Chicken coops plans

Your chicks are on order and the brooder tub is all set up and ready for them. Now you just need a place to put them when they’re ready to move outdoors. You need a chicken coop, a henhouse, a chicken tractor — but which one? And how big should it be? Can you convert an old shed to a chicken coop?

Decide on Management Method

The type of coop you choose depends on whether the chickens will live full-time in it, have access to an outside run or all of the great outdoors, or whether it will be a movable coop that can be relocated frequently for fresh ground.

Decide on Square Footage

You will then need to determine the amount of space you need for the number of chickens you have. One especially important consideration is how many chickens you plan to keep on an ongoing basis. You might want to build on the large side, allowing for new baby chicks either bred or bought, or for future flock expansion.

If your birds will have access to an outdoor run, you’ll want to allow for a minimum of 2-3 square feet per bird inside the coop, and aim for about 4 square feet per bird in the run. The higher you can go, the better, though. If your birds will be cooped all winter (chickens don’t like to go out onto snowy surfaces), allow for 5-10 square feet per chicken. For birds that will be completely confined in a chicken tractor without an outdoor pen, give a minimum of 5 square feet per bird. These are just general guidelines. The bigger the chicken, the more space it needs – so meat birds in general require more space than laying hens, and full-grown pullets need more space than baby chicks. Most annoying chicken problems like pecking and aggressiveness can be cured with more space, so plan for as generously-sized a coop as you can fit or afford.

Consider Which Features You Need

Chicken coops vary from a very simple floorless wooden box with chicken wire surrounding it and a piece of roofing on it, to some digs that are more spacious than some human habitats! There are so many options, and it can seem daunting to choose a design.

If you are an urban or suburban homesteader, you may need to consider aesthetics and security of the flock (from escaping into neighbors’ gardens) more highly than those in a rural setting. There are many plans for chicken coops that look attractive. Sometimes they have a whimsical design aesthetic.

If you have laying hens, they will need one nest box or one square foot of community nesting space per 4-5 hens. Most laying chickens like to roost. A good rule of thumb is 6-10 inches of roosting space per bird. Roosts should be at least 2 feet off the ground, as should nest boxes. Nest boxes should be about 1 foot square, or “community” nests should have at least one 9 by 12 inch opening every 20 square feet of nest space.

Roosts can be as simple as a ladder fastened to the wall at an angle, or twigs attached to the walls of the coop. Milk crates or plastic tubs lined with shavings or straw make fine nest boxes; just attach them to a shelf or to the wall directly.

Coops and tractors must have ventilation, so that gases from birds’ respiration and poop don’t build up inside. Chickens love shade, so a coop and run should include shady spots. Areas where hens can dust bathe is a nice addition. This can be as simple as a box filled with dirt or sand if there isn’t a spot on the floor of the coop. Hens with access to outdoors will find places for their dust baths. In winter, my hens just pick a clean spot somewhere in the coop, usually a corner.

Decide Whether to Reuse, Build or Buy

Do you have a doghouse or shed that can be repurposed into a coop? Don’t build a new structure if you don’t have to. If you’re not a builder, you can search craigslist or other classifieds for potential coop buildings small enough to be moved to your property. A new coat of paint, some ventilation put in (cut holes and cover with chicken wire or install windows), and some nest boxes and roosts inside, and you’re in business. One thing to consider is the floor system – a wood floor can rot if you use the deep litter method, so expect more frequent cleanouts. A building without a floor can be put on the earth for the deep litter method, or on a concrete slab.

If you can’t find an already-built structure to reuse, consider whether you want to build the coop yourself or buy one premade. For urban homesteaders and hobby farmers with small flocks and aesthetic considerations, buying a premade coop might make sense. For small farmers with a few dozen hens, building a coop is probably a better economic choice.

Find Plans and Ideas

You now know: what size coop you need, what basic type of coop or tractor you need, whether you need roosts and/or nest boxes, and whether you’re renovating, building or buying your chicken coop. Here are some resources to look at for inspiration, plans, and premade coops.

• How to Build a Movable Chicken Coop or Chicken Tractor

• Backyard Chickens Coop Designs Page

• Prebuilt Coops at MyPetChicken.com

Your search for Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic generated the following results: Books 4 Booklets 3 Videos 3 Audiocassettes 0 CD-ROMs 0 Webpages 24

Title: Day range poultry: every chicken owner’s guide to grazing chickens and improving pasturesAuthor: Andy LeeSecond Author: Patricia ForemanPublished: Montpelier,VE : Good Earth publications, llc,c2002 first edition

Summary: Low maintenance, high profit raising poultry on pasture. Includes information on management of breeder flocks, ehh handling and incubation, hatchery efficiency, soil regeneration, and human poultry processing.

ISBN: 0962464872Call Number: 74.112 LEESubjects: Chickens, Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Chickens, home processing, Poultry, pastured, Turkeys

Title: Diseases of free-range poultry: including hens, ducks, geese, turkeys,pheasants, guinea fowl, quail, and wild waterfowlAuthor: Victoria RobertsContributors: Foreward by John CooperPublished: Cotton, Stowmarket,Suffolk, UK : Whittet Books Ltd.,c2000

Summary: Even free-range poultry can suffer from disease. This book instructs on how to watch for signs of diseases and problems,gives a listing of some common problems and diseases, and discusses good management practices. A chart of common disorders allows you to discover from the symptoms what may be affecting your birds.

