Chicken Coops for Sale in Summit Station, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Summit Station, Pennsylvania
Coop Building Basics – Getting Started With Chickens
Keeping chickens is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the US. For those of us who already have them – we certainly know why! These intelligent, intriguing, and amazing avians are worth the expense and the effort. Don’t be fooled – keeping your own flock of birds will entail an expense and a good deal of effort – but it sure is worth it. You want to be one of the winners! Those chickens are relying on you.
Be Prepared
Don’t be part of the impulse crowd…you know the ones who want to join the “homestead” movement for eggs. Do not get chickens because you ONLY want backyard eggs. Chickens are livestock that require 365 days of care, health care, and general attention. Their yard requires upkeep and some carpentry business. Be prepared to provide that care to your birds, and structures, for 6-10 years (the lifespan of most breeds).
Building an attractive and useful barn, ONCE, saves money and unpleasant experiences. Build it right, build it BIG and enjoy the coop for decades! And your neighbors will even be thrilled, especially when they see those free eggs.
Taking the poultry plunge
The secret to being successful with chickens rests (or nests), just as in other adventures, with doing your homework. Chicken raising actually is pretty simple. It really isn’t any different than getting a cat or dog. In fact, if you are getting birds BECAUSE you aren’t ready financially, or time-wise, to acquire a cat or dog… do NOT get chickens. Keeping any animal involves dedication, time, coordinating caretakers (if you leave – even for a day), and maintenance expenses.
Ensure that your zoning laws, and your neighbors, allow poultry keeping. Check local building codes and rules before you begin siting your barn. If you do not live in a rural area be sure the barn’s design is appealing and set away from roads and public view (this may be mandatory as well).
The most expensive eggs you will ever buy…
Yes, indeed, these costly eggs will begin draining your account with the coop itself. How do you build, or buy, a coop that will house your birds, last for decades and provide room for those extra chickens, or other fowl, that are going to appear? Remember coops are all about everyone’s comfort – the birds’ and yours.
Size
The coop must be a minimum of 8×8, or so. Anything less and it will be very claustrophobic and impractical. It will not vent properly, dissipate heat or hold heat – issues that can be deadly to the birds. You need to be able to get in there to clean, feed, fill water buckets, collect eggs and hang out with the birds. The old-fashioned coop in the feature photo shows what coops are supposed to look like. Chickens are active animals that need floor space to roam. Grandma and grandpa knew a thing about housing poultry.
Floor Space
Overcrowded and cramped quarters lead to disaster. Avoid disease, filth, broken eggs, chronic chicken stress, fighting, feather-picking, failure to thrive and low-egg production by providing plenty of space per bird. Chronic stress/unhappy birds = disease outbreaks, fighting, low production. Allowances per bird: The following is for single level roost and floor space needs. You can consider these estimations in relation to how much time your birds will be in the barn. For those living in warm areas, with minimal freeze and lots of range time, you can reduce the space needs as the chickens will only use the barn in inclement weather, for sleeping and egg-laying. Cold weather barns will need to increase the floor space, as birds will be spending several months indoors.
Floor Space:
- Standard and Bantam: 3-4 square feet (Leghorn, Hamburgs, Silkie, Bantam Cochin)
- 2-3 square feet for true bantams (Sebright, Japanese, Games), 8-10 inches per bird See Roosting Note
- Heavy Breeds: 4-5 square feet (Brahma, Cochin, White Giants, Jersey Giants, Malay) 10 inches to a foot
- Cold Winter Regions: 5 square feet per standard and bantam breeds 6 square feet for heavy breeds. Roost space remains the same.
Roosting Note: Roosts can be venues for wrestling and squabbling shows. Be flexible about roost space. Troubleshoot by providing multiple roosting areas, rather than setting the poles all in one spot. Many chickens are more comfortable with a “private” roost area. Do not use ladder styled roost systems – you waste space, and there won’t be enough prime property for the chickens (and they poop on the rungs). Chickens instinctively want to roost as high up as they can. If they can’t “feel safe” you are creating a chronic stress issue.
