Chicken Coops for Sale in Cable, Ohio
Chicken Coops for Sale in Cable, Ohio
How To Set Up Your Chicken Coop
Often when people buy chickens from us they’ve never owned poultry before therefore I usually find myself explaining the basics of operating a healthy and effective coop. As I grew up on a farm much of it is second nature but many city folk are unsure of just whats involved. The easiest and quickest way to get the message across is to take them on a tour of our back section to see how everything in our coop has be arranged.
The important aspects I talk about are:
Feed …
Because chickens grow so fast I use larger feeders as soon as possible. If you are raising them from day one there are feeders available that have been designed to cover the first couple of weeks. After that one on an adjustable rope works well as its just a matter of raising the height from time to time as the chickens grow. To get the best results it needs to be kept high enough to be accessible but not too low as to allow litter and droppings to be scratched into it. As can be seen in the photo above an off cut of PVC down pipe with holes drilled through it works well as a cheap grit feeder. Commercial feeds normally have grit added however I wonder if its sufficient as our hens regularly go through a 2 kilo bag of crushed oyster shell.
Feeding guide …
Day old to 6 -8 weeks … chick starter crumbles. 8 – 14 weeks … pullet grower or similar. 14 weeks onward … regular chook feed. 18 – 20 weeks or just prior to the commencement of laying … oyster shell grit.
Don’t over do the kitchen scraps as the nutritional value from these is fairly low. If they are fed as a substitute for a properly balance diet egg production will suffer.
Water …
Its important to have a plentiful supply of good clean water at all times. Hens don’t drink much at anyone time but they do drink often and even more so during spring and summer when air temperatures increase. I always leave the coop door open when our hens free range as they can get cool water whenever they need it. Hens drinking dirty contaminated water from containers and puddles is a recipe for disease.
If its not clean enough for you to drink you shouldn’t give it to your hens.
As shown above I prefer to used a fixed water container as the hanging versions leak and spill water when knocked. Its easily removed for cleaning and is installed in such a way to prevent debris getting into it.
Perches …
Chickens have a natural instinct to perch therefore it important to provide good sturdy perches. The ones in our coup are about 5cm square and have the sharp edges taken off to make them more chicken friendly. Tree branches of a similar diameter also work well if they are reasonably straight. The perches shown above are approximately 50cm and 80cm above the floor however I set them at lower levels when I first introduce 3 to 4 week old chicks. They should be fixed securely to the coop walls whilst being easily removable for cleaning.
Even when I have day old chicks under lights I provide perches as its a habit that I want them to learn as soon as possible because it makes my job so much easier. There’s no space on my daily to do list for cleaning dirty nesting boxes and eggs. Perch space per bird should be about 20cm.
Without suitable perches hens will perch on what ever is handy namely nesting boxes, feeders and the like or they will crowd into a corner of a coop. The end result will be a hard mound of droppings which will ultimately end up in feathers on claws then into nesting boxes and subsequently onto eggs. Correctly positioned perches eliminates crowding, flighty hens, dirty eggs and ensures your hens will be more relaxed and manageable.
Like all females of the species they need to be pampered. My other half constantly reminds me that I pay more attention to our Flora’s that I do to her. Its not true of course !!
Nesting boxes …
For me keeping hens is all about egg production therefore when we I invested extra time and effort into creating workable nesting boxes.
- One nesting box for every 4 hens, wonder why sometimes as they all seem to lay in the same box.
- Easily accessible for me from the outside.
- Easily accessible for the hens from the inside.
- Removable for easy cleaning.
- Spacious … 40cm height x 40cm width x 40cm depth or thereabouts.
- Weather proof.
- 10cm lip at the front to keep shavings and eggs in.
When introducing young chickens I keep the boxes closed off until near the time when they will start laying. This is to ensure that they use the perches rather than sleeping in and fouling the boxes. As mentioned previously this means only one thing, dirty eggs.
Deep litter …
We use a deep litter system as it makes for easy maintenance and reduces the need to be continually cleaning chicken manure out of the coop. Simply put the floor is covered with a 10cm layer of untreated wood shavings which is raked over every few days. A more detailed explanation of this concept can be .
Access – easy and straight forward …
- Human sized entry, applicable if you need a large coop.
- Removing old litter is almost effortless, especially when I have to work the camera !
- Predator proof entry- exit.
A user friendly coop ensures that keeping hens doesn’t become just another unwanted chore so build or buy wisely.
Baby Chick Varieties in Cable, Ohio
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Cable Ohio" 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 Cable Ohio chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Cable, Ohio With the substantial rise in chicken keeping there has been a just as big rise in the variety of chicken paraphernalia for sale. Chicken housing is a case in point. It's likewise a timeless instance of the excellent old bandwagon being jumped on as numerous would-be poultry housing experts pitch an array of cottage declaring to be the suitable option to your chicken housing needs. Typically the cost looks desirable, your house looks appealing, hell even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Undoubtedly they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of inexpensive and horrible coops swamping the market. I know 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 result was only a pricey pile of firewood and also a tiny group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Out Of Pallets in Cable, Ohio
More often than not these standardized versions are built of rapid grown timber - come the first decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a doorway that won't close, or ripping the door furniture off in a vain effort to launch the squawking occupants. The initial warm day indicates the timber dries out and fractures, the felt roof covering bubbles and also boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not due to their frustration at the decline of their when eye-catching commercial property but considering that the hovel is currently a place for, as well as probably crawling with, the poultry keeper's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly match 4 large hens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you entrusted? A few hinges as well as some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to four birds must cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend on whether you choose for a totally free standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are varying your birds in a huge area and the pop opening doorway is big sufficient for the type you maintain, then the major needs of housing come down to 3 points which will certainly define the number of birds your house will hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. Most types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off sides so the foot sits pleasantly on it. The perch needs to be more than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly likewise naturally search for the acme to perch. A perch less than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they create the most poo) bring about soiled eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries might occur when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens require regarding 20cm of perch each (in small types this is certainly less), plus if greater than one perch is set up in your house they ought to be more than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their next-door neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably your house needs to have a least one nest box for every single 3 birds and these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest area of your house. Your house ought to have ample air flow: without it after that condensation will certainly accumulate every night, even in the chilliest of climate. Be aware, ventilation deals with the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving via a high void attracting cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a set of holes on opposite wall surfaces of the house as well as at the exact same level, this is just what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the factors above are still real, yet you should additionally take into consideration the run size. The EU optimum lawful equipping thickness for a totally free array bird is (as well as allow's face it, one of the motivations for keeping some chickens in the house is perhaps boosted or better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m made even. Take a close check out several of the bargain residences - it could well be the house has the ideal perches, appropriate ventilation and sufficient nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you get what you spend for". You could believe you've grabbed a bargain, however you and also your flock can rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house and it will last for a few years, if not longer offered the right therapy. Eventually your fowl as well as your chicken keeping encounter will certainly be considerably the better for it.coops chick
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