Chicken Coops for Sale in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
DIY Pallet Chicken Coop
I like chickens.
A lot.
Maybe because when I was small, I remember walking out to my mother’s chicken house, and gathering eggs…I’m not sure why I like them so much, but every spring I look at the signs that say: “Chicks here!” and want them so badly. We recently got a Murdoch’s Farm & Ranch store in our town. I love Farm & Ranch stores, by the way. Anyways, so when they started advertising ‘Chick Days’, I stopped in a few times to let the kids look at the chicks. At least that was my excuse! It was actually a good excuse for ME to get my chick fix. I have tried 3 times to keep chickens here, and they always get eaten – either by fox, coon, or skunk. I had told myself firmly that it was a waste of time, money and energy to try again. But on the third trip to Murdoch’s, I caved. I got 3 Red Star, 3 Buff’s, and 3 Wyandottes. I like variety. I also was trying to get cold-hardy birds, since they will be living in a drafty coop most of the year. If they survive.
I knew the set-up I had been using was not going to work, so I set out to build me a coop. Now, as you know, I am not a carpenter. I do, however, believe anyone can do anything if they want to bad enough. I think more ‘skill’, and ‘talent’ is in our hard work, than in natural ability. I think anyone can be a musician, great cook, cowboy, writer, or, yes, even a carpenter, with enough learning, perseverance, and hard work. I know certain people can naturally do certain things alot easier than others. But usually its more experience or desire than actual talent.
Case in point: My Cowboy never wanted to be a carpenter. Never enjoyed it. But he is an excellent carpenter. He can build anything, without a plan. And it lasts, believe me. Why is he so good? Because he started when young, and worked with his dad, who taught him all he needed to know, little by little, hard day of work after hard day of work.
Me? Why, I had a dad who despised carpentry, never built anything he didn’t have to, and therefore most of my family is slightly lacking in carpenter skills. (except for a few brothers who actually enjoy it, and learned later. ) So I had no examples, and certainly no help building things. But I have built my first freestanding, semi-solid, totally un-square, sorta-kinda-cute, and totally functional structure! It held my chickies for the first time last night, and despite the multitude of cracks, they (the chicks) are still all there this morning! I hope the critters don’t find a way in – cause I have certainly tried to make it critter-proof, if not weather proof. It does keep out the rain, thankfully, as it rained last night. Here is how to build a coop on the cheap frugal, with minimal zero expertise…
I dug about 24 of these 1×4’s out of the ranch dump. They are from a fallen windbreak, I think. They are 8 ft. each. I had to jerk out about 4-6 old nails out of each one.
Then I got 3 old pallets that were sturdy, and nailed the boards over the cracks. Instant studs! Yay!
I cut out a section of the one pallet for a nest-box entrance, and made a nest box out of scraps I found in the barn.
I missed taking pics of whole sections of the process, but anyways, here it is – the nest box isn’t finished yet, and it need some paint. The roof is longer in the back to help protect the nest box from rain/snow. (that sounds good, anyways…the real reason was because i didn’t want to cut metal, and this piece was basically the right size.)
The front. I did have to frame this, since I just couldn’t wrap my brain around how to cut/fasten a door in a pallet. It was pretty easy, tho. Took me two tries to get the angle right on the door cross-support. Just being honest here.
The inside. here you can see the pallets. I used some corner braces to fasten it to the floor. I couldn’t think of any other way. Didn’t have long enough screws to screw through the oak stringers. Check out my skylight! I wasn’t sure how to build a window, so I found this piece of clear roofing, and it works great as a skylight. Some days I will have to leave them in the coop all day, and I wanted them to get light.
Frank painted it last night. Well, some of it. See the nest box out the back? It missed getting painted, but I will finish it soon. I am quite pleased with my little coop. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but functional, and not totally sloppy-looking. And I didn’t have any help from the master carpenter, aka: My Cowboy. The cord is for the heat lamp, in case you wondered. Its still pretty cold here at night. (30º – 40º)
I was so worried last night, I kept waking and wondering if the fox/coons had found a way in to the coop…I went out this morning and there they all were – hale and hearty. I got that Tom Hanks/Castaway moment of “I can build! I have made a chicken coop!” Ha ha!
I had several things I wanted in my coop. 1. Easy access to the nest box from the outside. Check. 2. Natural light source, so I wouldn’t have to run a light. Check. I have to have a heat lamp, but don’t want to have to run a light when they are grown. 3. Door big enough for an adult to get in, if necessary. Check. 4. Somewhat rustic/cute. Check. 5. Critter-proof. Check. I am satisfied.
You might also enjoy these:
Thanks for sharing!
Like this:
Chicken Coop Out Of Pallets in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania With the significant boost in chicken keeping there has actually been a just as large surge in the range of poultry materiel on sale. Poultry housing is a proceedings in point. It's additionally a classic example of the excellent old bandwagon being jumped on as numerous prospective chicken housing professionals pitch a selection of cottage asserting to be the optimal option to your chicken housing requirements. Often the rate looks appealing, the house looks eye-catching, hell even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Surely they recognize a professional chicken house when they see one? There are lots of cheap and awful coops flooding the marketplace. I recognize this as I've examined a number of them in the area, and seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed pail showed up. The result was just an expensive stack of fire wood and also a little group of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop For 4 Chickens in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Generally these standardized versions are constructed of rapid grown up wood - come the very first decline of rain they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that will not shut, or tearing the door furnishings off in a vain effort to release the squawking occupants. The initial cozy day implies the lumber dries and also splits, the really felt roofing bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the chickens refuse to enter. This is not because of their frustration at the decrease of their when desirable apartment however due to the fact that the hovel is now a place for, and also most likely abounding, the fowl caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly fit four huge hens when that stocking density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and what are you left with? A few hinges and also some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to four birds ought to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you choose for a complimentary standing house or one with a run connected. Thinking you are varying your birds in a large space and the pop hole door allows sufficient for the type you keep, then the main demands of housing boil down to 3 factors which will certainly define the number of birds your house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. Most breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch should preferably be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off sides so the foot sits comfortably on it. The perch should be above the nest box entry as chickens will certainly additionally naturally search for the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they create the most poo) resulting in stained eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries could possibly take place when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in small breeds this is undoubtedly much less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your home they must be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors but are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your home must have a the very least one nest box for every 3 birds as well as these need to be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of the house. The house needs to have appropriate air flow: without it then condensation will certainly accumulate every night, also in the chilliest of climate. Understand, air flow works on the concept of cozy air leaving via a high gap attracting cooler air in from a reduced space - it's not a collection of openings on opposite walls of the house and at the exact same level, this is exactly what's called a draft. If you have a house with a run connected then the factors above are still true, but you should additionally think about the run size. The EU maximum lawful equipping density for a cost-free array bird is (and allow's encounter it, one of the motivations for keeping some chickens in your home is potentially enhanced or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close look at a few of the deal houses - it could well be the house has the appropriate perches, right ventilation and ample nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you obtain exactly what you spend for". You could believe you've grabbed a deal, yet you as well as your group could rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house and also it will certainly last for a couple of years, otherwise longer offered the appropriate therapy. In the end your poultry and also your chicken maintaining encounter will certainly be much the better for it.diy diy
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Factoryville, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Finleyville, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Beach Haven, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in La Plume, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Curryville, Pennsylvania