ISBN: 1873580533Call Number: 74.112 ROBSubjects: Chickens, Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Chickens, parasites, Ducks, Geese, Guinea fowl, Livestock, diseases, Pheasants, Poultry, pastured, Quail, Turkeys

Title: Free-range poultryAuthor: Katie ThearPublished: Ipswitch,U.K. : Farming Press,1997 2nd ed.

Summary: This book discusses both small and large-scale free-rangemanagement, tracing chicken history, breeds, egg production,table birds, show standards, animal welfare considerations, housing, feeding, breeding and rearing, diseases and otherproblems.

ISBN: 0852363680Call Number: 74.1 THESubjects: Chickens, Chickens, breeds, Chickens, diseases, Chickens, egg production, Chickens, feeding and nutrition, Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Chickens, housing, Eggs, Poultry, pastured

Title: Pastured poultry profitsAuthor: Joel SalatinPublished: Swoope,VA : Polyface, Inc.,c1993

Summary: Net $25,000 in 6 months on 20 acres

ISBN: 0-9638109-0-1Call Number: 74.112 SALSubjects: Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Chickens, home processing, Marketing, Poultry, pastured

Title: Free-range poultry production and marketing: a guide to raising, processing, and marketing premium quality chicken, turkey, and eggsAuthor: Herman Beck-ChenowethPublished: Creola,OH : Back Forty Books,c1996

Summary: Marketing, raising, and processing free-range poultry

ISBN: 0-918779-00-6Call Number: 74.112 BECSubjects: Chickens, egg production, Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Chickens, home processing, Marketing, Poultry, pastured, Turkeys

Title: Modern free range Author: Michael RobertsContributors: Edited and illustrated by Sara RoadnightPublished: Kennerleigh?,England : Domestic Fowl Research,1988 Series: Gold cockerel series

Summary: This booklet provides details of location, housing, fencing,feeding, routines of management and health concerns for afree-range chicken operation.

ISBN: 0947870059Call Number: 74.1 ROBSubjects: Chickens, Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Poultry, pastured

Title: Pastured poultry: a Heifer Project International case study bookletAuthor: Anne FanaticoPublished: Little Rock,AR : Heifer Project International ; Fayetteville, AR : National Center for Appropriate Technology,1999

Summary: This booklet summarizes the experiences of Southern farmfamilies who took up the raising of pastured poultry asa farm enterprise.

Call Number: 74.1 FANSubjects: Alternative enterprises, Chickens, Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Poultry, pastured

Title: Freerange organic turkeys & broilers: with Jack Kittredge & Julie RawsonPublished: Barre,MA : Northeast Organic Farming Association,c1992

Publishers Number: 9203Call Number: 74 FRESubjects: Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Chickens, meat, Free range, Poultry, Poultry, pastured, Poultry, rearing, Turkeys

Title: Free-range poultry production and marketingContributors: Resilience, inc.Published: Creola,Ohio : Pesilience, Inc.,c1999

Summary: producing and marketing free-range poultry

Call Number: 74.112 FRESubjects: Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Marketing, Poultry, pastured

Title: Free-range poultry production and marketingPublished: Creola,OH : Resilience Inc.,c1999

Call Number: 74.1 FRESubjects: Chickens, Chickens, free-range, pastured, organic, Poultry, Poultry, pastured

Raising Organic Pasture Poultry (Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development)Direct Sale of Poultry (University of Nebraska)Resource Manual Organic Poultry (Iowa State University)Pasture-Fed Broilers, Free-Range Eggs, and Veal (NRCS)Consumer Preferences for Organic/Free Range Chicken (Kansas State University)Pastured Poultry (ATTRA)Label Rouge: Pasture-Based Poultry Production in France (ATTRA)Growing Your Range Poultry Business: An Entrepreneur’s Toolbox (ATTRA)Small Scale Egg Production (Organic and Non-Organic) (Penn State University)Pastured Poultry Industry (Alberta Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources)Pastured Poultry Enterprise Budget (Kansas Rural Center)Large-scale pastured poultry farming in the U.S. (University of Wisconsin)Poultry Enterprise Budget (University of Wisconsin)Small Scale Poultry Processing (ATTRA)Profitable Poultry: Raising Birds on Pasture (SARE)Raising Poultry on Pasture (University of Wisconsin)Pastured Poultry Study Address Broad Range of Issues (CIAS – University of Wisconsin)5000 Free Range, Organic Layers (Government of British Columbia)Free Range Meat Chickens and Alfalfa/Grass Hay (Government of British Columbia)Silkies (Government of British Columbia)Pastured Poultry Research (Truman State University)Organic Livestock Feed Suppliers (ATTRA)Organic Diets for Small Poultry Flocks (Manitoba Agriculture and Food)Increasing Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Eggs from Small Chicken Flocks (Manitoba Agriculture and Food)

You’re ready for your new flock of hens: you have the coop, feeder and waterer and the chicks are on order. But what do you use for litter on the floor of the chicken coop? Pine shavings, hay, straw, or what? How often do you have to clean it out? And, for urban and suburban homesteaders especially, is it going to smell?

