Chicken Coops for Sale in Oakhurst, Texas
Chicken Coops for Sale in Oakhurst, Texas
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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Chicken Coop Kit For 6 Chickens in Oakhurst, Texas
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Oakhurst 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 Oakhurst Texas chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Oakhurst, Texas With the massive increase in chicken maintaining there has actually been an equally large rise in the variety of poultry paraphernalia for sale. Chicken housing is a situation in point. It's additionally a traditional example of the excellent old bandwagon being jumped on as numerous potential chicken real estate specialists market an array of lodging declaring to be the ideal remedy to your chicken real estate demands. Usually the price looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks attractive, hell also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Undoubtedly they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous low-cost and nasty coops swamping the marketplace. I know this as I've examined a number of them in the field, and also seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed pail appeared. The result was nothing but an expensive heap of firewood as well as a little group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Basics in Oakhurst, Texas
Typically these standardized designs are built of rapid grown up hardwood - come the first drop of rain they swell, leaving you either blockading a doorway that will not close, or ripping the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking citizens. The initial warm and comfortable day indicates the lumber dries and also splits, the really felt roof covering bubbles and boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not as a result of their dissatisfaction at the decline of their when desirable building yet due to the fact that the hovel is currently a haven for, and most likely crawling with, the poultry keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly match four huge chickens when that equipping density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also just what are you left with? A couple of joints as well as some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds need to cost you around ₤ 300 though this can rely on whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run connected. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a huge area and the pop hole doorway is big enough for the type you keep, after that the primary demands of housing boil down to 3 factors which will certainly specify the number of birds your home will hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. The majority of breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost at night, this perch must preferably be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot sits conveniently on it. The perch needs to be above the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly also normally try to find the highest point to perch. A perch below that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they create one of the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the following day. They shouldn't however be so high off the flooring of your house that leg injuries might occur when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in tiny breeds this is clearly much less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your home they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably your house ought to have a least one nest box for every single 3 birds and these need to be off the ground and in the darkest location of your house. Your home needs to have sufficient ventilation: without it after that condensation will certainly develop every night, also in the chilliest of climate. Be aware, air flow deals with the principle of cozy air leaving via a high gap attracting cooler air in from a lower space - it's not a set of openings on contrary wall surfaces of your house and also at the very same degree, this is what's referred to as a draft. If you have a house with a run affixed then the factors above are still real, but you need to likewise think about the run size. The EU maximum legal equipping thickness for a free array bird is (and also let's encounter it, one of the inspirations for keeping some hens at home is perhaps enhanced or better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m settled. Take a close take a look at a few of the deal homes - it could well be your house has the ideal perches, right air flow and enough nest boxes for a sensible variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for". You might assume you've grabbed a deal, however you and your flock might rue the day you did. Acquisition the right house as well as it will last for a couple of decades, if not longer given the appropriate treatment. Ultimately your chicken as well as your fowl maintaining encounter will certainly be much the far better for it.diy plan
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