Chicken Coops for Sale in Riverton, West Virginia
Chicken Coops for Sale in Riverton, West 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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Chicken Coop For Sale in Riverton, West Virginia
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Riverton 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 Riverton West Virginia chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Riverton, West Virginia With the massive increase in chicken keeping there has actually been a similarly huge surge in the array of fowl paraphernalia for sale. Fowl housing is a situation in factor. It's additionally a traditional example of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as numerous would-be poultry housing specialists market a variety of cottage declaring to be the suitable solution to your chicken real estate requirements. Frequently the rate looks desirable, the house looks attractive, hell even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Undoubtedly they know a professional chicken house when they see one? There are many affordable as well as awful coops swamping the market. I recognize this as I've examined a variety of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run straight via one when the feed bucket showed up. The outcome was nothing but a pricey stack of fire wood as well as a tiny group of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Baby Chicks in Riverton, West Virginia
Usually these standardized versions are constructed of quick grown timber - come the initial drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a door that won't shut, or ripping the door furnishings off in a vain effort to release the squawking citizens. The initial cozy day means the timber dries out and also cracks, the really felt roof bubbles as well as boils, and come nightfall the chickens refuse to enter. This is not because of their frustration at the decrease of their once desirable property however considering that the hovel is currently a place for, and probably abounding, the fowl caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add on the fact that it claimed on the blurb that it would match 4 large chickens when that equipping density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you entrusted? A number of joints and also some kindling. A good coop for thee to 4 birds ought to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this can depend upon whether you elect for a cost-free standing house or one with a run connected. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large space and also the pop opening door is big sufficient for the breed you keep, after that the main demands of real estate boil down to three factors which will define the number of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. A lot of breeds of chicken will perch when they go to roost at night, this perch needs to preferably be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off sides so the foot sits easily on it. The perch needs to be above the nest box entry as chickens will also normally search for the acme to perch. A perch less than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is incidentally when they generate the most poo) bring about soiled eggs the list below day. They should not however be so high off the floor of the house that leg injuries can occur when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in little types this is certainly less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in the house they need to be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably the house should have a the very least one nest box for every single 3 birds as well as these should be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of the house. Your house must have sufficient air flow: without it then condensation will build up every evening, also in the coldest of weather. Be aware, air flow works on the concept of warm air leaving with a high gap drawing cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a set of openings on opposite walls of your house as well as at the exact same level, this is exactly what's called a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the factors above are still true, but you need to likewise take into consideration the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful equipping thickness for a totally free range bird is (and allow's face it, among the inspirations for maintaining some hens in the house is perhaps improved or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m squared. Take a close consider some of the bargain houses - it could well be your house has the ideal perches, proper ventilation as well as adequate nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, yet 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 exactly what you spend for". You may think you've grabbed a bargain, yet you and also your flock might rue the day you did. Acquisition the best house and also it will last for a few decades, if not longer provided the appropriate therapy. In the end your poultry and also your chicken keeping encounter will certainly be a lot the far better for it.diy coop
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