The deep litter method is one sustainable method of managing chicken litter in the chicken coop that many small farmers use. In the deep litter method, you’re basically forming a compost pile of your chicken’s poop right on the floor of the coop. Like a compost pile, you begin with a layer of pine shavings or other organic matter in the “browns” category. The high-nitrogen chicken poop is the “green.”

You simply add enough shavings to keep the floor composting nicely, and the chickens do the aeration for you with their scratching behavior. Scattering corn on the coop floor encourages them. The litter has beneficial microbes – think of it as probiotics for your hens.

Once or twice a year or less, you clean the coop out. The resulting material can mostly be used directly as compost, though if you notice a few spots that are fresher than others, you might throw it into the compost bin for a while.

The benefits of the deep litter method are:

• It doesn’t take a lot of time to manage.
• You end up with compost.
• The birds get to scratch through the microbes and beneficial culture of the living compost litter material, which is good for them.
• It doesn’t smell.
• It’s safe and the birds stay healthy.

Litter Materials

For the deep litter method, pine shavings seem to work well and are inexpensively purchased at your local feed store in bales. If you have a very small coop and limited storage, you can buy smaller bags at pet stores. Be sure not to get cedar shavings, which can be toxic to chickens.

Some small farmers prefer using hay or straw in the coop for litter. I like using hay or straw in the nest boxes, but on the floor it seems to attract and hold too much moisture. Others agree that depending on your individual conditions, hay or straw can be too moist in the coop.

Who Shouldn’t Use the Deep Litter Method?

The deep litter method is a sustainable, easy-to-maintain system that works well for flocks with an earthen floor. If you have a wood or other floor, you can still do a variation of the deep litter method, but you’ll have to compost the litter when you clean it out before using it, because the earth supplies the moisture and culture to start the composting process.

If you live in an urban or suburban area or have a very small area for your chickens and a small flock, you may want to simply clean the litter down to the floor and do it frequently (anywhere from weekly to monthly depending on your personal situation). This way you won’t have to contend with a large amount of litter to dispose of at one time. You can add the litter and poop to your compost bin.

“You may ask yourself, why such a big suit? You may ask yourself, can this suit be taken in? You may ask yourself, does this store have any mirrors? You may ask yourself, did I get a bad deal?” – Rich Hall as Talking Heads’ David Byrne

Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music DVD Review

By Jonathan Boudreaux

Since its premiere in 1975, NBC’s Saturday Night Live has been home to some of our greatest comedians. What is often overlooked, however, is that the show has also served as a showcase for both rising and established musicians through its weekly musical guests. To celebrate the show’s twenty-fifth anniversary, the SNL‘s creator and producer, Lorne Michaels, put together this look at some of the show’s most memorable musical performances and music themed sketches.

Disc one, hosted by Chevy Chase, covers roughly 1975 through 1980, generally considered SNL‘s classic years. Chase, who has steadily grown less and less funny over the years, is especially boring here. In what is either a lame attempt at humor or a sign of an ego the size of the Empire State Building, he manages to relate himself to every clip he introduces, including those from years in which he was no longer involved with the show. But even Chase’s lame antics cannot diminish the clips presented here. Whether it’s a young Billy Joel performing “Only the Good Die Young” or a frizzy-haired Carly Simon singing “You’re So Vain,” these clips are fun to watch. Elvis Costello’s infamous appearance (in which he stops “Less Than Zero” after a few seconds and tears into “Radio Radio” instead) is of course included, as is The Band’s final television performance with “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” Joe Cocker, wearing the world’s tightest pants, is also seen bravely performing “Feelin’ Alright” while John Belushi simultaneously apes him. Ray Charles (“What’d I Say”), the Grateful Dead (“Casey Jones”), Simon & Garfunkel (“The Boxer”), Patti Smith (“Gloria”), and Mick Jagger & Peter Tosh (“Don’t Look Back”) also perform. (Unfortunately, so do the stale, overrated Blues Brothers. Call me a heretic, but was their shtick ever funny or interesting?)

As can be expected, most of the sketches included from this period also hit their mark. Highlights include John Belushi’s Beethoven “What’d I Say,” Steve Martin’s surprisingly fresh “King Tut,” Bill Murray’s lounge singer Nick Winters performing the theme to Star Wars, Andy Kaufman’s Elvis impersonation, and Paul Simon performing “Still Crazy After All These Years” while dressed as a turkey (although the skit with him playing basketball in the same costume is funnier, but not included here).

Disc two, covering roughly 1980 to 1985, is hosted by Martin Short. This period in SNL history is notoriously bad. The original stars and creative team, weary after five years in the spotlight, left the series at the same time. The show struggled along, narrowly avoiding cancellation. The musical performances showcased from this period are surprisingly strong, if a little more mainstream. Tina Turner, for example, is a wonder to behold in her sexy, blistering performance of “Better Be Good To Me.” Other performers include James Brown (“I Got You/I Feel Good”), Queen (“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”), Randy Newman (“I Love L.A.”), The Go Go’s (“We Got the Beat”), Rick James (“Super Freak”), Talking Heads (“Take Me to the River”), Spinal Tap (“Big Bottom”), John Mellencamp (“Pink Houses”), and Duran Duran (“Hungry Like the Wolf”).

