50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens: Chicken Coops, Brooders, Runs, Swings, Dust Baths, and More!
168
50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens: Chicken Coops, Brooders, Runs, Swings, Dust Baths, and More!
168Paperback
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Overview
Buying a chicken coop can be a major expense. Follow the steps provided in the book to retro fit an existing structure into a chicken palace fit for the fanciest hens. Brooders, grow out pens, and chicken runs can easily be pulled together and give your feathered family a safe place to scratch and peck.
- If your chickens want fun activities, create boredom busters with the directions for a chicken swing, dust bath, outdoor roosts, front porches, and resting perches.
- Are you planning to raise your own sustainable flock? Building a nesting box area fit for the best broody is included.
- You can even set up a maternity ward and brooder pen in the coop.
- Dropping boards to dust baths, feeding stations to first aid, read and learn the simplest ways to provide the infrastructure and fun that your chickens need to grow and thrive.
After all the project building, and chores are done, treat your flock to a delicious seasonal recipe with one of the recipes included.
From beak to talon, you're ready to tackle the needs of your flock with 50 DIY Projects you can create on a limited budget. Let's get started!
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781510731752 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Skyhorse |
| Publication date: | 07/17/2018 |
| Pages: | 168 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Preface vii
Foreword ix
Introduction xii
Terms and Materials xvi
Tools xvii
Chapter 1 Chick Needs 1
Setting up the Brooder 1
Adding to the Brooder Environment 5
Tiny Roost Bar for the Chicks 6
Brooder Ideas 7
Storage Tote Brooder 7
Chicken Wire Brooder 10
Water Trough Brooder with Security Cover 13
Pallet-Style Brooder 14
Work Bench or Table Brooder 18
Chapter 2 Intro to Chicken Coops 21
Points to Remember When Renovating or Building 23
Tractors and Moveable Coops 24
Lumber-Framed Rectangle-Style Chicken Tractor with Attached Coop 25
Fixer-Upper Chicken Coop 31
PVC Chicken Tractor 32
Dropping Boards, Dropping Areas, Nest Boxes, Roost Bars, and Perches 35
Nest Boxes 37
A Frame for Nest Boxes 38
Nesting Box Curtains 39
Roosting Bar 40
Outdoor Roosts and Resting Perches 42
Feeders and Waterers 43
PVC Pipe Feeder 43
Bucket Feeder or Waterer 46
Variation on Bucket Waterer 47
Storage Tote Feeder 47
Rain Gutter Feeder Trough 48
Chapter 3 Nutritional Supplements for Your Chickens 51
What Supplements Are Good for the Flock? 51
Calcium 51
Grit 53
Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (B.O.S.S.), Mealworms, and Grubs 53
Probiotics 54
Probiotic Apple Cider Vinegar 54
Fermenting Chicken Feed or Grains 55
How to Offer Supplements to the Flock 57
Supplement Server 58
Soda Bottle Supplement Feeder 60
Chapter 4 Herbs and Forage Planters 63
What Are the Best Herbs for Chickens? 63
Herbal Snack Bar Wall Hanging 70
Small Pallet Border Gardens for Chicken Runs and Yards 73
Chapter 5 Chicken Run 75
Set up Predator-Resistant Fencing 75
Controlling Mud in the Chicken Run 78
Front Porch for the Coop 79
Natural Features for Shelter in the Run 82
Raised Feeding Platform for Food or Water 82
Chapter 6 Activities and Boredom Busters 85
Swings 85
Perches 85
Chicken Jungle Gym 86
Cabbage Piñata! 87
Pallet Snack Bar 87
Dust Bath Areas 87
Shade 90
Security and Fencing 92
Chapter 7 First Aid 95
Signs That a Chicken Is Unwell 95
Early Care Is Essential! 96
Chicken First Aid Kit 96
Household Products for Common Ailments 98
Herbal Sale for Healing Chicken Wounds 100
Drawing Salve 102
Hen Saddles 103
DIY Hen Saddle 105
Chapter 8 Basic Coop Maintenance 109
Installing a Box Fan 109
Installing a Heat Lamp for Chicks 109
Checking for Proper Ventilation 110
DIY Coop Air Conditioner 110
Cleaning Chicken Water Containers 112
Herbal Vinegar Coop Cleaner 113
Managing Chicken Manure and Coop Waste 115
Building a Compost System 117
Build a Three-Bin Compost Center 118
Other Types of Compost Bins 120
Chapter 9 DIY Chicken Feed for Laying Hens 123
How Much Feed Does My Chicken Need? 124
Sprouted Whole Grains for Chicken Food 125
Chapter 10 Treats for the Flock 129
Treats for Hot Weather 129
Whatever Floats Your Watermelon Boat 129
Treats for Cold Weather 130
Storing Pumpkin in the Freezer 130
Stuffed Pumpkin 131
Treats for Molting Season 132
Corn Cob Treats 133
Molting Care Flock Block Recipe 134
Treats for Broody Hens 135
Egg Bake with Herbs for Hens 136
Final Thoughts 141
Acknowledgments 143
Art Credits 145
What People are Saying About This
“In 50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens , Janet Garman offers a wide variety of projects with clear, step-by-step instructions. With budget-friendly suggestions for upcycling and using materials you already have on hand, you can spoil your birds without breaking the bank. Her homespun style and love of chickens shine through on every page.” —Laurie Neverman, Common Sense Home
"When we first started keeping chicken on our homestead, it was a confusing time with quite a bit of money spent on items which were not needed to raise a healthy happy flock. Janet's book provides practical and environmentally friendly DIY tips while being budget friendly! This is a great book for new chicken keepers, as well as for seasoned ones who are looking for creative new ideas on how to modify existing builds. The projects and tips listed here are ones that every chicken keeper will need over the course of raising poultry, and for that I am thankful it was written." —Ann Accetta-Scott, A Farm Girl in the Making, www.afarmgirlinthemaking.com
"If I could be an animal, I’d choose to be a chicken as long as I could play, roost, nest, and eat on Janet’s farm. Janet knows chickens! If you had only one book about raising chickens, this gorgeously photographed and step-by-step illustrated book is for you. Janet makes it easy, inexpensive, and oh, so doable to keep chickens. Personally, I can’t wait to get started building Janet’s Jungle Gym and Herbal Snack Bar Wall Hanging for my chickens. Janet’s book is a must-read for everyone who its thinking about keeping chickens and the experienced chicken farmer. 50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens is the best Chicken book I have ever read!
Stacy Lyn Harris" —Author, Game and Garden.com
"From bringing your chickens home, to keeping them healthy and well, this book isn't just about building projects, it's an exceptional resource for raising your chickens from the moment you bring your chicks home to the time they begin laying! Every DIY chicken keeper should have this beautiful resource on their bookshelf!" —Amy K. Fewell, The Homesteader's Herbal Companion , and Founder of Homesteaders of America
"For years Janet has provided a wonderful resource with her blog, giving incredible advice for keeping your chicken flock healthy. We are so excited that she has created such a beautiful book that compiles amazing chicken keeping advice, alongside all of these wonderful DIY projects, that she has made into easy to understand steps that anyone can do! Every chicken keeper will learn a lot from this book, but we love how it addresses the 'tricks of the trade' that it would normally take beginners years of trial and error to figure out on their own." —Brittany May & Penny Ausley, Happy Days Farm, http://www.happy-days-farm.com/
"Practical, comprehensive, profusely illustrated, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, 50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens: Chicken Coops, Brooders, Runs, Swings, Dust Baths, and More! is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal and community library collections." — Midwest Book Review