With the uncertain times that we all live in currently a lot of people are starting to look at the different ways they can start to become self sufficient. One of the more popular ways is for people to have a backyard chicken flock. Yes, it is a lot easier than what people imagine, but it is also an initial cost outlay for a lot of people. Some people are able to easily afford the cost of the new lifestyle, but others have a lot of questions on if the cost outlay is worth it or if they can save money somehow. One of the more expensive cost outlays comes when you decide to get chickens and have to buy chicken coops. That led me to look at Amish built chicken coops to see if they are really worth the cost to help guarantee a steady supply of fresh eggs.
Experience In Building Chicken Coops
This may sound a little odd to say, but if you have been to any Amish farm and to a certain extent their homes they almost all seem to have a small flock of chickens running around. Well, you can imagine that the Amish tend to have some form of a shelter for the chickens and no they do not always use the barn like you would think. Well, that tends to mean the Amish, especially the builders, tend to have quite a bit of experience at building chicken coops. This experience and building expertise tends to carry over to the products they are selling to you.
Quality Of The Materials Used In The Amish Built Chicken Coops
As you can imagine with the different jobs the Amish have in their communities some of them are running their own wood mills. These mills tend to make the boards that are used by the Amish community to build their structures. Well, the wood that is used in these mills varies quite a bit, but it is all high quality and any pieces that would be deemed as a second tends to be moved and rejected. This means the wood that is used in building the chicken shelters are only top notch and that makes it quite a bit easier for you to rest knowing the materials used are quality products and long lasting.
Durability Of The Amish Built Chicken Coops
The chicken coops are made of wood and I know that means that overtime the chicken coops will break down and not be as long lasting as what you would like. However, with the live animals you cannot use any form of treated lumber and definitely not for your birds as they will peck at the wood and can get sick from the wood. With the Amish built chicken coops, though, because of the wood that has been used in the process and the strict quality control that is followed the coops, even when they are made out of wood, tends to be more durable than what you find in commercially available coops.
Check Out Some Available Chicken Coops Here
Predator Protection
Predators are a major concern for a lot of people as they can easily break into your chicken coop or chicken run area and completely destroy your flock. With that being the case, you need to realize that some of the Amish built chicken coops tend to have more of the predator concerns in mind. Now, this may come from thicker boards, proper protection on the windows, but also the materials that are used tend to be more towards the type that will help to keep the predators at bay and away from the coop. In some cases you may notice the Amish coops use high quality board and batten type of construction.
Proper Ventilation
Ventilation is one aspect that you can overlook when you buy a chicken coop. You may think that the door and the nest boxes will provide the ventilation that you need for your coop. However, that is not always the case. If you think about it like this the animals tend to produce quite a bit of ammonia when they are leaving their waste behind. Well, if not properly ventilated out of the coop it will make it very difficult for the animals to breath and even hurt your lungs when you are checking on your animals. With the Amish built chicken coops they tend to have the roof vent as a standard features, but also the windows as well that are properly protected from the weather conditions.
Nesting Boxes Are Properly Sized
While you may have the dream of just walking outside and getting your eggs out of the coop, this is not always the case. In fact, if you dream of that from your backyard chicken flock, chances are you could end up stepping on eggs. With the nesting boxes that are properly sized for your birds and in the proper position in the chicken coop the bids will lay the eggs in the box and make it easier for you to gather the eggs each morning.
So the key question that we started off with is if the Amish built chicken coops are worth the price. Well, the answer is it really depends what you are comparing the coops to. The coops that are built commercially are often mass produced and while they do have quality control it may not be at the same level you expect. Not to mention a lot of times the mass produced coops tend to follow the blueprints that are given to them and followed right away. The Amish coops are often adapted to your specific needs, but also to what your animals need to have. So, yes the Amish built chicken coops tend to cost more money, but the quality and the care put into the building of these coops definitely make it easier for me to say if you can afford the Amish coops they are worth it. Find more of our self sustaining articles like gardening and recipes today.