Chicken Coops for Sale in Crab Orchard, West Virginia
Chicken Coops for Sale in Crab Orchard, West Virginia
A Recycled Chicken Coop – Part 2
Yesterday I about how we picked the old building to remodel into our chicken coop. We also started building the run but the ground froze before we could get all the posts set. Ah the joys of a Wisconsin winter! Since we couldn’t work on the run any more, we moved on to the building itself. I’m a list/classify kinda gal so I like to think of the work in phases.
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 1: Destroy
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 2: Rebuild
Recycled Chicken Coop Phase 3: Details
So we jumped right in with Phase 1. We slipped on some face masks and gloves, grabbed the snow shovel and started cleaning up the raccoon poop and broken pots. We also removed the two old broken windows. The third window was in good shape so we left it. (And by “we” I mainly mean Josh. I forget where I was, but I’m sure it was very important to miss such a fun time.) I arrived on the scene just in time to take a photo. (Hmm, maybe I was out buying a camera since this is now in the ANC time period: After New Camera.)
Once we got it all relatively nice and clean, we made a huge mess by ripping the cardboard wall coverings down. It was pretty yucky because the board had gotten wet and was a little soggy and gooey.
Next we pulled down all the old siding on two walls of the building. Most of it was rotten and in pretty rough shape. We even removed the door because of the raccoon pet door (AKA: huge hole) in the bottom.
Before
After
Everybody helped!
Both sides done
And with that, Phase 1: Destroy! was completed.
Now we move on to Phase 2: Rebuild. We scored two big storm windows off Craigslist for $10 each so Josh built frames for them. Here we are testing the first one to make sure it fits. Being newbies at this sort of thing, it’s always hit or miss. Sometimes we amaze ourselves and sometimes, well, it ain’t pretty. So we held our breath and fit it into place.
Success! Sometimes we can read a tape measure! (And in case you are wondering, yes it is on backwards. My dad pointed that out as soon as I showed him this photo. I’d like to say that we knew that but, um, we didn’t. We thought it wouldn’t matter but for drainage purposes you shouldn’t just turn them inside out. Live and learn, right?)
So we removed the test window and then covered the two bare sides with tar paper that is normally used for roofing. Now, I’m not sure if that is exactly what we should have used (again, newbies!) but I got it from someone on Freecycle for FREE so that’s what we went with. (I also got a few bundles of shingles with the paper. We need to re-shingle another building here on the homestead. Gotta love Freecycle! If you don’t know about it, check it out .)
After cutting out the windows and door areas from the black paper, we went shopping on the homestead again, this time for siding. Now, our lives would have been easier if we just went to a real store and bought something new. But in the interest of money-saving and world-saving, we wanted to use whatever we could from the farm. We had two buildings to work with. First was the old chicken coop and the second was an old building behind the barn. A previous owner had already removed the siding from one wall of building so we figured we could too.
The result of previous siding shopping trips
What we removed
I don’t know how we would have done it without our little nail puller. Even though it took us a long time, it was worth it. Not only did I save some money, but I am glad that these buildings were able to still be useful. Both the old chicken coop and the building in the photos were part of the original homestead over 100 years ago. They have the remains of plaster and molding in them. You can see where stairs and woodstoves once sat. It’s easy to imagine a child climbing the stairs to their bed in the loft or a woman cooking over the big stove in the center of the room. Since their glory days, they have been used as houses for chickens, hogs and lambs. That kind of rough life has taken it’s toll on the buildings.
The old farmhouse where the stairs once led up to the loft
It makes me sad that they have gotten so rundown so I’m glad that we can make them useful again, even if it is only in a very small way.
The next two weekends were spent taking down siding from the old buildings, cutting them for the new coop and putting them up.
Our workstation - professional looking isn't it?
We had to work around the snowstorms but we finally got it done! Once we permanently installed the windows, it looked like a REAL building! Imagine that. We were pretty proud of ourselves since we really had no clue what we were doing.
Our "new" siding and windows
That concludes Phase 2: Rebuild! (If only it were that simple and quick in real life.) And since you’re probably on photo overload, I’d better conclude this post for today. But I’ll be back tomorrow with Phase 3: Details. See you then!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Chicken Coop For 4 Chickens in Crab Orchard, West Virginia
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Crab Orchard West 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 Crab Orchard West Virginia chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Crab Orchard, West Virginia With the huge increase in chicken keeping there has been a just as big increase in the variety of chicken materiel for sale. Chicken housing is an instance in factor. It's also a traditional example of the good old bandwagon being got on as various potential fowl housing experts pitch a selection of accommodation asserting to be the excellent remedy to your chicken real estate requirements. Often the price looks appealing, the house looks desirable, heck even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Surely they know a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous economical as well as unpleasant cages swamping the market. I understand this as I've examined a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed container showed up. The outcome was nothing but a costly stack of firewood and also a little flock of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Pictures in Crab Orchard, West Virginia
Typically these mass produced designs are built of fast grown up lumber - come the very first decrease of rain they swell, leaving you either defending a doorway that will not shut, or ripping the door furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking residents. The very first warm day indicates the timber dries and cracks, the really felt roof bubbles as well as boils, and come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decline of their when desirable property but considering that the hovel is currently a haven for, and also possibly abounding, the poultry caretaker's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would suit 4 large chickens when that stocking density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and just what are you entrusted? A few hinges and some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds ought to cost you around ₤ 300 though this can depend upon whether you elect for a totally free standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large area as well as the pop hole door allows enough for the breed you maintain, then the primary demands of real estate boil down to 3 points which will certainly define the variety of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and air flow. Most types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch should preferably be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off edges so the foot sits conveniently on it. The perch ought to be above the nest box entrance as chickens will also normally look for the highest point to perch. A perch lower than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they create the most poo) bring about dirtied eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the floor of the house that leg injuries could happen when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in little types this is certainly less), plus if more than one perch is set up in your house they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors but are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally the house must have a least one nest box for every 3 birds and also these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your home. Your home should have appropriate air flow: without it then condensation will certainly accumulate every evening, also in the coldest of climate. Understand, air flow deals with the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving with a high void drawing cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a collection of openings on opposite walls of the house and also at the very same level, this is just what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the factors above are still true, yet you need to additionally think about the run dimension. The EU optimum legal stocking density for a free range bird is (and also allow's face it, among the inspirations for maintaining some hens in the house is perhaps enhanced or much better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m settled. Take a close check out some of the deal residences - it could well be the house has the ideal perches, appropriate ventilation and also sufficient nest boxes for a practical number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? And so as the claiming goes, "you get what you pay for". You may assume you've grabbed a deal, but you as well as your flock could rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house and it will certainly last for a couple of decades, otherwise longer given the appropriate treatment. In the end your poultry as well as your poultry maintaining experience will be considerably the much better for it.coops chicken
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