How to Build a Chicken Coop for less than $400.00

Believe it or not, this will eventually be our new chicken coop.

Right now the chickens are in a very nice barn with an attached run. It has one half for chicken and animal feed, the other half has perches for the chickens and my guinea fowl to sleep.

Why are we going to use an old trailer instead? Because the chicken barn is really nice! So I want hubs to clean it out and use it for storage of such things as snowmobilies, lawn mowers and other large items.

The run can be moved and attached to this trailer. The trailer will be moved to the back corner past where the existing chicken barn is. We have 100 acres so space is not an issue.

Right now hubs is building a door for the new chicken coop. He's gutted the insides and it will make a nice cozy barn for our chickens and guinea fowl. Hubs tries to do everything for free or as cheaply as possible.


The only reason it is so near the house is because hubs needs electricity for his power tools.

If you are thinking of getting chickens you need to build a proper home for them. The book on the left is pretty good with ideas an photos to go with it.

So if you aren't sure where to start, this book might just be for you.

Plastic Made Using Chicken Feathers

Researchers have developed ways to substitute chicken feathers for petroleum in some plastic products, and at least two companies are working to bring items ranging from biodegradable flower pots to office furniture to market.



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Is that a chicken in your pants?

Peterborough Ontario Police say an employee of a No Frills grocery store watched as a man stuffed four packages of chicken down his pants. When the security guard at the store tried to stop him from leaving, the man turned violent and punched him. 31 year old Jessie Adam Johnson is charged with assault with intent to resist arrest, theft and breach of probation.

A number of cockerels have been found dumped in Dunnet Forest in the north of Scotland

The Scottish SPCA is appealing for information after 11 cockerels were abandoned in Dunnet Forest near Thurso.

The dumped birds were reported to the charity by a member of the public on Monday.

Senior Inspector Audrey Gunn said: "When we arrived the cockerels weren't keen on getting close to us so we had to coax them with some bird food.

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Japan poultry farm begins chicken cull

A poultry farm in Japan has started culling about 150,000 chickens after confirming that chickens there had contracted the highly infectious H5 strain of bird flu.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry conducted tests on chickens that had already died at the firm. The dead birds tested positive for H5 bird flu in preliminary testing. This is the fifth outbreak of avian flu at a poultry farm in Japan this winter.

China's ban on Manitoba poultry

China issued an announcement Thursday saying it had banned poultry and poultry imports from Manitoba after an outbreak of bird flu on a turkey farm here was reported last month. But chickens raised for meat are sold to supply the domestic market almost exclusively, the Manitoba Chicken Producers said Thursday. So I guess its a non issue.

FSA issues food poisoning warning over chicken livers

Caterers are being warned to cook chicken liver thoroughly after an increased number of campylobacter food poisoning outbreaks in the last year.

Data provided by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that 11 of the 15 outbreaks recorded this year at catering premises were linked to consuming poultry liver parfait or pâté.



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Chicken Abuse ???

Humane Society of the United States on Wednesday took aim at the largest producer of fresh eggs in the country, releasing images and a report it said documents federal safety violations and inhumane treatment of chickens.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40236758/ns/us_news-environment/

Truck crash scatters chickens

Dozens of chickens were scattered across a Highway in Quebec overnight when a large truck went off the road. The crash happened near St. Mathieu de Beloeil when the truck driver veered off the highway and into a ditch, turning the truck on its side. The truck was carrying crates of live chickens which were thrown across the highway and the side of the road.

Diesel from chicken fat

Tyson Foods Inc. and fuel developer Syntroleum Corp. will announce Monday that they have successfully opened a plant that makes diesel from chicken fat and leftover food grease in Geismar, La., south of Baton Rouge.

Chickens help in battling Alzheimer’s: Part 2

Chickens help in battling Alzheimer’s

This is the final in a two-part series on Russell and LouNell Boyd, and how a large collection of animals – especially their chickens – are used for healing.

LouNell Boyd has chickens – a variety of chickens. To LouNell, it’s more than just a love of feathered friends.

It’s a recommended method of healing, staying active and maintaining a healthy emotional outlook.

“Life has many ups and downs, but how we react to adversity influences not only our own psychological health, but also the quality of life of those who live with Alzheimer’s,” said Russell, LouNell’s husband. “Yes, LouNell has Alzheimer’s, and she is accepting it and living with it, knowing that may one day it may take away a lot of the life she has known.”

Woman finds chicken head in take-out wings order

A woman in Toronto found a chicken head in take-out wings order. The woman allegedly found a deep-fried chicken head in her order of take-out wings from the Wild Goose Bar & Grill in Etobicoke, according to a report in the Toronto Sun. Toronto Public Health officials say as long as the head was properly cooked, there's nothing illegal about selling chicken heads in Ontario.

Huge Egg Recall - Salmonella Poisoning

Write County Eggs has recalled millions of eggs. Salmonella on the shells has sickened many individuals.

Egg brands affected by the recall include: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemp

Infected eggs are in cartons with dates ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413, and 1946.

Do not eat these eggs if you have any. Return them to the store for a full refund.

Gloria's Island Chicken

Got too many meat chickens? Looking for another way to cook one or two? Try Gloria's Island Chicken, mmmmm good!

Cheltenham chicken lays giant egg

A chicken belonging to a Gloucestershire man has laid an egg double the normal size.

Jeremy Power, from Cheltenham, said his hen Rainbow produced the egg on Saturday.

"Sadly it's not a world record, ours comes in at about 130g (4.6oz) whereas there are eggs on record of 160g (5.6oz), " he said.

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Perdue Farms recalls 90,000 pounds of chicken nuggets

Perdue Farms is recalling 91,872 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets because some of the products may contain pieces of plastic, the company said Tuesday.

The recalled products - 50,688 packages in total - have a "best if used by date" of June 9, 2011. On the back of the packages appears the numbers 89008A, 0160 and P-33944.

Free range chicken eggs contain more dioxin

Eggs from free range chickens contain nearly six times more of the toxic chemical dioxin than eggs hatched by caged hens, a Taiwanese study has found.

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Chicken myth #4 - It is expensive to start raising your own chickens

Chicken myth #4 - It is expensive to start raising your own chickens.

Well expensive is a relative term. Whats may seem expensive for some people may not seem expensive for others. And it depends on where you live and how many chickens you want. But in general it is not expensive and if you use a little ingenuity you can start with out spending much at all. Just remember that all chickens need is shelter from the elements, predators, and a little food and water. They do not need a fancy house and expensive water and food dispensers. So keep it simple.

What's the name for an old chicken?

What is the name for an old chicken?

Chicken Myth #3 ~ It is cheaper to buy eggs in the store than raise your own.

Chicken Myth #3 ~ It is cheaper to buy eggs in the store than raise your own.

Wrong. Having a few hens for eggs can save you a little bit of money. However it is true that for the average family it will not save you a great deal of money. If the only reason you are thinking about getting a few chickens is to save money on eggs then it is probably not worth it. However their are lots of other great reasons for raising chickens.