Chicken Coops for Sale in Saint Albans, West Virginia
Chicken Coops for Sale in Saint Albans, West Virginia
DIY Pallet Chicken Coop
I like chickens.
A lot.
Maybe because when I was small, I remember walking out to my mother’s chicken house, and gathering eggs…I’m not sure why I like them so much, but every spring I look at the signs that say: “Chicks here!” and want them so badly. We recently got a Murdoch’s Farm & Ranch store in our town. I love Farm & Ranch stores, by the way. Anyways, so when they started advertising ‘Chick Days’, I stopped in a few times to let the kids look at the chicks. At least that was my excuse! It was actually a good excuse for ME to get my chick fix. I have tried 3 times to keep chickens here, and they always get eaten – either by fox, coon, or skunk. I had told myself firmly that it was a waste of time, money and energy to try again. But on the third trip to Murdoch’s, I caved. I got 3 Red Star, 3 Buff’s, and 3 Wyandottes. I like variety. I also was trying to get cold-hardy birds, since they will be living in a drafty coop most of the year. If they survive.
I knew the set-up I had been using was not going to work, so I set out to build me a coop. Now, as you know, I am not a carpenter. I do, however, believe anyone can do anything if they want to bad enough. I think more ‘skill’, and ‘talent’ is in our hard work, than in natural ability. I think anyone can be a musician, great cook, cowboy, writer, or, yes, even a carpenter, with enough learning, perseverance, and hard work. I know certain people can naturally do certain things alot easier than others. But usually its more experience or desire than actual talent.
Case in point: My Cowboy never wanted to be a carpenter. Never enjoyed it. But he is an excellent carpenter. He can build anything, without a plan. And it lasts, believe me. Why is he so good? Because he started when young, and worked with his dad, who taught him all he needed to know, little by little, hard day of work after hard day of work.
Me? Why, I had a dad who despised carpentry, never built anything he didn’t have to, and therefore most of my family is slightly lacking in carpenter skills. (except for a few brothers who actually enjoy it, and learned later. ) So I had no examples, and certainly no help building things. But I have built my first freestanding, semi-solid, totally un-square, sorta-kinda-cute, and totally functional structure! It held my chickies for the first time last night, and despite the multitude of cracks, they (the chicks) are still all there this morning! I hope the critters don’t find a way in – cause I have certainly tried to make it critter-proof, if not weather proof. It does keep out the rain, thankfully, as it rained last night. Here is how to build a coop on the cheap frugal, with minimal zero expertise…
I dug about 24 of these 1×4’s out of the ranch dump. They are from a fallen windbreak, I think. They are 8 ft. each. I had to jerk out about 4-6 old nails out of each one.
Then I got 3 old pallets that were sturdy, and nailed the boards over the cracks. Instant studs! Yay!
I cut out a section of the one pallet for a nest-box entrance, and made a nest box out of scraps I found in the barn.
I missed taking pics of whole sections of the process, but anyways, here it is – the nest box isn’t finished yet, and it need some paint. The roof is longer in the back to help protect the nest box from rain/snow. (that sounds good, anyways…the real reason was because i didn’t want to cut metal, and this piece was basically the right size.)
The front. I did have to frame this, since I just couldn’t wrap my brain around how to cut/fasten a door in a pallet. It was pretty easy, tho. Took me two tries to get the angle right on the door cross-support. Just being honest here.
The inside. here you can see the pallets. I used some corner braces to fasten it to the floor. I couldn’t think of any other way. Didn’t have long enough screws to screw through the oak stringers. Check out my skylight! I wasn’t sure how to build a window, so I found this piece of clear roofing, and it works great as a skylight. Some days I will have to leave them in the coop all day, and I wanted them to get light.
Frank painted it last night. Well, some of it. See the nest box out the back? It missed getting painted, but I will finish it soon. I am quite pleased with my little coop. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but functional, and not totally sloppy-looking. And I didn’t have any help from the master carpenter, aka: My Cowboy. The cord is for the heat lamp, in case you wondered. Its still pretty cold here at night. (30º – 40º)
I was so worried last night, I kept waking and wondering if the fox/coons had found a way in to the coop…I went out this morning and there they all were – hale and hearty. I got that Tom Hanks/Castaway moment of “I can build! I have made a chicken coop!” Ha ha!
I had several things I wanted in my coop. 1. Easy access to the nest box from the outside. Check. 2. Natural light source, so I wouldn’t have to run a light. Check. I have to have a heat lamp, but don’t want to have to run a light when they are grown. 3. Door big enough for an adult to get in, if necessary. Check. 4. Somewhat rustic/cute. Check. 5. Critter-proof. Check. I am satisfied.
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Chicken Coop Easy To Clean in Saint Albans, West Virginia
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Saint Albans 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 Saint Albans West Virginia chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Saint Albans, West Virginia With the big rise in poultry keeping there has been an equally huge increase in the array of fowl materiel for sale. Poultry real estate is an instance in point. It's also a traditional example of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as various would-be fowl real estate experts peddle an array of cottage claiming to be the suitable solution to your chicken housing requirements. Typically the price looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks desirable, heck also the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Undoubtedly they know a professional chicken house when they see one? There are numerous economical and also awful coops flooding the market. I recognize this as I've checked a variety of them in the field, and also seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed pail showed up. The result was only a costly stack of firewood as well as a small group of bemused as well as currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop in Saint Albans, West Virginia
Most of the time these mass produced models are constructed of rapid grown wood - come the very first drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a door that will not close, or ripping the door furniture off in a vain attempt to release the squawking citizens. The first cozy day suggests the hardwood dries and also fractures, the really felt roof covering bubbles and boils, and come nightfall the chickens refuse to enter. This is not due to their disappointment at the decrease of their as soon as eye-catching residential property however since the hovel is now a sanctuary for, as well as possibly abounding, the fowl caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would fit 4 huge hens when that equipping thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and what are you entrusted? A few hinges and also some kindling. A decent coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you around ₤ 300 though this can depend upon whether you choose for a totally free standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large area and also the pop hole door allows enough for the breed you keep, after that the primary needs of real estate come down to three points which will certainly define the variety of birds the house will hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. Most types of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost at night, this perch ought to preferably be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot sits conveniently on it. The perch needs to be above the nest box access as chickens will likewise normally seek the acme to perch. A perch less than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they create one of the most poo) causing dirtied eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens require regarding 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is obviously less), plus if more than one perch is set up in the house they should be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly 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. Ideally your house should have a the very least one nest box for every three birds and also these ought to be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of the house. The house needs to have ample air flow: without it then condensation will accumulate every evening, even in the coldest of weather condition. Be aware, ventilation works on the concept of warm air leaving with a high space attracting cooler air in from a reduced space - it's not a set of holes on opposite wall surfaces of your house and also at the exact same level, this is what's known as a draft. If you have a house with a run attached then the points above are still real, however you must likewise consider the run size. The EU maximum legal stocking density for a complimentary array bird is (and let's encounter it, among the inspirations for maintaining some chickens in the house is potentially boosted or far better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m settled. Take a close check out some of the bargain houses - it could well be your house has the right perches, right ventilation and also enough nest boxes for an affordable number of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? And so as the saying goes, "you get just what you spend for". You may believe you've grabbed a deal, yet you and your flock can rue the day you did. Acquisition the best house and also it will last for a few decades, otherwise longer offered the proper treatment. Ultimately your chicken and also your poultry keeping experience will be considerably the better for it.chick build
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