Chicken Coops for Sale in Covington, Oklahoma
Chicken Coops for Sale in Covington, Oklahoma
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.
Chicken Coop Ideas Diy in Covington, Oklahoma
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Covington Oklahoma" 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 Covington Oklahoma chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Covington, Oklahoma With the big increase in chicken keeping there has actually been a just as huge surge in the array of fowl materiel for sale. Chicken real estate is an instance in point. It's likewise a timeless example of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as numerous would-be poultry real estate specialists market an array of lodging claiming to be the suitable option to your chicken housing demands. Usually the price looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks eye-catching, heck also the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they know a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of affordable as well as nasty cages swamping the marketplace. I understand this as I've examined a number of them in the field, and also seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed bucket appeared. The outcome was only an expensive heap of firewood as well as a small flock of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop For Sale in Covington, Oklahoma
Generally these mass produced versions are constructed of rapid grown up lumber - come the initial drop of rain they swell, leaving you either defending a doorway that will not close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking occupants. The very first warm day means the lumber dries out and also splits, the really felt roofing system bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their once attractive residential property however due to the fact that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, and most likely abounding, the fowl caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly match 4 huge hens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and what are you entrusted? A few joints and some kindling. A decent coop for thee to four birds ought to cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are varying your birds in a large room and also the pop opening doorway is big enough for the breed you maintain, then the major demands of real estate boil down to three points which will certainly define the number of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. Many breeds of chicken will perch when they go to roost at night, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch must be more than the nest box access as chickens will certainly additionally normally look for the highest point to perch. A perch below that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they create the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the following day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries can occur when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is clearly less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in your home they ought to be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors but 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 each 3 birds and also these should be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of the house. The house ought to have adequate ventilation: without it after that condensation will certainly develop every evening, even in the chilliest of climate. Know, ventilation deals with the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving via a high gap drawing cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of holes on contrary wall surfaces of your house and at the very same level, this is just what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the points above are still true, however you should additionally consider the run size. The EU maximum legal equipping thickness for a free array bird is (and also let's face it, among the inspirations for keeping some chickens at home is possibly boosted or far better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m squared. Take a close take a look at a few of the bargain houses - it could well be your house has the best perches, appropriate ventilation and adequate nest boxes for an affordable variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you obtain what you spend for". You could assume you've grabbed a deal, yet you as well as your group might rue the day you did. Purchase the appropriate house and it will last for a couple of years, otherwise longer provided the proper treatment. Ultimately your fowl and also your poultry maintaining experience will be considerably the much better for it.plans build
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