Chicken Coops for Sale in Whitmire, South Carolina
Chicken Coops for Sale in Whitmire, South Carolina
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 And Run For Sale in Whitmire, South Carolina
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Whitmire South Carolina" 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 Whitmire South Carolina chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Whitmire, South Carolina With the substantial increase in poultry maintaining there has been a similarly huge surge in the variety of poultry materiel for sale. Poultry housing is an instance in factor. It's additionally a traditional example of the great old bandwagon being got on as numerous prospective poultry housing experts market a variety of lodging asserting to be the ideal option to your chicken housing demands. Typically the price looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks desirable, heck even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they recognize a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous low-cost as well as unpleasant coops swamping the marketplace. I recognize this as I've checked a variety of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed container appeared. The outcome was only a pricey pile of fire wood and a tiny flock of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Small in Whitmire, South Carolina
Usually these mass produced versions are created of fast grown up lumber - come the initial decline of rain they swell, leaving you either blockading a door that won't shut, or ripping the door furnishings off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking citizens. The very first warm day means the hardwood dries out and also fractures, the felt roofing system bubbles and boils, and also come nightfall the chickens refuse to enter. This is not because of their disappointment at the decrease of their once attractive commercial property but considering that the hovel is currently a haven for, as well as possibly abounding, the fowl caretaker's bane, red mite. Add that it said on the blurb that it would certainly match 4 large hens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and exactly what are you left with? A number of joints and also some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you around ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a free standing house or one with a run affixed. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a big space and also the pop opening door is big enough for the breed you keep, after that the major demands of housing come down to 3 points which will certainly define the variety of birds the house will hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. The majority of breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch should preferably be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off edges so the foot rests comfortably on it. The perch should be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will certainly likewise naturally search for the acme to perch. A perch less than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they generate the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the following day. They shouldn't however be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries might take place when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in small types this is undoubtedly much less), plus if more than one perch is set up in your home they must be more than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their next-door neighbors however are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your home needs to have a the very least one nest box for each 3 birds and also these should be off the ground and also in the darkest location of the house. Your home needs to have ample air flow: without it after that condensation will build up every evening, also in the coldest of weather. Understand, ventilation works with the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high void drawing cooler air in from a lower space - it's not a collection of openings on opposite walls of your house as well as at the exact 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 real, however you should also take into consideration the run dimension. The EU optimum legal equipping thickness for a cost-free range bird is (and also allow's encounter it, one of the motivations for maintaining some hens in the house is potentially boosted or much better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m settled. Take a close look at some of the deal homes - it could well be your house has the ideal perches, appropriate air flow and also adequate nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? And so as the claiming goes, "you obtain just what you spend for". You could assume you've got a deal, but you as well as your group could rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house and it will last for a few decades, if not longer given the correct treatment. Eventually your chicken and your fowl keeping experience will certainly be much the much better for it.plans coop
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