Cackellac Chicken Shelters

Cackellac Chicken Shelters LIVESTOCK Poultry With a Cackellac Shelter one person can move 100 chickens on pasture in a few minutes “In general we tried to design it so it’s more user-friendly and we want to keep it light strong and functional ” says David Weber about the portable poultry shelters he makes and sells With optional accessories such as water reservoirs and automatic waterers they are “the closest thing to turnkey pasture poultry management ” After using heavy wood shelters for several years Canadian poultry growers started experimenting with aluminum tubing making them tall enough for a person to stand up inside By 2010 other producers were asking him if he would build them shelters He modified his design to create panels that can be shipped by truck The steel and aluminum tubing frames are covered on the ends with welded wire mesh on the bottom then hot-dipped to galvanize it The tops of the ends are polycarbonate panels Woven UV-stabilized polyethylene covers the top and sides and is secured with ratchet straps To control ventilation the cover has a 2-ft flap next to the ground that can be raised “There is a lift mechanism at each corner ” Weber says That makes it easy for one person to push the larger 500-lb shelter ahead for the birds to be on new pasture Once each corner is lifted the 15-in foam-filled tires move the shelter easily The smaller 150-lb model has two wheels and can also be moved easily by one person Chickens adapt quickly to walking with the shelter as it is slowly moved Once in place the corners are set back down and anchors secured to hold it in place “There is flexibility that allow the ends to twist for corners with low spots ” Weber says noting the shelters withstand most winds when properly anchored He offers a screw anchor option for added protection in high-wind regions and where the soil is soft from rain “The shelters are ideal for meat birds but they can be adapted for layers ” Weber says In his region he secures the shelter to use during the winter and he sells optional kits to close off the ends Most customers however use the shelters in the summer and then leave them idle for the winter or use them for storage The shelters retail for $2 895 Canadian for the large 1312 model 100 chickens and $1 295 Canadian for the 812 model 40 chickens Weber sells them direct and through dealers in Canada He is interested in expanding into the region from Illinois to Northeast U S where he has available trucking and he invites interested dealers to contact him Contact: FARM SHOW Followup David Weber 1230 Bruce Rd 11 Paisley Ont Canada N0G 2N0 ph 519 353-4113

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