The sketches on disc two, however, do not match the quality of the musical performances, and most of them feature the series’ brightest star during that period, Eddie Murphy. Some of the sketches are funny, like Murphy’s Gumby Christmas special, “Merry Christmas, Dammit,” and his turn as Buckwheat from The Little Rascals. Some, however, are funny ideas that are not as funny in execution, as in his “Little Richard Simmons Show.” And surely the insufferable “Ed’s in Love” sketch is included only because it features Martin Short. Even fans of the Ed Grimmly character will probably want to avoid this lame skit.

The always funny – not to mention fair and balanced – Al Franken takes over for disc three’s look at 1985-1990. The musical acts here are a pleasing mix of pure pop (The Bangles performing “Hazy Shade of Winter,” Fine Young Cannibals with “She Drives Me Crazy”) and slightly less mainstream fare (Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World”). Watching Paul Simon’s performance of the achingly beautiful “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” serves as a reminder of why his Graceland album became such a cultural phenomenon in 1986. Elvis Costello makes a return visit with “Veronica,” the perkiest, most hook-driven song ever written about senility and neglect of the elderly. Rounding out the guests are Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (“Free Fallin’”), comeback kid Roy Orbison (“O Pretty Woman”), Pretenders (“Don’t Get Me Wrong”), and Sting (“We’ll be Together Tonight”).

These years saw the return of Lorne Michaels, who fought to bring the show back from the dead. It took a while, though, so the sketches on disc three are a mixed lot. The best of the lot is “The Sinatra Group,” a McLaughlin Group parody featuring Phil Hartman as Frank Sinatra bullying his guests Sinead O’Connor (Jan Hooks), Billy Idol (Sting), 2 Live Crew’s Luther Campbell (Chris Rock), and Steve and Edie Gorme (Mike Myers and Victoria Jackson). Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze at a Chippendales audition goes on for too long, but still remains funny. Aerosmith’s appearance on “Wayne’s World” is understandably included here, but it is not the strongest in that series of sketches. Dana Carvey’s “Choppin’ Broccoli,” Jon Lovitz’s Liar with Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger, and “Dinner at the Van Halen’s” are also included, but are not particularly funny.

A low key Jay Mohr hosts disc four’s look at the years 1990-1995. This volume contains SNL‘s most controversial musical performance: Sinead O’Connor’s a cappella rendition of “War” which she caps by tearing up a picture of the Pope. For such a supposedly hip, progressive show, SNL has gone to great pains to distance itself from this performance over the years, and this is continued with Lorne Michael’s grave introduction to the clip here. What most people forget is O’Connor’s absolutely riveting performance that precedes her act of defiance. The other performances include R.E.M. (“Losing My Religion”), Madonna (“Fever”), Aretha Franklin (“Chain of Fools”), Eric Clapton (“Wonderful Tonight”), Nirvana (“Rape Me”), Paul McCartney (“Hey Jude”), En Vogue (“Free Your Mind”), Counting Crows (“Round Here”), Bruce Springsteen (“Living Proof”), Live (“I Alone”), and Blind Melon (“No Rain”).

The sketches from this period are a marked improvement over the ones on the two previous discs. The “Wayne’s World” sketch in which Wayne and Garth play truth or dare with Madonna is a classic. Phil Hartman returns as Sinatra, this time imagining the recording session for the Chairman of the Board’s Duets album. The clip show here is funny, but for some reason it has been edited down to almost nothing. The sketches menu indicates that the sketch features Hartman, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, James Taylor, and Rosie O’Donnell, but the clip shows only the Hartman and Sandler portion. “Juke Box Presents,” a parody of CD compilation commercials in which a bored, listless group of white partygoers jump start their fun by playing Gangsta Rap Dance Smashes, is truly hysterical. (The album features such songs as “Run, Whitey, Run” by The Checker Boys, “Locking the Door Don’t Help Nothin’” by Jive to Face, and “I Kick in Yo Face Only Cause You White” by Cricket and Little Dee Dee). Another highlight is “The Chris Farley Show” in which the rotund Farley interviews Paul McCartney. The self-critical comic proceeds to pulls out his own hair and beat himself about the head at his own ineptitude as an interviewer. Even the lesser sketches (Mike Myers playing Mick Jagger alongside Mick Jagger playing Keith Richards, goofball with a guitar Adam Sandler singing an ode to his red hooded sweatshirt, and the recording of a song to benefit “Musicians for Free Range Chickens”) are amusing.

Disc five’s look at the years 1995-2000 is hosted by Cheri Oteri. This disc is the least interesting musically and is often plagued by weak performances. Mariah Carey’s rendition of “Butterfly” sounds vocally strained, as if she is fighting a cold. Half of the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” sounds canned, and the group struggles to sing the other half live. Hanson contributes a bland version of “Mmm Bop.” All three of these songs made great singles, but the live performances presented here are disappointing. Yes, it is a sorry state when the Backstreet Boys’ “All I Have to Give” and Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca” come close to the top of the best performance list. Another problem with this disc is the narrow time range of the songs. Out of fifteen performances, nine are from the year 1997 or the first two months of 1998. Other performers on the disc include No Doubt (“Don’t Speak”), Alanis Morissette (“Hand in My Pocket”), Garbage (“Special”), Jewel (“Who Will Save Your Soul?”), Beck (“Where It’s At”), Snoop Dog (“Snoop’s Upside Your Head”), Metallica (“Fuel”), Garth Brooks (“Two Pina Coladas”), Dave Matthews Band (“What Would You Say”), and Paula Cole (“I Don’t Want to Wait”).

