Using a Metal Barn to Raise Chickens

Elephant Structures has long been a part of the business of farmers. We think farming is something integral to the fabric of our great country, and livestock goes hand in hand with that. Our barns are used by many for common property storage like vehicles, farm equipment, or general excess property from your home. On farms, most people have several different structures on their property, some that are used to store feed, tractors, tools, and things of that nature, other buildings are usually reserved as shelters for livestock. If you’d like to continue the tradition in your own way, or are simply looking to add livestock to your property then chickens are a great way to start. We’ve got some information below on where to start and how to prepare. First, you’re going to need to take a look at metal buildings. However, let’s take a few steps back and approach this from the appropriate angles.

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Raising chickens is great whether you’re a farmer or simply have some extra land you’d like to utilize. In my experience, freshly laid eggs are a no brainer when compared against store bought eggs. My grandmother used to show the yolks of eggs from her chickens next to those from the supermarket and the difference is striking in appearance alone. The taste and nutrients are even more so.

Starting from scratch, you’ll need a coop. Within the coop you’ll need a place for the chickens to feed and drink. It’s always good to have a little more than you need in this area for caution. Rationing is necessary, but it’s extremely important to know that you need more than you think you do. The coop needs to be bigger than you initially need as well. This isn’t a problem when dealing with metal barns, but keep in mind the square footage of whatever building your customizing/ordering.

In general you’ll need about three square feet per chicken so they aren’t crowded and have a comfortable area to socialize with the other chickens. Many farmers swear that more space for your chickens to roam and populate gives them the peace of mind as well as mental and physical health to produce good healthy eggs.

The feed needs to be directly correlated to the amount of chickens you have. Typically you’ll be spending around twenty bucks per 50 pounds of feed so if you’re starting use that as a control reference.

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When it comes to returns, know that you’ll probably be collecting eggs year around daily or even twice a day depending on how prolific your chickens will be. You’ll also need to be shoveling there manure about as often all year around, but that can go into a compost pile or repurposed as fertilizer. Due to the daily requirements you’ll need to prepare in advance if you’re leaving the farm for a certain amount of time. Taking care of chickens is work, but it doesn’t have to feel like it. They’re fun little animals and can be a real joy to work with.

Also, when thinking of space outside of your coop you need to maintain an outside area where the chickens can get sunlight and fresh air. The coop will be where they spend a lot of their time but allowing them to go outside freely within a fence will help you immensely in terms of keeping them healthy and getting a good return of eggs. Chicken wire fencing is cheap and can be installed usually within an afternoon depending on how many chickens and how large the area is. If you’re first starting out we recommend you go with a smaller amount of chickens and possibly a rooster. After some time and you get your footing you can expand on your own. Just remember you’ll have to work to keep your new chicks warm. Getting an incubator is a worthy investment but a heater you carefully maintain can do just that with the help of your mother hens.

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What Kind of Chickens Go In Your Metal Barn Coop?

Choosing the right chicken is important, but it’s not as important as the resources they require to be healthy and produce good eggs. There are a ton of different breeds of chickens to be found here in the states with very little effort and knowing which one to pick can be a little daunting. You needn’t worry, we’ve got some suggestions below on the best chickens to choose.

Choosing the Chicken

Some of the most popular breeds people keep are as follows:

  • The Silver-Laced Wyandotte
  • Rosecomb
  • Redcap
  • Silkie
  • Showgirl
  • Russian Orloff

The best thing to do is find out which breeds are the temperament and production rate that you require or desire. Each chicken has their set of stats, if you will, in regards to social ability, need for space, rate of production, etc. Find a breed you like the look of as well. I can say from experience, some chickens are extremely easy to get a long with and even have their own quirks and personalities you might enjoy. You can get to know your chickens by reading about them as much as you can simply being around them. After you’ve gotten to know your chickens you may be able to make choices on breeding them, getting more, or selling them off to get a different breed of your dissatisfied. My grandmother made it a personal goal of hers to try out different breeds and their eggs as a hobby within the chicken keeping hobby she has kept for years and years.

There are definitely some more important aspects of chickens that you’ll want to keep in mind, such as which climates they thrive in, their noise level, and how often they reproduce. All in all the main thing is to find the right chickens to suit your personality, and place yourself around chickens of that same type to see if it’s a good fit. Just remember back whenever you got your first dog or pet, and then imagine all the things you learned about responsibility from taking care of that first pet. Then, extrapolate that towards a group of chickens and take in the necessity of picking the right breed with a level head. If you’re just starting to keep livestock, take it slow and simple and know that it’s important to have fun as well!

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Getting Your Chicken Coop From Elephant Barns

A metal barn is a great way to house any livestock, from cows, chickens, horses, to deer, ostrich and plenty more. We’ve been surprised many times by what farmers have chosen to use our metal barns for, but we can testify that many of them have had great success with our metal barns as coops. We hope that the information above has at least raised your interest in regards to livestock, as it’s a great hobby and respected profession. Give us a call about customizing your metal barn or check out our website builder. All of our buildings come with free installation and delivery and can be manufactured usually within a day in case you’ve counted your chickens before the coop arrives!

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