Chicken Coops for Sale in Franconia, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Franconia, Pennsylvania
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What goes into designing a chicken coop? It depends on your needs. When I built our first chicken coop it had to be a design that would be big enough to house all of our chickens but small enough to not overwhelm our back yard. What do I mean by overwhelm? Well, when you walk out into someone's back yard for the first time you notice certain things. Perhaps it is their lucious green garden. Maybe a well pruned and maintained fruit tree or a child's play set. It is the thing that immediately catches your eye. You are drawn to it for better or worse. If its for better, then it adds to the decor in a positive manner. If it is for worse, like an unsightly, run down, misshapen chicken coop, then it becomes overwhelming. I wanted to be able to walk into my back yard and like what I saw. Something that didn't make me say, "oh wow hey, that is one ugly something." I put a lot of time, energy and effort into building the first chicken coop. So it is with a heavy heart that I must tear it down. However, I am encouraged by the thought that when we get to where we are going, I will build something greater in it's place! For now I must meet an immediate need and it must fit all our criteria: 1. Must be small and accommodate 2 to 4 chickens. 2. Easy set up and take down. 3. Must double as a transport carrier. 4. Must have a large access so it can be cleaned easily. (If it is going in the back of our car at some point as a carrier, then it will need to be cleaned often.) I combined elements of several different designs and added a few ideas of my own and this is what I came up with.
Chicken coops for sale in Franconia Pennsylvania can be found in agricultural newspapers and community newspapers. The coops are designed for housing for chickens in a safe and secure environment. They generally consist of a small building or large box that is then sectioned off to smaller boxes where the chickens go to roost (or sleep). Chicken coops are a must for raising chickens.
Franconia Pennsylvania chicken coops are commonly constructed from wood products. They are not very stable buildings and provide only minimal protection from the elements. Now chicken houses used for large production facilities are a entirely different structure, they are huge and can hold up to 10000 chickens. The coops are typically used for backyard operations, or small family farms. They vary in size depending on the number of residents they house.
chicken-coops-in-Franconia-PAFinding chicken coops for sale in Franconia Pennsylvania is probably not one of the easiest of items to find. There are manufacturers of chicken houses and coops that sell them out right and Franconia Pennsylvania farm supply stores that they can also be purchased through, but generally speaking it will take some effort to find a chicken coop for sale in Franconia Pennsylvania, especially if your location is not a typically rural location. In rural locations that are much more abundant and easily had.
Materials:
8 - 1x3 Furring Strips (Furing strip boards are much cheaper than regular 1x3's. In my area they run about $1.50 for an 8' board.) 8 - 1x4 Furring Strips 2 to 4 sets of 2 to 4 of your choice You may be wondering why so many sets of hinges and locking mechanisms. I left 2 doors off the final build. The front door and one of the smaller side doors. Both are optional depending on the end users needs. I incorporated two smaller doors on one side of the coop. The front one is for ventilation. It can be opened during the day to allow for more air flow. It can then be closed at night to make it more predator proof. Also, one large door on the other side of the coop that would be used for cleaning. A hinged door could be added to the front of the coop and the whole thing could be buttoned up at night for protection of your backyard flock. I would recommend an additional ventilation hole at the top just under the overhang to aid in air circulation if you went that route. If all the doors were incorporated into the final build you would need 4 sets of hinges and 4 locking mechanisms.Cut List:
Back Panel
6 – 1x3’s @ 22-1/2”
Front Door Frame
1 – 1x3's @ 12-1/2”
4 – 1x3’s @ 15”
Large Door Side Frame
2 – 1x3’s @ 30”
2 – 1x3’ @ 10”
Side frame with two small doors
2 – 1x3’s @ 30”
3 – 1x3’s @ 10”
Corner Pieces
4 – 1-1/2” x 1-1/2” x 15” (2x4’s ripped in half)
Floor
1 – 25 x 32-1/2” I'm giving the total floor dimensions on this one. What I did was edge glued 7 - 1x4's @ 32-1/2". That gives you a 24-1/2" wide piece which is a half inch short of your required width. I then added a 1x3 @ 32-1/2" and that extends the width to 27". I then attached the floor to the carcass of the coop leaving all the overhang on one side. Then I took a flush trim bit in my router and trimmed the excess off the overhang. I now had a perfectly fitted floor with no discrepancy. Often times this is the procedure I follow when I want something to fit perfectly without having to be perfect. If you choose to just cut a piece of plywood to the end measurements and screw it in place; no one would think less of you.
Roof
11 – 1x4's @ 27”
Roof Truss
2 – 1x4 @ 32-1/2”
I measured to the center of a piece of 1x4 cut to length. Then measured 1-1/4" to each side of that mark. From those two marks I measured 3/4" down from the top of the board. Finally, from those two marks I drew a line to the bottom corners.
