Chicken Coops for Sale in Webster, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Webster, Pennsylvania
Our Finished Chicken Coop
These past few days had us outside enjoying the beautiful weather. One of the jobs I crossed off the list was to clean out our new chicken coop.
Because of our over the past year or so, our family was going through several dozen eggs a week. (I can’t help it – I’m hooked on !)
So last summer we quit “planning” to get our own chickens, and actually did it. The whole family pitched in to build a little abode for our egg-laying beauties. And because we were first-time chicken owners and newbies in all chicken-related topics, we joined and gleaned months worth of ideas, do’s and don’ts, and building plans. (I can’t recommend this site highly enough! If you have the slightest inclination of doing chicken anything, go here and read to your heart’s content.)
It was so helpful to see photos and designs when we were in the planning stages, I thought I’d share pictures of our coop and the hows and whys of what we did.
The chicken coop
Instead of starting from scratch, we bought a small granary from my brother-in-law; about 9’x7′ inside measurements. This gave us about 3 sq. ft. per bird. The coop is nothing fancy really. It isn’t visible from the road and we don’t live in town with neighbors to care about the view from their back window, so we used as much scrap material as possible. Plus we didn’t think the chickens would mind.
So far they haven’t rebelled.
We re-tinned the roof (that’s my honey!) and I got to use the saw sawl to make holes for the windows and vents. You can call me Mrs. Handyman. . .
Inside the chicken coop
Framing the windows and vents was the most time consuming part since the building wasn’t square. We used insulation and vapor barrier for the walls for added moisture protection and warmth because the windchill can get -40 below or more in the winter.
We made the roosting boards parallel and the same height because apparently hens will act like old biddies and fight for the top most board. (Some people’s kids. . .)
We rounded the edges of the roosting boards so it’s easier on the hens’ feet. The boards can be removed for ease of cleaning the poop boards underneath.
Poop boards seemed quite popular among chicken peoples and we’ve quickly learned why. First, chickens poop more when roosting, so the roosting boards are placed above the poop board. This makes clean up as simple as buying a wide sheetrock mudding tool and scraping the droppings into a bucket each day. We then add the droppings to our compost pile.
We originally built a rollaway community nesting box directly underneath the poop board, but the chickens ended up laying eggs everywhere but there. Eventually we added a ‘normal’ set of 12″x12″x12″ nesting boxes and they’re happy campers again.
We decided to use the deep litter method. We spread a bag of wood chips on the floor and because the hens leave most of their droppings on the poop boards, there’s minimal waste on the floor. The chickens like to scratch and fluff the wood chips so it gets stirred up and aerated. This means the coop is less smelly, and there’s only a few minutes of daily cleaning of the boards. If needed, you can add more wood chips throughout the year.
We clean the coop out fully in the spring and fall. So far it’s worked wonderfully.
We nailed a board across the doorway to prevent the rising litter from falling out every time we opened the door.
The feeders are gravity fed. They’re made of PVC pipe with a 90 degree corner and a cap at the end. We like that we can leave for several days at a time and don’t have to worry about having someone come out to do chicken chores for us.
This water stand was Travis’s idea. The hens have a platform to stand on so no matter how high the litter gets, they can reach the water comfortably.
The chicken nipples underneath are another idea shared by BYC that I LOVE. The water doesn’t drip, there is no poop or mud to worry about, and our full grown hens figured it out within 24 hrs. The pails are covered with lids to prevent the water from getting dirty and it lasts for at least a week (we add apple cider vinegar).
When we’re home, we clean them out and give them fresh water every few days.
There’s electricity on the wall above the waterers with a timed light switch. We use bird bath heaters to keep the water from freezing during the winter. We had to add the slanted plywood because the hens were roosting on the pails. (I told you they fought for highest roosting privileges.)
The pop door is a simple design, and it works great. It slides up and down, held in by L shaped boards.
When in the closed position, the hook and eye on the right prevent racoons (or children!) from trying to lift the door from the outside.
We used 1/2″ x 1/2″ hardware cloth to cover the insides of the windows and vents. . .
. . .and plexiglass for the actual windows.
We made sure to have plenty of vents (thanks to sage advice from Pat’s Ventilation Page) and used eyes and rope to open and close them at different heights.
Finally, we added a small lean-to to the side so the hens could come out in the winter. This helps block snow drifts right in front of the pop door, and they can still come out for fresh air and sunshine when they get cabin fever.
It might not win a beauty contest – but there’s something to be said for function-ability Hope this gave you some ideas!
What have you done to your chicken coop? We’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions!
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Chicken Coop Pictures in Webster, Pennsylvania
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Webster 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 Webster Pennsylvania chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Webster, Pennsylvania With the substantial increase in poultry keeping there has actually been a similarly big rise in the range of fowl materiel on sale. Fowl real estate is a case in factor. It's also a classic instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as different potential poultry real estate experts pitch a variety of accommodation declaring to be the suitable option to your chicken housing needs. Often the cost looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks eye-catching, heck even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Surely they understand a professional chicken house when they see one? There are several inexpensive and horrible cages flooding the marketplace. I understand this as I've checked a variety of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run straight via one when the feed container appeared. The outcome was nothing but a pricey pile of fire wood and a little group of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop And Run For Sale in Webster, Pennsylvania
Typically these mass produced models are built of quick grown up timber - come the very first drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a doorway that won't shut, or ripping the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking inhabitants. The initial warm and comfortable day means the wood dries and fractures, the really felt roof covering bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the hens choose not to enter. This is not due to their dissatisfaction at the decline of their once eye-catching property yet due to the fact that the hovel is currently a haven for, as well as possibly crawling with, the chicken caretaker's bane, red mite. Add that it stated on the blurb that it would suit 4 huge hens when that stocking density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as exactly what are you entrusted? A few hinges as well as some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this can depend upon whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are varying your birds in a large space and also the pop hole door allows enough for the type you keep, then the main requirements of housing boil down to three factors which will certainly define the variety of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. The majority of types of chicken will perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch needs to ideally be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off sides so the foot sits conveniently on it. The perch ought to be more than the nest box access as chickens will certainly also naturally try to find the highest point to perch. A perch below that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they create one of the most poo) bring about stained eggs the following day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries can occur when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is certainly much less), plus if more than one perch is set up in your home they ought to be more than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors but are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally your home needs to have a the very least one nest box for every single three birds and also these should be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of the house. Your home must have sufficient ventilation: without it after that condensation will build up every evening, also in the chilliest of weather. Realize, air flow works on the principle of warm air leaving via a high void attracting cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a collection of holes on opposite walls of your home and also at the same level, this is just what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the factors above are still real, yet you must likewise consider the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful equipping thickness for a free range bird is (and also let's encounter it, among the inspirations for keeping some hens in your home is potentially boosted or much better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m settled. Take a close consider several of the bargain residences - it could well be your home has the ideal perches, appropriate ventilation and sufficient nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you get just what you spend for". You might believe you've got a deal, yet you and your group could possibly rue the day you did. Acquisition the appropriate house and it will last for a few years, if not longer provided the right therapy. Ultimately your chicken as well as your poultry maintaining encounter will certainly be considerably the much better for it.diy coop
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