Think above the floor… Provide levels in your barn. This is very important, as you are housing birds and birds like to go up. The birds will use these shelves and benches and you will notice some of them will spend most of their time there. Make sure you have shelves in front of the windows for the chickens to relax, preen and look out.
Predator protection.
The coop must have an actual foundation with a floor. If your coop is raised on blocks – it already has one! Do not build a structure directly on the ground. Not only will the foundation rot, but predators simply dig under. Put down a floor.
Windows and doors will need heavy-gauge wire framed over any screen. Window and door mesh screens are critical to prevent mosquitoes from entering (“skeeters” are fowl pox vectors), but they offer no protection from predators. Chicken wire is also unsafe, and be sure the mesh openings are small enough to deter mink. Mink will kill every bird in your barn and they can enter an opening small enough for a rat.
Reinforce any area in which mice or rats may, or have, gained access. There presence is unwanted and the damage they do creates access holes for predators. Rats will kill chicks or small birds.
Check for rotting wood, loose features and flashing, evidence of digging – and note any chewing along doors, windows and eaves. Do this once a week, or if you suspect varmints. Never ignore these signs as the predator will be back each night, and it only takes one night to lose your flock. Many keepers set up a game camera to see what is lurking around.
Start Planning for Spring
If you haven’t built your dream coop, it’s never to early to start planning! If you already have a coop up and running, do a predator “check.” As always, leave us your tips and tricks. We love to hear from our readers…keep on cooping!
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Chicken Coop Plans Pdf in Summit Station, Pennsylvania
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Summit Station 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 Summit Station Pennsylvania chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Summit Station, Pennsylvania With the substantial rise in poultry keeping there has been an equally huge surge in the range of chicken paraphernalia for sale. Poultry real estate is an instance in factor. It's also a timeless instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as various prospective fowl housing experts market a variety of cottage claiming to be the suitable remedy to your chicken real estate demands. Typically the rate looks attractive, your house looks appealing, hell also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Undoubtedly they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous inexpensive as well as nasty cages swamping the marketplace. I recognize this as I've checked a number of them in the area, as well as seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed container appeared. The result was nothing but an expensive heap of fire wood as well as a small group of bemused and also now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop in Summit Station, Pennsylvania
Typically these mass produced designs are constructed of quick grown timber - come the first decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a doorway that won't shut, or tearing the door furnishings off in a vain effort to release the squawking occupants. The first warm day implies the hardwood dries out as well as splits, the really felt roofing bubbles and boils, and also come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not due to their disappointment at the decline of their as soon as desirable commercial property yet because the hovel is now a sanctuary for, as well as probably abounding, the chicken keeper's bane, red mite. Add that it said on the blurb that it would match 4 big chickens when that stocking 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 suitable coop for thee to 4 birds ought to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you choose for a free standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large space as well as the pop hole doorway allows sufficient for the type you keep, after that the major requirements of housing boil down to 3 points which will specify the variety of birds your house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. Many types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch must preferably be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off sides so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch should be above the nest box access as chickens will certainly additionally naturally look for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is incidentally when they generate one of the most poo) leading to stained eggs the following day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries can take place when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in small types this is certainly less), plus if greater than one perch is set up in your house they must be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your home ought to have a the very least one nest box for each 3 birds as well as these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your home. Your house ought to have adequate air flow: without it then condensation will accumulate every night, also in the chilliest of weather. Realize, air flow deals with the principle of warm air leaving through a high void attracting cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a collection of openings on contrary walls of your home as well as at the very same level, this is what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed after that the points above are still true, yet you must also think about the run dimension. The EU maximum legal stocking thickness for a free variety bird is (and allow's face it, one of the motivations for maintaining some hens in your home is possibly enhanced or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m settled. Take a close look at a few of the deal homes - it could well be the house has the right perches, right ventilation as well as sufficient nest boxes for an affordable variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? And so as the saying goes, "you get exactly what you pay for". You could assume 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 proper treatment. In the long run your poultry and your chicken keeping encounter will be much the far better for it.diy build
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