Chicken Coops for Sale in Waltersburg, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Waltersburg, Pennsylvania
Make a Thrifty DIY Swingset Chicken Coop
Do you have one of those old A-shaped swingsets rusting in your backyard? If you do, then you have the basis for an awesome swingset chicken coop! (And if you don’t, watch Craigslist – there are frequently people offering them for free to whoever comes to pick them up.) Creativity is key .
When we moved recently we had to leave our wonderful chicken coop behind, since it was attached to the barn. While I drooled over some of , I’m on a pretty tight budget so it was important to use items that I could acquire either cheap or free. Luckily, the house we moved to had some pretty interesting stuff in a shed and an old rusty swingset in the woods.
I don’t have a lot of construction skills but the guy who put up my fence does, and luckily, he was on board with my wacky, freebie-scrounging ideas.
For the price of some labor, some hardware, some chicken wire, and a fancy-dancy hanging chicken waterer, I got a snazzy new coop that keeps my chickens safe and sound.
Here’s what we used:
- A swingset with the swings removed
- 2 pieces of corrugated metal on the top 3/4 plus a strip of it over the top to help weather proof
- Some sheets of plywood for the bottom back of the coop
- A piece of chain link fencing for the bottom in order to keep out predators
- Some old pieces of fence posts for the bottom of the coop to attach the chicken wire and chain link to
- Some lumber for the door
- Chicken wire (It was cheaper than from my local store)
If you’re making a scrounged chicken coop, be creative and see what you components you can find for cheap or free. Because most of the items used were found, this isn’t as much a how-to as it is something to inspire you. Here are some photos so you can see how my coop was assembled.
The Scoop on my Swingset Chicken Coop
The door is very heavy, which adds a layer of security against critters that might try to get in during the night. During the day, I use a bungee to hold the door open in the event of wind so no chickens get squashed. (They’re at the door because they know they’re either getting food or getting out.)
There is also a heavy duty double hinged latch that I fasten with a carabiner at night for an added layer of security. (.)
The bottom is covered with a piece of chain link fencing that is attached to the boards that form the bottom edge of the coop.
My biggest splurge is this hanging 5 gallon water dispenser. It stays much cleaner raised a few inches off the ground, only needs to be refilled every few days, and I used the exisiting hook for a swing to hang it from. (You can – it is a lower price than it was at my local feed store.)
Here’s the interior of theswingset chicken coop. The chickens like to roost on the cross bars on each end, and there is an extra bar from an old closet that was also installed. I used some cubbies from my previous garage for nesting boxes. (I probably should have taken the interior pic before I put the chickens in here to poop on everything. Of course, anyone who has chickens knows that a coop only looks clean for about 10 minutes.)
The coop in all of its glory. I’ll be painting the plywood soon to make it a little prettier.
Thor, our LGD, is happy to follow the chickens around and protect them because he realized they’re like little feathered Pez dispensers, dropping nice little egg treats around the yard for him to enjoy. I lock them in the coop a couple of days per week and that gives us more than enough eggs for our needs. The rest of the eggs get scattered around the yard for a doggie version of an Easter egg hunt. Thor’s a little skinny so the added fat will do him good. You can see him licking his dog lips in the photo below.
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Baby Chick House in Waltersburg, Pennsylvania
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Waltersburg 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 Waltersburg Pennsylvania chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Waltersburg, Pennsylvania With the big increase in chicken keeping there has actually been an equally big increase in the range of fowl stuff for sale. Chicken housing is a proceedings in point. It's likewise a timeless instance of the good old bandwagon being jumped on as various would-be chicken housing professionals pitch an array of holiday accommodation asserting to be the ideal option to your chicken real estate demands. Typically the cost looks appealing, the house looks desirable, hell also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Certainly they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of economical as well as nasty coops swamping the market. I recognize this as I've checked a variety of them in the area, and also seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed pail showed up. The outcome was only an expensive stack of firewood and also a tiny group of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Yard Design in Waltersburg, Pennsylvania
More often than not these mass produced designs are created of fast grown lumber - come the initial drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either barricading a doorway that will not shut, or tearing the doorway furniture off in a vain attempt to release the squawking residents. The first warm day indicates the hardwood dries and splits, the felt roof covering bubbles and boils, and also come nightfall the hens choose not to enter. This is not due to their disappointment at the decline of their as soon as attractive home yet considering that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, and also possibly crawling with, the fowl caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would suit 4 huge hens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you entrusted? A couple of joints and also some kindling. A decent coop for thee to four birds ought to cost you around ₤ 300 though this can rely on whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a large space as well as the pop opening door allows enough for the breed you maintain, then the major needs of real estate boil down to three factors which will certainly define the number of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. Most breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost during the night, this perch should ideally be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off sides so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch must be more than the nest box access as chickens will certainly also normally 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 produce the most poo) bring about soiled eggs the following day. They shouldn't however be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries could possibly take place when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in little types this is obviously less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in the house they must be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors but are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably the house should have a the very least one nest box for each 3 birds and these ought to be off the ground and also in the darkest area of your home. The house must have adequate air flow: without it after that condensation will certainly develop every night, also in the coldest of weather. Know, ventilation works on the principle of warm air leaving via a high space drawing cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of openings on opposite walls of the house and at the very same level, this is just what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed after that the factors above are still true, however you need to also take into consideration the run dimension. The EU maximum lawful equipping density for a free range bird is (as well as allow's encounter it, one of the inspirations for keeping some hens in your home is potentially enhanced or far better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m settled. Take a close take a look at some of the deal residences - it could well be your home has the right perches, appropriate ventilation and also sufficient nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you get just what you pay for". You might assume you've got a bargain, yet you and also your flock might rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and also it will certainly last for a few years, otherwise longer given the proper treatment. In the long run your fowl and also your fowl keeping encounter will certainly be much the far better for it.diy for sale
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