Some of the sketches on this disc are fun. “The Celine Dion Show” features Ana Gasteyer as “Celine Dion. I am the greatest singer in the world!” Celine’s guests include Mariah Carey (Cheri Oteri), Shania Twain (Molly Shannon), and Gloria Estefan (Matthew Broderick). Ana Gasteyer also contributes a memorable take on Jewel when Jon Lovitz appears as a schlub who wins an MTV contest in which he gets to spend a year in a cabin with the self-centered singer. Other clips include Paula Abdul leading Cheerleaders Camp, Kevin Spacey as a doctor who only prescribes weed, ‘N Sync performing a boy band spoof, and Garth Brooks as a songwriter selling his soul to Will Ferrell’s Devil in order to get a hit song, but then discovering that the Devil’s songwriting skills suck. (Maybe this explains Brooks’ alter ego, Chris Gaines.)

The five discs that make up this set allow the viewer to watch the specials in their entirety, or, through separate menus, to pick out individual musical performances or sketches. It is not possible, however, to play all of the musical performances at once, or all of the sketches. The shows are divided into chapters, but jumping ahead to the next chapter (or using the scene selection screens to do so) means skipping the clip’s introduction since these are included on the tail end of the previous chapter.

You may think that just because you rent your condominium, apartment, loft, studio or house that you do not need Arkansas renters insurance, but you do. Having renters insurance will help you protect your personal belongings in the event of a fire, damage to your house or even a weather related incident. The best way to protect against losing everything that you have worked so hard to obtain is to be prepared and there is no better way to prepare than by purchasing an Arkansas renters insurance policy. You can use this web site to find the lowest rates for Arkansas renters insurance in your area.

Arkansas renters insurance can cover your clothing, jewelry, televisions, stereos, computers, camera, bicycles, scooters and any other valuables you have in your house or apartment. College students moving into dorm rooms can also benefit from having renters insurance. Textbooks are expensive enough buying them once, but if you have to purchase them again because of a fire, theft or weather related incident, well that is even worse. Senior citizens thinking of moving to a retirement home or adult living housing should also consider renters protection to help them protect their family heirlooms, furniture and clothing.

Arkansas is located in the southeast of the United States and offers a range of economic opportunities that brings new residents to the state each year. The agriculture in Arkansas is a big part of the state as they export poultry, eggs, soybeans, cattle, cotton, rice, milk and hogs. They also work in paper, electronics, food processing and fabricated metal products. As new residents come in, they are looking for a place to call home and often they choose to rent an apartment, single family house or condominium. Young adults also come to the state to pursue their education at institutions such as the University of Arkansas.

Renters insurance can protect your investments and belongings, but you must make sure you choose the right policy. Similar to other forms of insurance like medical or auto coverage, you have options in coverage that range from minimal to vast protection. By understanding what your coverage options are and how every company provides you with something a little different, you will be able to compare Arkansas renters insurance effectively to find the lowest rate. If you are a college student or young adult moving out for the first time, you can get Arkansas renters insurance that covers a group of people if you decide to live with roommates. For couples who are not married, but live together, coverage is still available. Researching what each renters insurance company offers and reviewing their policy stipulations will help you find the right coverage at the right price.

Why Should I Purchase Arkansas Renters Insurance?

College students, single parents, young adults and even senior citizens should consider Arkansas renters insurance. Even though you are only renting your house, apartment or loft, your belongings are still your belongings. Your Arkansas landlord most likely has coverage for the building itself, but that coverage does not extend to your personal possessions.

Arkansas renters insurance will protect you against losses due to fire, smoke, lightning, vandalism, theft, explosions and even water damage from plumbing. It can also protect the property itself to avoid you from being liable of damage. An extension of liability can also be made to protect yourself from legal costs if a person is injured in your apartment or house that you are renting or the property there on. You also do not want to face a legal dispute if you are found to be at fault for causing the accident that caused damage.

There are different types of Arkansas renters insurance coverage to choose from, each covering a different range of circumstances. You need to figure out what exactly you need coverage from. For example, if you are in an Arkansas area prone to tornadoes or flooding then you may need to consider additional renters coverage that will ensure you will have the help you need if such a disaster occurs.

One thing you want to look at is if your Arkansas insurance policy will cover “actual cash value” or “replacement cost” for all items that you want covered. There is a difference between the two. Actual cash value will pay you for what your property was worth at the time it was damaged, destroyed or even stolen. Replacement cost coverage will cover what it would cost to replace that item today. Therefore, if you bought a stereo it may costs more to replace it today than it did when you first purchased it. Only you can decide which type of coverage will benefit you. If you have expensive items, such as high range electronics and jewelry, you may want to purchase a separate ride that will cover the full loss of an item beyond your renters policy limit.

