Chicken Coops for Sale in Giddings, Texas
Chicken Coops for Sale in Giddings, Texas
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.
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Chicken Coop For 4 Chickens in Giddings, Texas
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Giddings Texas" 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 Giddings Texas chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Giddings, Texas With the massive increase in poultry maintaining there has been an equally big surge in the range of fowl paraphernalia for sale. Poultry housing is an instance in point. It's also a timeless instance of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as different potential fowl housing experts peddle a selection of lodging claiming to be the suitable remedy to your chicken housing requirements. Frequently the rate looks eye-catching, your house looks attractive, hell even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look appealing. Definitely they know a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are several economical and awful coops swamping the market. I know this as I've examined a variety of them in the field, and seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed bucket showed up. The result was only an expensive stack of fire wood and a tiny flock of bemused and currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Kits For Sale in Giddings, Texas
Most of the time these mass produced models are constructed of fast grown up hardwood - come the very first decline of rain they swell, leaving you either defending a door that won't shut, or tearing the door furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking citizens. The first cozy day suggests the timber dries out as well as fractures, the felt roof bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the hens refuse to enter. This is not as a result of their frustration at the decline of their once desirable apartment however since the hovel is now a place for, and probably crawling with, the poultry keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add the fact that it claimed on the blurb that it would suit four large hens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and just what are you left with? A couple of hinges as well as some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds need to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you elect for a free standing house or one with a run connected. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a huge area and also the pop opening doorway allows sufficient for the breed you maintain, after that the main requirements of real estate boil down to 3 factors which will define the variety of birds the house will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. A lot of breeds of chicken will perch when they go to roost at night, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off sides so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch ought to be higher than the nest box access as chickens will likewise naturally seek the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they generate one of the most poo) leading to stained eggs the list below day. They should not however be so high off the flooring of your house that leg injuries might happen when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is clearly much less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in your home they must be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors yet are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your home should have a least one nest box for every single three birds and these ought to be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of your house. Your home must have adequate air flow: without it then condensation will certainly develop every night, also in the chilliest of climate. Be aware, air flow works on the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high void drawing cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a set of openings on other wall surfaces of your house as well as at the very same level, this is exactly what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still real, however you ought to likewise think about the run dimension. The EU maximum legal stocking density for a complimentary variety bird is (and allow's face it, one of the inspirations for maintaining some chickens in the house is possibly enhanced or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close take a look at a few of the bargain homes - it could well be the house has the ideal perches, correct ventilation and adequate nest boxes for an affordable variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the claiming goes, "you obtain what you spend for". You may assume you've grabbed a bargain, however you and your group can rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and it will certainly last for a couple of years, otherwise longer given the correct therapy. Ultimately your chicken and also your chicken maintaining encounter will certainly be a lot the far better for it.coops build
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