Chicken Coops for Sale in Concord, Virginia
Chicken Coops for Sale in Concord, Virginia
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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Baby Chickens For Sale in Concord, Virginia
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Concord Virginia" 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 Concord Virginia chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Concord, Virginia With the substantial rise in poultry maintaining there has been a just as big increase in the array of poultry paraphernalia for sale. Poultry real estate is an instance in point. It's additionally a traditional example of the great old bandwagon being got on as different prospective fowl real estate specialists peddle an array of cottage asserting to be the optimal solution to your chicken housing needs. Frequently the rate looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks eye-catching, hell even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several cheap as well as unpleasant coops flooding the market. I know this as I've tested a variety of them in the field, and seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed container showed up. The outcome was just a pricey heap of firewood as well as a small group of bemused and also now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop For Sale in Concord, Virginia
Generally these mass produced designs are built of fast grown lumber - come the initial decline of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that won't shut, or ripping the doorway furniture off in a vain effort to release the squawking inhabitants. The first cozy day implies the hardwood dries out and fractures, the felt roofing system bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decline of their when appealing home however due to the fact that the hovel is now a place for, and also most likely crawling with, the poultry caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on that it said on the blurb that it would certainly suit 4 huge hens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as what are you entrusted? A number of hinges and some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you around ₤ 300 though this could depend upon whether you choose for a cost-free standing house or one with a run connected. Presuming you are varying your birds in a large area and the pop hole door is big enough for the type you maintain, after that the primary requirements of housing come down to 3 factors which will specify the number of birds your house will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. Most breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off sides so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch ought to be above the nest box access as chickens will additionally naturally try to find the acme to perch. A perch below that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is incidentally when they produce one of the most poo) bring about stained eggs the list below day. They should not nevertheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries could possibly happen when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens require regarding 20cm of perch each (in little types this is obviously much less), plus if more than one perch is set up in the house they must be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably the house should have a least one nest box for every three birds as well as these need to be off the ground and in the darkest area of your house. Your home needs to have adequate ventilation: without it then condensation will certainly accumulate every evening, also in the chilliest of climate. Be aware, ventilation works with the principle of warm air leaving through a high void attracting cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a set of openings on contrary walls of your home and also at the same degree, this is what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the points above are still true, however you ought to additionally take into consideration the run size. The EU maximum lawful equipping density for a cost-free variety bird is (and let's face it, one of the inspirations for keeping some hens in the house is perhaps enhanced or better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m squared. Take a close check out several of the deal houses - it could well be the house has the right perches, proper air flow as well as adequate nest boxes for an affordable variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the claiming goes, "you get just what you spend for". You could assume you've grabbed a deal, but you and also your group could rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and also it will certainly last for a couple of years, if not longer given the correct therapy. In the long run your fowl as well as your poultry maintaining experience will be much the better for it.coops plans
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