Ways to Lower Premium Rates

As you add coverage to your Arkansas renters insurance policy, your rate may increase. You do not want to sacrifice coverage for price however. Renters insurance is relatively inexpensive to begin with, so lowering your premium can be fairly easy. While comparing Arkansas coverage prices from different companies, read up on what discounts they offer to renters. You may be able to receive a better rate if you take advantage of the company’s special discounts.

Similar to other types of Arkansas insurance policies, your renters insurance rate will depend on a number of factors including where you live, your deductible, additional coverage and your coverage company itself. Increasing your deductible will help lower your premium rate, though it may mean an out of pocket expense in the event of an accident, you could be saving more each month by having a higher deductible. Companies coming off a strong financial year will be better able to meet their financial obligation towards the insured. Reviewing the company’s past financial statements will help you determine which company can protect you better. In addition, companies coming off a strong financial year are more inclined to offer discounts and incentives.

Having safety features such as fire alarms, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and burglar alarms may mean you can receive a discount. You can also receive a discount if you bundle your insurance policies together with one company. Most companies offer a lower premium rate if you purchase both your car insurance and Arkansas renters insurance from them. Senior citizens can receive also receive discounts from certain Arkansas companies.

You should start your search for Arkansas renters insurance early, so by the time you move into your dorm, apartment, townhouse or house you will have the coverage you need. If you are a college student and you are moving away from the first time, the best thing to do is to put Arkansas renters insurance into your budget. Then you will be prepared for the costs and avoid a lapse in coverage. This web site will help you find the best coverage at the best premium rates for Arkansas renters insurance so you can have peace of mind in your home. The more you compare prices the easier it is to find the lowest and best one.

So what are you waiting for? Compare cost and coverage details from the Arkansas cities of: Little Rock, Fort Smith, Arkadelphia, Batesville, Blytheville, Camden, El Dorado, Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Forrest City, Harrison, Hope, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Magnolia, Mountain Home, Paragould, Pine Bluff, Russellville, Searcy, West Helena and more…

You’ll only need to register the flock with DEFRA if you keep 50 or more hens. However you can register voluntarily. DEFRA also have a free text and email alert service should there be an outbreak of any notifyable diseases in the area.

I’m the local co-ordinator for the North London Hen Rescue so feel free to pm me and come and look at my ex-batts, hen house and ask any questions. Battery hens are sent for slaughter at approx 72 weeks old as they generally enter their first moult then. Egg production drops as they put the protein into feather growth rather than making eggs and they tend to lay less than the 6 eggs per week that makes them commercially viable. However hens can lay for years to come. They do tend to lay less eggs, however they do seem to be bigger eggs. Unfortunately they are not “retired” but are sent to slaughter to go into pet and baby food.

I have a couple of pure bred hens along with the ex-batts. One in particular is quite talkative and both are considerably more flighty. But there are quite a few good breeds out there for beginners which are relatively docile and good layers.

I would definately make certain your housing is fox proof, and remember they are clever, determined creatures that can clear 5′ fences and dig underneath them! Eglu’s do have a good reputation however are incredably expensive considering the basic needs of a hen and I mady my house out of recycled materials which cost only 20 in total, compared with the 600 for an eglu cube or 200 for a new wooden built ark or shed.

And I too have had to fence them in…. my couple of acres to free range in was nowhere near as exciting as next doors veg patch!

You can change feed to meat more quickly and more efficiently on a broiler chicken than anything else you could raise. It takes from six to eight weeks and usually doesn’t take but a few pounds of feed. If you were trying to raise a hog or a cow or most anything else it would require more expense: naturally it would be larger in size but for the most part a broiler chicken is not expensive to raise.

You need to plan ahead before raising fresh poultry meat. If you are just raising them for your family you won’t save much over buying them but you will know the quality of food that they receive and this is very important for your family. Naturally the big scale commercial growers are making a profit or else they would not be in the business of raising broiler chickens and they are buying feed in volume at lower prices also. If you do decide to raise them for sale you’ll need to follow strict governmental regulations.

I usually will eat a broiler that is a Cornish game hen in about six weeks but regular broilers will take up to nine weeks to mature. If you wish to have larger birds and more tasty and plumper roasting birds you can feed until fourteen weeks of age.

If you have a flock of perhaps 25 chickens be aware they will all be ready at approximately the same time for slaughter and you’ll need to be prepared to be able to handle this many and to be prepared to freeze them in freezer packages to eat along as the family requires. This is going to be a lot of work at one time. You might want to raise chicks at different ages to stagger this slaughtering and freezing, it is definitely something to think about before raising broilers.

Broilers are going to need a good ration feed and you can get a ready mixed feed at your local feed store that will be recommended for growing lots of meat on these broilers. I do not bother trying to mix my own feed for say twenty five broilers, it is not any cheaper and get to be quite a bother to mix it thoroughly when I can buy it already mixed. I do not feed grain. I always follow the manufacturer directions on the feed also, I do not vary. These people are skilled in feeding broilers.

