Chicken Coops for Sale in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Changes in the Chicken Coop
Courtesy of Natalie Honan
Changes in the Chicken Coop
By Natalie Honan
Many students have realized in passing that the chicken coop has been looking a bit more crowded than usual. Recently, a group of new chickens were introduced into the current chicken habitat south of the Grove House.
Six chickens, who originally lived off campus, were about to become homeless, when Teddy Menard PZ’16 volunteered to house the chickens at Pitzer. To make room for these new birds, members of the Garden Club built a chicken coop which was located in the grove and backed onto the fence surrounding Harvey Mudd’s field.
During a Garden Club meeting, Jim Miller PZ ’18 and Gabe Elliot PZ ’18 spontaneously volunteered to assume some caregiving responsibilities for the new group of chickens.
“Our basic duties were just to make sure that they had food and water and to collect their eggs. We also wanted to spend some time with them because even a little human companionship can brighten up their day,” Elliot said.
The new chickens were content in their original home in the orchard until one night, when a creature made its way into the coop and ate one of the chickens. Apparently, a long tree which extended over and around the coop allowed for an unknown animal to enter the chickens’ habitat.
After the first attack, Miller and Elliot decided to confine the chickens into the physical structure within their coop to try to keep them safe. Once the chickens were inside, rocks were placed against the exit as to keep the chickens in and the killer out.
However, after two days had passed, one morning students discovered the rocks had been moved and another chicken was found dead.
Miller and Elliot are guessing the creature was either a raccoon or a bobcat. The creature was nimble enough to remove all the rocks out of place, pointing to a raccoon. However, bobcats are physically stronger and could slaughter a chicken a lot easier than a raccoon might have.
“We’ll just call it the creature,” Elliot said.
Menard also speculated that whatever the creature was, it had to be able to climb a very tall fence, strong enough to kill a chicken, and agile enough to break into the hutch.
“To get up the fence, the creature would have had to climb seven or eight feet and then climb down the tree into the hutch. So maybe it was something small, like a fox,” Menard said.
Many animals have been wandering towards more urban settings as a result of the drought wiping out food sources in their natural habitats.
To keep the remaining chickens safe from the creature, the Garden Club decided to relocate the chickens into the original chicken coop. Miller and Elliot explained that the group did not initially want to combine the flocks, due to the dangers of discord and disease within the two chicken populations.
“They grew up separately, they each have their own defined pecking orders and by putting them together, we were worried that they would fight to try and establish dominance over each other,” Elliot said.
“There’s also the issue of disease. One flock of chickens is used to a different set of germs, bacteria, and parasites than the other. So when you introduce them together, there’s the risk that one group will not have built an immunity that the other one has,” Miller added.
Regardless, the creature was a more direct and guaranteed threat to the safety of the chickens than the risks that came with combining the flocks. Left with no other choice, the Garden Club moved the four remaining chickens of the newer flock in with Pitzer’s original flock.
Upon first introducing the two flocks to each other, the chickens were met with some disagreement. The chickens did not socialize with each other and chased each other around when they were fed.
“There were definitely cliques formed, they did not get along. The original chicken flock would hang out closer to Mead and the other one would stay in their separate corner,” said Miller.
Miller and Elliot stated they believe the main reason for the preliminary conflict was limited space in the small tree in which most of the chickens sleep.
“There were complaints from people in Mead about all the noise the chickens were making because the chickens were fighting in the morning,” Elliot said, “This probably had to do with them all getting out of the tree in an orderly fashion.”
With time, the chickens are slowly growing more comfortable with each other. According to Elliot and Miller, they chickens have started mingling with each other. Menard reported not seeing chicken feathers (an indication of chicken violence) or hearing as much squabbling.
“I think overall it was a good transition, I think they’re safer and hopefully happier. Although, they are missing two of their comrades,” Elliot said.
Currently, members of the Garden Club are planning to expand the size of the coop as well as the housing structure to eventually have the capacity for up to 20 chickens.
Miller and Elliot both said the chickens play an important role in “bringing joy to the community.” They like to think of the chickens as the celebrities of Pitzer College. Menard added that the chickens “give students a special chance to engage with their campus.”
“They’re a very unique and interesting opportunity to express responsibility. The opportunity to have a relationship with the chickens is also important” Menard said.
Moreover, the chicken coop adds visual appeal to the grounds. The chickens are a highlight of the admissions tours and to school visitors.
“It’s a lovely space. The chicken coop is very old. It’s on display and very visible, so I think aesthetically it plays a very important role,” Menard said.
They also provide eggs for the Pitzer Food Collective and other Pitzer students.
Elliot and Miller wanted to dedicate this article to the first chicken who was slaughtered, “R.I.P. Mona.”
Chicken Coop Large in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Kennett Square 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 Kennett Square Pennsylvania chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania With the big boost in poultry keeping there has actually been an equally big increase in the range of poultry materiel on sale. Poultry housing is an instance in point. It's also a traditional instance of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as different potential fowl housing specialists pitch an array of accommodation claiming to be the ideal solution to your chicken real estate requirements. Often the cost looks attractive, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks attractive, hell even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Certainly they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several economical and also unpleasant coops swamping the marketplace. I recognize this as I've tested a variety of them in the field, and seen a ewe run straight through one when the feed pail showed up. The result was just an expensive stack of fire wood and also a tiny flock of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Designs in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
More often than not these standardized versions are built of fast grown up wood - come the very first decline of rain they swell, leaving you either blockading a door that won't shut, or ripping the door furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking residents. The first warm day suggests the lumber dries as well as splits, the really felt roof bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to enter. This is not as a result of their disappointment at the decrease of their once eye-catching property but due to the fact that the hovel is now a haven for, as well as probably abounding, the poultry caretaker's bane, red mite. Add the fact that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly fit 4 big hens when that equipping thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also what are you left with? A number of joints as well as some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run affixed. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a big space as well as the pop hole doorway allows sufficient for the breed you maintain, then the major requirements of real estate boil down to three factors which will specify the variety of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and air flow. Many types of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot sits comfortably on it. The perch ought to be more than the nest box entrance as chickens will also naturally seek the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they produce one of the most poo) causing soiled eggs the following day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries could happen when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is obviously much less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your house they must be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly 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. Ideally your house should have a the very least one nest box for every single three birds as well as these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of the house. The house needs to have sufficient ventilation: without it then condensation will develop every night, even in the coldest of weather condition. Understand, ventilation deals with the principle of cozy air leaving via a high void drawing cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of openings on opposite walls of your house and also at the very same degree, this is exactly what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run connected after that the points above are still true, however you must additionally think about the run size. The EU optimum lawful equipping density for a complimentary variety bird is (as well as allow's face it, one of the inspirations for maintaining some hens in your home is possibly boosted or better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m squared. Take a close look at several of the bargain residences - it could well be your house has the best perches, proper ventilation and also adequate nest boxes for a practical number of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you obtain exactly what you spend for". You might assume you've got a deal, yet you and your flock could rue the day you did. Purchase the appropriate house and it will last for a couple of years, if not longer provided the proper treatment. Ultimately your chicken as well as your chicken maintaining encounter will be a lot the much better for it.for sale plan
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