Chicken Coops for Sale in Wilmington, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in Wilmington, Vermont
Adventures in Country Living at Shalom Engedi Farm
We've been raising meat chickens for a few years now and each year we've learned a few things to add to our list of disasters and a few to add to our triumphs.
Let me explain how we started. A few years ago when we lived in the city we built the worlds most expensive chicken coop. You can read about it . In many ways it was fabulous - for 6 chickens. When you get a few more - like 50 meat birds - it won't do at all.
Every summer that we've had chickens at the farm they've been in different pens. We would solve one problem by making a change the next year only to create more problems we didn't anticipate. The first year we used the only pen we had available in the barn but it was a little small for the 60 chickens that lived in it. We figured they would be outside most of the time anyway and it WOULD BE FINE. Leaving the feed in their pen at all times was also a mistake as it caused them to grow too fast. We didn't get the chicks until September which meant they needed 8 weeks to grow to full size which also meant we were getting into wintery weather by the time they left. Oh dear - can you say chicken poop? They were the laziest chickens you ever saw. They hated going outside even though we chased them outside every day. They just sat and got fat and pooped. End of story. By the time they were ready for the butcher we were REALLY happy to get rid of them because the coop was impossible to keep clean. Without enough exercise and with too much food they got so big they had leg problems too so we lost a few birds in the process.
Fast forward to the next spring when we had the great idea to build them a huge pen. You can read about that . It was such a good idea except now we couldn't get them to gain weight because they got TOO MUCH exercise. They didn't have any leg problems though!. After a few extra weeks of feed before we brought them to the butcher we ended up with really yummy but rather scrawny birds. Sigh* I don't think we got close to breaking even when we sold them that year.
So - lets try that again!!! We recently purchased an old dog kennel through Kijiji - it's 5x15 feet and made of chain link with a good sturdy door. We know from our past coops that Overkilled Fort Knox is the way to go. There can be NO WAY for animals to get in or reach in.
We started by wiring the chain link fencing on far more securely than it was originally - we wanted to keep a dog (and others) OUT! We used two 4 foot pieces of hardware cloth on the ground and zip ties to connect them together - slightly overlapping the pieces. This provides a strong bottom so predator animals can't dig under the coop.
Then we wrapped the top edge of the kennel with 3 foot wide hardware cloth - attaching it with zip ties as well. The bottom section is a full sheet of lattice. It covers the hardware cloth on the top and is connected with zip ties again to the frame and the hardware cloth that makes up the floor. The roof is plywood sheets cut to fit so there is a 6 inch overhang ( 4 sheets cut to 6 feet each - the roof is 6 feet wide and 16 feet long) We cut an old tarp to size and stapled it on top. We were going to have the tarp overhang and peg it to the ground but it made the interior too dark. It took some creative cutting to fill in all the little spaces around the door to create a tight fit but with enough space that we could still open the door.
After adding shavings and a waterer we had to solve the problem of feeding 50 starving chickens at once without them killing each other in the process. They get pretty excited when they're hungry. We have multiple feeders but they never seemed enough. I solved the problem by purchasing a new 10 foot eaves trough with ends and screwed some 1 foot pieces of an old 2x4 across the bottom to act as feet - I used four pieces. When it's situated in the middle of the coop the chickens can access it from both sides and finally there is room for everyone to eat. The coop is bright and airy and doesn't smell bad at all...of course I am not really an expert on that subject! There is great air flow, plenty of space but not too much space and it's a safe place for them to spend the night. We also built the coop within sight of the kitchen window so I can keep an eye on them. In past years we let them free range as far as they wanted to - but sometimes they didn't come back. Our losses were just too great so this year they are kept in a large fenced area. They still have access to plants and bugs and sunshine but they don't disappear as someones lunch! So far this year we haven't lost any birds to predators. We also situated the coop in the shade of several large trees. Meatie birds are not that smart and sometimes when it's really hot they will lay in the sun and die of dehydration before they get up and get a drink. | The rake in the picture is my Chicken Encourager - I use it to gently encourage the chickens to leave the coop! |
The fencing we used is something we've also used to fence our vegetable garden. The material is a plastic mesh that comes in 50 foot rolls for less than $15.00. The posts are a little pricey but since they can be easily moved and re-used we thought it was worth it. You may be wondering why the fence is so short - it's only two feet tall. The fencing comes in three foot height as well but the due to a problem in the pricing for the fence posts it was more economical to buy the two foot fencing instead. We've found that our meat birds grow so fast that they don't fly very well. Occasionally one gets out but they never go far and the fence is more to contain them than to keep them safe from predators.