During the first six weeks broilers need a feed that consists of twenty to twenty-four percent protein. At six weeks I place the broilers on a finishing mash that gives them an increased energy level and also reduces the protein level. Usually pellets are given to broilers from six weeks until it is time to slaughter.

I also raise capons and roasters and I feed as I do for broilers during the first six weeks then I change to finishing mash, and supply cracked corn to the roasters and capons in the late afternoons. I then increase gradually the grain until they are getting an equal amount of corn, mash and pellets at twelve weeks of age. To have a good plump, good tasting broilers you will need a balanced feed that includes both grain and protein.

Be sure that you have enough floor space for each bird to at least one square food from age six to ten weeks. After ten weeks they will need at least two to three square feet per bird. Now you may be growing them in a yard or open range and this will not apply as to raising them indoors.

As you butcher the birds naturally you will gain more floor space.

Be sure to keep the area around the birds’ litter free as much as possible: remove wet spots and change litter as necessary as this prevents disease and also parasites. By keeping the birds with plenty of fresh water, the area as clean as possible and feeding good quality feed you will have quality and plump broilers.

You can easily keep honeybees to help pollinate garden and orchard plants. The Top-bar Beekeeping Method allows you to keep bees without a large investment in equipment. But honeybees are under a lot of stress. In addition to pesticides, mites and diseases are common problems.

Varroa mites and two diseases (American foulbrood and chalkbrood) can be significantly reduced by keeping bees that are bred for “hygienic” behavior. We recently read about hygienic bees in a new publication, Managing Alternative Pollinators. Dr. Marla Spivak, Professor of Apiculture and Social Insects at the University of Minnesota, developed the strain of bees by carefully selecting for hygienic behavior over several years. Here’s what Dr. Spivak told us:

If someone wants to keep bees primarily to assist with pollination in a home garden or small orchard, without concern for how much honey the bees will produce and with the colony having as much genetic disease resistance as possible, what type of bees would you recommend they purchase?

There are two lines of bees in the U.S. that are bred to resist the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor — the Russian bees and a line called Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) — and one line bred to resist two diseases (American foulbrood and chalkbrood) and Varroa destructor — the Minnesota Hygienic line, bred at the University of Minnesota.

Beekeepers should know that none of these lines survive forever without treatment. The resistance lowers the mite loads but does not eliminate the mites entirely. Also, these three lines are not immune from Colony Collapse Disorder, the cause of which is undetermined.

Is there any other advice or encouragement you would offer to backyard beekeepers?

All bee colonies need to be well cared for. It is not realistic to purchase bees for pollination and expect them to survive without care and management. I recommend that all beekeepers use as few chemical treatments as possible, but at times some intervention is necessary. Beekeepers might want to take our online course called Healthy Bees, which shows how to promote bee health using treatments only as a very last resort.

I highly recommend that all new beekeepers join a local beekeeping association and find an experienced mentor through the association. I also recommend that all new beekeepers read the trade journals, Bee Culture and American Bee Journal. There are advertisements in the journals from producers that sell these lines of bees. Beekeeping is an art and a science. It is a lifelong learning experience, well worth the effort. You can find more information on our website, The Bee Lab.

If you’d like to purchase the Minnesota Hygienic bees, one source is Mark Sundberg. You can contact him at 218-731-5942. He has queens available for 2010, and will take reservations for orders for nucs for 2011. Nucs must be picked up in Minnesota or Mississppi, depending on the season. Queens are shipped via USPS or UPS.

You can buy a dozen eggs at the supermarket for 99 cents, or you can go out to the chicken coop you built and fetch a warm egg out of the soft pine wood shavings in the nesting boxand thats priceless.

Basic frame with temporary braces and the rafters

Every day I gently carry my three brown eggs into the house marveling all the way to the refrigerator. Maybe Im a hopeless romantic, but I love my three old hensMattie Sue, Splatty-Goo, and Fu-man-choo.

Chickens are delightful characters. Theyre colorful and animated and a constant source of entertainment. They peck and scratch and strut around kinda jerky, like in an old-time silent movie. But its their cackling I enjoy the most. My favorite sound resembles the long drawn out inhaling effort of old Aunt Ruby when she choked on cake crumbs at the family reunion.

While one hen is laying, the other two hover around like midwives egging her on. Then they all join in the celebration by clucking and hiccupping and doing the Aunt Ruby. After the deed is done, they ruffle their feathers, take a dust bath, dig a crater in the cool dirt for an afternoon snooze, eat a few worms, then go to bed early. Its the good life.

A side view showing the finished chicken coop with its door for my entry

One of the best reasons for keeping your own chickens, and feeding them a varied diet that includes table scraps, is the quality of the eggs. The dark gold yolks and firm whites are so fresh they even squawk when you fry em.

Chickens are low-maintenance pets, inexpensive to feed, and they give back that little prize every day. All they ask for in return is a light and airy shelter, kept clean and dry and safe. They like a little shade in the summer and warmth in the winter, just like the rest of us.

Building a coop

Build this sturdy, attractive coop designed for three or four fine feathered fowl, and you, too, can enjoy the good life.

The materials cost $250 total, but you can improvise to fit your budget. Save money every step of the way by scrounging scrap lumber, using painted plywood for siding and doors, and 1x4s to frame the run.

