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Chicken Coops for Sale in Hoquiam, Washington

Chicken Coops for Sale in Hoquiam, Washington

How To Set Up Your Chicken Coop

Often when people buy chickens from us they’ve never owned poultry before therefore I usually find myself explaining the basics of operating a healthy and effective coop. As I grew up on a farm much of it is second nature but many city folk are unsure of just whats involved. The easiest and quickest way to get the message across is to take them on a tour of our back section to see how everything in our coop has be arranged.

The important aspects I talk about are:

Feed …

Because chickens grow so fast I use larger feeders as soon as possible. If you are raising them from day one there are feeders available that have been designed to cover the first couple of weeks. After that one on an adjustable rope works well as its just a matter of raising the height from time to time as the chickens grow. To get the best results it needs to be kept high enough to be accessible but not too low as to allow litter and droppings to be scratched into it. As can be seen in the photo above an off cut of PVC down pipe with holes drilled through it works well as a cheap grit feeder. Commercial feeds normally have grit added however I wonder if its sufficient as our hens regularly go through a 2 kilo bag of crushed oyster shell. 

Feeding guide …

Day old to 6 -8 weeks … chick starter crumbles. 8  – 14 weeks … pullet grower or similar. 14 weeks onward … regular chook feed. 18 – 20 weeks or just prior to the commencement of laying … oyster shell grit.

Don’t over do the kitchen scraps as the nutritional value from these is fairly low. If they are fed as a substitute for a properly balance diet egg production will suffer.

Water

Its important to have a plentiful supply of good clean water at all times. Hens don’t drink much at anyone time but they do drink often and even more so during spring and summer when air temperatures increase. I always leave the coop door open when our hens free range as they can get cool water whenever they need it. Hens drinking dirty contaminated water from containers and puddles is a recipe for disease.

If its not clean enough for you to drink you shouldn’t give it to your hens.

As shown above I prefer to used a fixed water container as the hanging versions leak and spill water when knocked. Its easily removed for cleaning and is installed in such a way to prevent debris getting into it.

Perches …

Chickens have a natural instinct to perch therefore it important to provide good sturdy perches. The ones in our coup are about 5cm square and have the sharp edges taken off to make them more chicken friendly. Tree branches of a similar diameter also work well if they are reasonably straight. The perches shown above are approximately 50cm and 80cm above the floor however I set them at lower levels when I first introduce 3 to 4 week old chicks. They should be fixed securely to the coop walls whilst being easily removable for cleaning.

Even when I have day old chicks under lights I provide perches as its a habit that I want them to learn as soon as possible because it makes my job so much easier. There’s no space on my daily to do list for cleaning dirty nesting boxes and eggs. Perch space per bird should be about 20cm.

Without suitable perches hens will perch on what ever is handy namely nesting boxes, feeders and the like or they will crowd into a corner of a coop. The end result will be a hard mound of droppings which will ultimately end up in feathers on claws then into nesting boxes and subsequently onto eggs. Correctly positioned perches eliminates crowding, flighty hens, dirty eggs and ensures your hens will be more relaxed and manageable.

Like all females of the species they need to be pampered. My other half constantly reminds me that I pay more attention to our Flora’s that I do to her. Its not true of course !!

Nesting boxes …

For me keeping hens is all about egg production therefore when we I invested extra time and effort into creating workable nesting boxes.

    • One nesting box for every 4 hens, wonder why sometimes as they all seem to lay in the same box.
    • Easily accessible for me from the outside.
    • Easily accessible for the hens from the inside.
    • Removable for easy cleaning.
    • Spacious … 40cm height x 40cm width x 40cm depth or thereabouts.
    • Weather proof.
    • 10cm lip at the front to keep shavings and eggs in.

When introducing young chickens I keep the boxes closed off until near the time when they will start laying. This is to ensure that they use the perches rather than sleeping in and fouling the boxes. As mentioned previously this means only one thing, dirty eggs.

Deep litter …

We use a deep litter system as it makes for easy maintenance and reduces the need to be continually cleaning chicken manure out of the coop. Simply put the floor is covered with a 10cm layer of untreated wood shavings which is raked over every few days.  A more detailed explanation of this concept can be .

