attached. Thinking you are varying your birds in a big area as well as the pop opening doorway is big sufficient for the breed you keep, after that the primary requirements of real estate boil down to three factors which will define the number of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. Many breeds of chicken will perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off edges so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch needs to be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will additionally naturally seek the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is incidentally when they generate one of the most poo) bring about stained eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the floor of the house that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in small types this is clearly much less), plus if greater than one perch is installed in the house they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your house ought to have a least one nest box for every three birds and also these must be off the ground and also in the darkest area of the house. The house should have appropriate air flow: without it then condensation will certainly build up every evening, also in the coldest of weather condition. Realize, ventilation works on the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving via a high void drawing cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a collection of openings on other walls of your home and at the exact same level, this is exactly what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run connected then the factors above are still real, however you should also consider the run size. The EU maximum legal equipping thickness for a complimentary variety bird is (and also let's encounter it, among the inspirations for maintaining some chickens at home is possibly boosted or better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m made even. Take a close take a look at a few of the bargain houses - it could well be the house has the right perches, proper ventilation and sufficient nest boxes for a sensible number of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you obtain what you spend for". You may think you've grabbed a deal, yet you as well as your flock might rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house and also it will certainly last for a couple of years, otherwise longer offered the right treatment. In the long run your chicken and your poultry keeping encounter will certainly be a lot the much better for it.diy coop
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