The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: newlypigged on August 13, 2010, 08:55:21 pm
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Myself and a couple of friends are going to spend tomorrow in the barn Building Chicken coops in the hope to start breeding some rare british breeds for next year. What i did not know was how exspencive wood and wire is, does anyone have any ideas on how to get these any cheeper. Also do you know where i could start looking for some good rare breeds. I already have orps rhodeys and one black rock, i would like some Jersey Giants,Hamburgh, Ixworth, Dorking, and Sussex just to start with lol. I live in Norfolk so if anyone could help it would be well appreciated. Thanks.
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we have . American buckeye - aracuna lavender -
cochin silver cuckoo - croad langshan bantam- dorking silver red white-
duck aylesbury cayuga chilean teal red crested pochard mandarin - geese
hawaian red breasted -hamburg gold laced. -indian game blue
laced. -ixworth. -jersey giant blue. -orpington buff choc lavender black
gold laced. -pekin lemon cuckoo lavender partridge red buff black lavender
cuckoo. -plymouth rock barred. -polish millefleur. - rhode island red. -
quail japanese chinese californian. - silkie white black red red bearded
gold blue.-sablepoot gold lemon. - vorwerk. - wyandotte silver gold laced. -
pheasant gold yellow lady amhurst.just get the eggs in 12 and hatch the stock you wont and then sell the incubater [email protected]
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google building coops from pallats,if you can get hold of any bit time consuming but decent wood and usually free or really cheap.
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unfortuneately wood prices have gone through the roof and it is hard to get good wood at a cheap price, i would agree pallets is a good idea and any other scraps, also i would try your local timber merchant/saw mill/joinery workshop they will almost certainly have timber which is no use i.e offcuts, damaged timber or just old stock that cant be sold, if they dont give it away it will no doubt be cheaper than what you would normally pay. in the joinery workshop where i work we are always chucking away timber that no doubt would be very useful to people like ureself. good luck with your adventure ;) :chook:
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The more cracks,splits and joins you build into a coop the more problems your going to get with red mite.
The more difficult it is to get in and clean it the less likely you are to do a proper job when it needs cleaning.
The time it takes to build a coop from scrap timber is more often than not much longer than from some decent stuff.
I use 2x2 and exterior plywood. I know it's more expencive, but it looks better and lasts longer than a coop made from pallet timber scrap.
I have a place not far from where I live that they make pallets and sell the timber they use for £60 a trailer load..it makes really good firewood :D