Chicken Coops for Sale in Livingston, Wisconsin
Chicken Coops for Sale in Livingston, Wisconsin
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 Coop For Sale Near Me in Livingston, Wisconsin
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Livingston Wisconsin" 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 Livingston Wisconsin chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Livingston, Wisconsin With the huge increase in poultry keeping there has actually been an equally huge increase in the variety of poultry stuff on sale. Fowl real estate is a proceedings in point. It's also a timeless example of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as various potential fowl housing experts pitch a selection of lodging claiming to be the excellent remedy to your chicken real estate demands. Typically the rate looks appealing, your house looks eye-catching, heck even the clean-cut household standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Surely they recognize a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are numerous affordable and nasty coops flooding the marketplace. I recognize this as I've checked a number of them in the field, and also seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed bucket showed up. The outcome was just a pricey heap of fire wood and also a small flock of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Necessities in Livingston, Wisconsin
Most of the time these standardized versions are created of rapid grown up hardwood - come the initial decrease 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 very first cozy day indicates the hardwood dries out and also splits, the really felt roofing bubbles and boils, and come nightfall the chickens refuse to go in. This is not due to their disappointment at the decrease of their when appealing building however due to the fact that the hovel is now a place for, and also possibly crawling with, the chicken keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it claimed on the blurb that it would certainly suit 4 big hens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you entrusted? A couple of joints as well as some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you around ₤ 300 though this can depend upon whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run affixed. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a large room as well as the pop opening door is big sufficient for the type you keep, then the major demands of housing boil down to 3 points which will certainly define the variety of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. The majority of types of chicken will perch when they visit roost at night, this perch should ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot rests easily on it. The perch ought to be more than the nest box entrance as chickens will likewise normally search for the highest point to perch. A perch below that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce the most poo) causing soiled eggs the following day. They shouldn't nevertheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries can happen when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens need about 20cm of perch each (in small types this is certainly less), plus if greater than one perch is set up in the house they ought to be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally your home needs to have a the very least one nest box for each three birds and these need to be off the ground and in the darkest location of the house. Your home ought to have ample air flow: without it then condensation will build up every evening, also in the coldest of weather. Know, air flow works with the principle of warm air leaving through a high gap attracting cooler air in from a lower space - it's not a set of openings on opposite walls of your home as well as at the same degree, this is exactly what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed after that the factors above are still real, yet you ought to also think about the run dimension. The EU maximum legal equipping density for a cost-free variety bird is (as well as allow's encounter it, among the inspirations for maintaining some hens in the house is perhaps boosted or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m made even. Take a close consider several of the bargain houses - it could well be the house has the right perches, appropriate ventilation and ample nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you obtain exactly what you pay for". You could think you've got a deal, however you and your flock could possibly rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and also it will last for a few years, if not longer provided the right treatment. Ultimately your chicken as well as your poultry keeping experience will be much the far better for it.chickens chick
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