Picking a spot to build Front view of chicken coop

Start by picking a spot with wind protection, some shade, and good drainage. Level an 8-foot by 14-foot pad as best you can. Lay the 4x4s down in troughs filled with gravel to form a 6-foot by 12-foot rectangle, divided at 4 feet for the house, and 8 feet for the run. Build up the low ends with flat rocks or scraps of concrete and, of course, level the parallel beams with each other. (Use a long level). Toenail all the 4x4s to each other at 90 degree angles, remembering the golden rule of carpentry: Plumb, level, and square.

Framing and roofing

Frame the henhouse walls one section at a time on the ground, then stand them up and screw them into the foundation beams (the 4x4s).

The rear wall consists of five 5-foot vertical studs at 18-inch centers capped by 6-foot top and bottom plates. The front wall consists of four 6-foot studs at 18-inch centers also capped by 6-foot plates, but without the middle stud for now. That 36-inch gap will be spanned by a horizontal 2×4 installed as the window sill, 15 inches down from the top plate. Support underneath the sill, in the middle, with a vertical 2×4 cut to fit (about 55 inches). Now frame in the little 18-inch square hen door by fastening a horizontal 2×4 between two studs, to create the passageway from coop to run.

List of materials:(1) 8-foot 4×4, pressure treated(4) 12-foot 4x4s, pressure treated(6) 8-foot 2x4s, to make five 8-footers and two 4-footers(4) 10-foot 2x4s, to make eight 5-footers(10) 12-foot 2x4s, to make twenty 6-footers(6) 12-foot 1x4s, utility grade is fine(2) 12-foot 2x6s, to make four 6-footers (tongue-and-groove, Douglas fir or pine) for door(50) 6-foot 1x6s, cedar fencing (pecky-utility is cheap)(1) 4×8 sheet of 5/8-inch plywood (CDX is fine)(1) Roll 1-inch chicken wire, 50-foot x 4-foot Tarpaper and shingles to cover 40 sq. ft. of roof4 or 5 hinges and 2 latches (for 2 doors)Sheetrock screws or galvanized nails (3-inch for framing, 2-inch for siding)1 quart of stain

Plumb and brace the two parallel walls with temporary diagonal braces, and install the four rafters (with precut birdsmouths) at 2-foot centers. Allow a 14-inch overhang at the front and a 4-inch overhang at the back.

Frame the sides with studs cut to the roof angle, leaving a 20-inch door opening. Screw two 7-foot 2×4 diagonals onto the front and rear walls inside the coop to stiffen the structure and support the roosts. Notch them out at 12-inch centers to hold three 2-inch branches or dowels that will step up to the top roost (their favorite). The roosts must be round for feet to grasp and breasts to rest on.

Roof with plywood, tarpaper, and shingles. Install all the cedar siding, the outside corner trim, and fascia boards to cover the rafter tails.

Frame the run with three upright 40-inch 4x4s in the front, toenailed in from every angle, and horizontal 2x4s for the top.

Predators The nesting box is next to the door for ease in reaching in and grabbing the eggs.

Line the run and the henhouse subfloors (dirt) with chicken wire, attaching it to the insides of the 4x4s with staples. This important step will foil any attempts of predatory critters from digging under the foundation in hopes of a juicy chicken dinner. Now fill the coop and run with nice earthy soil to the tops of the 4x4s.

Screen the 15-inch by 36-inch window opening with chicken wire and frame around it with trim. Cover the sides and top of the run with chicken wire and staple it all securely with hammer-in type chicken-wire staples. (Dont use little staple-gun staples that the chickens might eat.)

Finishing the inside

Build-in-place an 18-inch square nesting box by the door, about 6 inches off the dirt floor. Trim the front with a 2-inch lip so the eggs wont roll out. Three or four hens will share one nesting box.

Five p.m. and the girls are already in bed.

Build the main door out of 2×6 tongue-and-groove using clamps to squeeze the four boards tightly together until you get the paired-up battens bolted through on both sides of the door.

Measure the door opening for the run (between two upright 4x4s) and make the door out of two identical 1×4 frames sandwiched together using glue as the mayo with chicken wire in between. Screw together every few inches all around.

Hang the doors and install the latches. If you use a gate latch on the main door, attach a shoe-string to the catch lever and thread it through a hole drilled to the inside of the coop, before you lock yourself in. (I learned the hard way.)

Now for the fun part. Go to the Grange and buy a galvanized chicken feeder and waterer, a big bag of layer-feed, a bag of scratch (cracked corn and grain), grit for their gizzards, and some oyster shell bits for calcium. Youll also need straw or pine wood shavings to spread around everywhere to facilitate cleaning the pen every month or so.

Youll have no trouble finding mature hens for sale cheap, or for free. Your happy hens will love their new mansion.

If youre anything like me, youll take great pleasure in imitating chicken sounds every time you go out to the coop. Dont be shyunless, of course, somebody is listening.

Read More by Dorothy Ainsworth

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Comments regarding this article may be addressed to editor@backwoodshome.com. Comments may appear online in “Feedback” or in the “Letters” section of Backwoods Home Magazine. Although every email is read, busy schedules generally do not permit a personal response to each one.

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