Access – easy and straight forward …

  • Human sized entry, applicable if you need a large coop.
  • Removing old litter is almost effortless, especially when I have to work the camera !
  • Predator proof entry- exit.

A user friendly coop ensures that keeping hens doesn’t become just another unwanted chore so build or buy wisely.

Chicken coops for sale in Hoquiam Washington can be found in agricultural newspapers and community newspapers. The coops are designed for housing for chickens in a safe and secure environment. They generally consist of a small building or large box that is then sectioned off to smaller boxes where the chickens go to roost (or sleep). Chicken coops are a must for raising chickens. Hoquiam Washington chicken coops are commonly constructed from wood products. They are not very stable buildings and provide only minimal protection from the elements. Now chicken houses used for large production facilities are a entirely different structure, they are huge and can hold up to 10000 chickens. The coops are typically used for backyard operations, or small family farms. They vary in size depending on the number of residents they house. chicken-coops-in-Hoquiam-WAFinding chicken coops for sale in Hoquiam Washington is probably not one of the easiest of items to find. There are manufacturers of chicken houses and coops that sell them out right and Hoquiam Washington farm supply stores that they can also be purchased through, but generally speaking it will take some effort to find a chicken coop for sale in Hoquiam Washington, especially if your location is not a typically rural location. In rural locations that are much more abundant and easily had. Chicken Coops for sale in Hoquiam WA

Chicken Coop For Sale in Hoquiam, Washington

A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Hoquiam Washington" 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 Hoquiam Washington chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Hoquiam, Washington With the huge boost in chicken maintaining there has been an equally large increase in the variety of poultry stuff for sale. Chicken housing is a proceedings in factor. It's additionally a classic example of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as different potential fowl housing experts market an array of accommodation asserting to be the optimal remedy to your chicken housing requirements. Commonly the rate looks appealing, your house looks eye-catching, heck also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Surely they know a top quality chicken house when they see one? There are many inexpensive and also unpleasant cages flooding the market. I know this as I've examined a variety of them in the area, and also seen a ewe run directly with one when the feed pail showed up. The outcome was just an expensive heap of fire wood as well as a little flock of bemused and now homeless bantams. Chickens for sale in Hoquiam WA

Chicken Coop Reviews in Hoquiam, Washington

Typically these mass produced models are created of fast grown up wood - come the first decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a door that won't close, or ripping the doorway furniture off in a vain attempt to release the squawking residents. The initial cozy day means the wood dries out and also cracks, the felt roof bubbles and boils, and also come nightfall the chickens refuse to go in. This is not as a result of their frustration at the decrease of their as soon as eye-catching property but considering that the hovel is now a sanctuary for, and probably crawling with, the poultry caretaker's bane, red mite. Add that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly fit four large hens when that equipping thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as exactly what are you left with? A few hinges and some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you around ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you choose for a complimentary standing house or one with a run connected. Presuming you are varying your birds in a large space and the pop hole doorway allows enough for the breed you maintain, then the major requirements of real estate come down to three factors which will certainly define the variety of birds your house will hold; perches, nest boxes and also air flow. The majority of types of chicken will perch when they go to roost during the night, this perch should preferably be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off edges so the foot rests conveniently on it. The perch should be above the nest box entry as chickens will likewise naturally seek the highest point 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 one of the most poo) causing stained eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is clearly much less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in the house 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 in front. Preferably the house ought to have a least one nest box for each three birds and also these ought to be off the ground and in the darkest location of your home. Your house needs to have adequate air flow: without it after that condensation will certainly build up every evening, also in the chilliest of weather condition. Know, air flow works with the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high space attracting cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a collection of openings on opposite wall surfaces of your house and at the exact same level, this is exactly what's known as a draft. If you have a house with a run connected then the points above are still real, however you must likewise consider the run size. The EU maximum legal stocking thickness for a free variety bird is (and also allow's encounter it, one of the motivations for keeping some chickens in your home is perhaps enhanced or much better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m settled. Take a close consider several of the deal houses - it could well be your house has the best perches, appropriate air flow and ample nest boxes for a practical number 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 stating goes, "you get what you spend for". You could believe you've grabbed a deal, yet you and your flock could possibly rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and also it will last for a couple of years, otherwise longer provided the right therapy. Ultimately your chicken as well as your poultry keeping experience will be much the far better for it.
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