Vent Door
2 – 1x3’s @ 9-3/4”
2 – 1x3’s @ 5-1/4”
This is the optional vent door that is not depicted in the video. I choose to leave this door off my final build. I placed chicken wire on the inside of the coop. If you built this door you would still want to place chicken wire on the inside of the coop and not on the door. I would not recommend enclosing this door completely unless you had an alternate means of ventilation. I thought about leaving a small window in the back panel but felt it was easier to integrate into one of the sides. Of course you could always do both.
Nest Box Door
2 – 1x3’s @ 11-3/4”
2 – 2-3/8” x 11-3/4”
Large Side Door
2 – 2-3/8” x 24-3/4”
2 – 1x3’s @ 24-3/4” Nest Box
1 – 3” x 12”
1 – 2” x 12”
2 – 12” x 12”
This nest box is placed just inside the nest box door on the inside. I find it is fine to just lay it in place. Chickens like a little privacy to lay their eggs. So the side panels are a must in my opinion.
Final Thoughts:
Most of the following information can probably be filed under the "no brainer" category for most. Of course if you don't know it then it isn't a "no brainer" so here goes:
1. As is the case with many small and mobile chicken coop designs, sacrifices have to be made. Usually in the form of security. This one is no different.
2. This chicken coop is designed with an urban setting in mind.
3. Predators such as a fox, coyote or even dogs can dig underneath the run area. You could try to combat this by extending the wire completely underneath the base and run area. Usually the wire is dug into the ground 6 to 12 inches but then the coop ceases to be mobile.
4. Generally speaking chickens are only inside the coop at night and when laying eggs. With that in mind I estimate the size of this coop can accommodate up to 4 chickens. However, the run area depicted in the video is WAY to small for four chickens. We let our chickens run the entire backyard during the day and are only enclosed in the run area when we are away. If you intended to keep 4 chickens enclosed in a run I would recommend doubling if not tripling the run area you see in the video. Chickens get bored just like you and me. If that happens and their space is to small, they will start to peck each other, sometimes to death. This is why their beaks are often times cut off in commercial operations.
5. Be kind to your chickens and they will be kind to you. If you care for them, they will care for you and your family. They will provide not just nutritious eggs but also quality entertainment.
Much better than whatever junk is on cable TV these days.
Happy Homesteading!!
Chicken Coop Run Ideas in Franconia, Pennsylvania
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Franconia Pennsylvania" 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 Franconia Pennsylvania chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Franconia, Pennsylvania With the huge increase in chicken maintaining there has been a just as huge surge in the variety of chicken materiel on sale. Poultry real estate is a case in factor. It's likewise a timeless example of the great old bandwagon being got on as different potential chicken real estate experts market a selection of cottage asserting to be the optimal option to your chicken real estate demands. Commonly the rate looks desirable, your house looks attractive, heck even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Undoubtedly they know a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are several economical and unpleasant cages flooding the marketplace. I recognize this as I've examined a number of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed pail appeared. The result was just a pricey stack of fire wood as well as a small group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Baby Chick Hatching in Franconia, Pennsylvania
Typically these mass produced models are created of fast grown up timber - come the very first decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either barricading a doorway that will not shut, or ripping the door furnishings off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking occupants. The initial warm and comfortable day indicates the lumber dries and cracks, the felt roof covering bubbles and also boils, and come nightfall the chickens choose not to enter. This is not due to their frustration at the decrease of their when desirable apartment however considering that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, as well as most likely crawling with, the chicken keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly fit 4 large 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 number of hinges and also some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds should cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could depend on whether you elect for a cost-free standing house or one with a run attached. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large room and also the pop opening door allows sufficient for the type you maintain, after that the main needs of housing boil down to three points which will specify the number of birds your home will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. Many types of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost during the night, this perch needs to preferably be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off sides so the foot sits comfortably on it. The perch should be above the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly also normally try to find the acme to perch. A perch below that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they generate the most poo) causing stained eggs the list below day. They shouldn't however be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries could happen when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens require regarding 20cm of perch each (in tiny breeds this is clearly less), plus if more than one perch is set up in the house they must 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 ought to have a least one nest box for every single 3 birds as well as these need to be off the ground and in the darkest area of the house. Your house should have appropriate ventilation: without it after that condensation will certainly develop every evening, even in the coldest of climate. Realize, ventilation works on the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a set of holes on other wall surfaces of the house and at the very same level, this is just what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run connected after that the factors above are still real, but you need to likewise think about the run size. The EU maximum legal stocking thickness for a free variety bird is (and also let's encounter it, one of the motivations for keeping some hens in the house is perhaps improved or far better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m made even. Take a close take a look at some of the deal homes - it could well be your house has the appropriate perches, right air flow and also adequate nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you get what you spend for". You may believe you've got hold of a deal, however you and your flock could rue the day you did. Purchase the right house and also it will certainly last for a few years, if not longer offered the correct treatment. In the end your poultry and your poultry keeping encounter will certainly be a lot the much better for it.chicken plans
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