This coop is not going to be used in the winter - it's a little too airy for subzero temperatures but it could be modified in a pinch. Necessity is the Mother of Invention they say! If you can get a good deal on a kennel and shop around or use what you have already have you can make a similar coop and have the fencing like this for under $450.00. If all goes well it should pay for itself this summer and last for many years. The chickens seem to like their new digs and are growing well! Three tries and I think we got it right!! 
Chicken House in Wilmington, Vermont
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Wilmington Vermont" 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 Wilmington Vermont chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Wilmington, Vermont With the huge increase in poultry keeping there has actually been a just as huge rise in the variety of poultry paraphernalia for sale. Poultry real estate is a situation in factor. It's additionally a traditional example of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as different would-be fowl real estate experts peddle a selection of cottage asserting to be the excellent option to your chicken housing requirements. Typically the cost looks appealing, the house looks desirable, heck even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Certainly they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of low-cost and also unpleasant coops swamping the market. I recognize this as I've checked a number of them in the field, and seen a ewe run straight through one when the feed bucket appeared. The outcome was only a pricey pile of fire wood and also a tiny group of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop For Sale Near Me in Wilmington, Vermont
More often than not these standardized designs are built of fast grown up wood - come the initial drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that won't close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain effort to launch the squawking residents. The first warm and comfortable day means the hardwood dries and splits, the felt roof bubbles and also boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not due to their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their as soon as appealing building yet considering that the hovel is now a haven for, and most likely crawling with, the fowl caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly suit 4 large hens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and just what are you entrusted? A few joints and also some kindling. A good coop for thee to four birds need to cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run affixed. Thinking you are varying your birds in a large space as well as the pop hole doorway is big enough for the type you maintain, after that the major requirements of housing come down to 3 points which will certainly specify the number of birds your home will hold; perches, nest boxes and air flow. Most types of chicken will perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off sides so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch should be above the nest box access as chickens will likewise naturally search for the highest point to perch. A perch below that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce the most poo) bring about soiled eggs the following day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries might occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is undoubtedly less), plus if greater than one perch is set up in your home they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their next-door neighbors but are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your home must have a least one nest box for each three birds and also these ought to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your home. The house must have adequate air flow: without it then condensation will certainly develop every evening, also in the coldest of climate. Understand, air flow deals with the principle of cozy air leaving with a high space attracting cooler air in from a reduced space - it's not a set of openings on other walls of the house and at the very same degree, this is what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run connected after that the points above are still true, yet you ought to also consider the run dimension. The EU optimum legal equipping density for a totally free array bird is (and also let's encounter it, one of the motivations for maintaining some hens in your home is perhaps boosted or better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close look at several of the bargain homes - it could well be the house has the right perches, appropriate ventilation and ample nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you get what you pay for". You might believe you've grabbed a bargain, however you and your group could possibly rue the day you did. Acquisition the appropriate house as well as it will certainly last for a couple of years, if not longer given the proper treatment. Ultimately your poultry as well as your chicken keeping experience will certainly be considerably the better for it.chick chicken
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Franklin, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in Burlington, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in Charlotte, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in Putney, Vermont
Chicken Coops for Sale in West Burke, Vermont