Technorati Tags: building a chicken coop, Chicken Ark, Chicken Arks, Chicken Coops, chicken coup, hen house

OK, so you’ve been toying with the idea of keeping chickens, but you’re unsure whether you’ll want to commit long-term - and reluctant to invest too much in a swanky chicken coop. Chicken arks can be great for beginners because they are cheap, are just right a small flock of three or four hens and you can be flexible in where you position your chicken coop.

There are some handsome tall designs of chicken ark with the roosting space above the run. But they are hard to build and very expensive to buy.

Build a Chicken Ark Yourself

We used a downloadable e-book (Building a Chicken Coop) that has detailed plans for a simple chicken ark as well as all the information you need to get sarted in keeping chickens. When you get hooked (and you will!), there are also plans for two larger fixed Chicken Coops - so your initial investment will more than pay off. The plans are well designed and thought out and the instructions are easy to follow.

As you move Chicken Arks to new patched of ground every day, your hens will effectively be free-range, but they will be protected from preadtors at all times.  Of course you can let them out while you are around to supervise - if you let them out in afternoon they will be waiting for you by the ark at dusk, or late afternoon, so you can put your chickens back easily for the night.  Tha ark has a sliding door between the roosting and nesting area and the run, so they can be shut in at night for addtional warmth and protection.

Chickens and Severe Weather

Chickens are pretty adaptable to different climates. They can tolerate cold, but do like protection from damp and if you live somewhere hot, they will appreciate some shade. That’s another adavantage of a chicken ark - you can move it so they get the sun, or more shade if it is too hot.  If it’s tricky to find a shady spot, a simple cover to shade some of the run will give them shelter from the worst of the jeat.  it’s also worth going for a breed that doen’t mind the heat. If your problem is cold winters you can insulate the roosting part of a chicken ark - but generally they will huddle up more closely when it is cold.

Chicken Feed

Cickens feed happily on kitchen scraps, but do need grit or small stones to digest their food. Either you can feed them a supplement or you can use the natural grit and small stones in the ground, that they will scratch up when they are foraging in the chicken ark. This is another advantage of the vhivken ark design - moving it around will naturally provide the chickens with grit.

If you put the ark on dry, dusty ground they will scoop a shallow hollow, which they will lie down in and fluff up their feathers, then they’ll flap away throwing dust over themeselves.  Dust baths help to keep mites at bay and the chickens do seem to enjoy them. You’ll enjoy watching too!

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Chickens are naturally clean. If their living conditions are ideal with enough space and the coop is kept clean, your chickens will usually look pretty good.

Because a Chicken Ark is designed to be moved around, the chickens get new ground to peck and graze, and to find dry spots to take a dust bath.

A chicken ark is easy and quick to make from simple chicken ark plans and means chickens can replicate natural behavior and be protected from predators – and you get to choose which parts of your backyard your chickens peck at and dust bath in.

The chickens will scratch through vegetation till they find dry, fine soil, then they make a shallow hollow where they sit and scratch so the dust gets sprayed over them.

This is Tina enjoying a bath – it illustrates the process perfectly.

One reason they take a bath, apart from the natural cleaning process, is that dust baths help keep mite infestations at bay. In addition to cleaning the chickens, dirt naturally clogs the respiratory pores of parasites, like lice and mites. When the respiratory pores of these parasites are clogged, they can no longer breathe and they die.

You will minimize mite and lice problems with a well–designed chicken ark that is easy to keep clean, and by making sure that your chickens have access to ground they can dust bathe on.

In wet weather you may want to add some sand mixed with some dry fine dirt to their chicken ark run, so your girls can still bathe easily.

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Keeping chickens is easy and very rewarding. I still love going out to the chicken ark and collecting, warm, fresh eggs. My ‘girls’ are so entertaining, too. Each one is a different character and sometimes I just stop to listen while they quietly cluck away, or watch them scratching around while the sun glint on speckled golden feathers.

In the early days, though I was bewildered. I didn’t know what I needed to get started. Wt books to buy and didn’t understand the terms. How was I supposed to know what ‘layers’ pellets’ are and whether I needed them or should be cleaning them out of the hen run?!

It was equally confusing when it came to chicken houses. There was a huge array of different types to buy, all of which cost way more than I wanted to spend, and the chicken coop plans I found were unclear, badly produced and hard to follow.

What I needed when I started out was a simple kit. I wanted an easy to build set of Chicken Ark Plans”>chicken ark plans, with good instructions, so I could get a first hen house built quickly and cheaply.

Then I needed clear guidelines on how to look after chickens: what to feed them, how to keep them healthy, how to get the most eggs. And I needed an explanation of terms. Then I’d have been all set.

Now I’ve found what I’d been looking for all that time ago: a complete set of chicken coop plans – which includes a really easy to build chicken ark, a larger hen house and a beautiful chicken house my girls would just love.

The plans are beautifully illustrated and the instructions are clear and easy-to-follow.

As well as the plans, there’s also has all the information you need to get started – what to feed your chickens on, the best breeds to go for, how to keep your chickens healthy, all in one downloadable package. So it really is what I was looking for – a complete chicken–keeping kit.

Best of all it’s only $29.95. Just think of all the time, money and worry it could save you. I’d have saved a bundle if Building a Chicken Coop had been around when I started.

You can download the whole kit here.

Technorati Tags: building a chicken coop, Chicken Ark, chicken ark plans, chicken cooop, chicken coopl plans, keeping chickens

Chickens are social animals and like company. They also establish a hierarchy within the flock – this is where the term ‘pecking order’ comes from - which can lead to bullying and pecking. Around the time they are molting, this can be a particular problem as chickens without a complete covering of feathers are more vulnerable to injury. One solution if a chicken is being picked on, is to move it into separate quarters. You could use an old rabbit hutch or dog kennel – but these are far from ideal. If you have a Chicken Ark plans”>chicken ark, this would be ideal. There’s covered space for roosting and recovery and an enclosed run for scratching and pecking around in the light. Our chicken ark plans are easy to follow and simple enough to make in less than a day. Once the chicken (or chickens) has recovered, you can introduce them back to the main flock. However, the problem can then start all over again as the re-introduced chickens are now at the bottom of the pecking order. Looks idyllic - but one of them may be a trouble-maker! If you do want to keep the vulnerable chickens longer-term, another approach is to identify the bullies and separate them in the ark, for about a month. When you re-introduce the once dominant chickens, one at a time, they will be at the bottom of the pecking order. This will of course, shake things up – and the problem may well be solved.

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We liked this review of the Chicken Coop Plans book. it’s always helpful to read reviews before you buy a product. Find out more, and buy the Building A Chicken Coop Book here.

“…If you are considering keeping chickens in your back yard, you must read this book. Whether you have a tiny courtyard or acres to play with, the advice will stand you in good stead and help you build the right chicken coop. The focus of the book is on being well-prepared for your flock before they even arrive. Keene ensures that you consider every issue before you spend a cent on birds, feed or equipment.

He discusses which species is appropriate for your garden, what they should eat and, as the title suggests, how you should house them. Anyone with basic do-it-yourself tools and a patch of land could follow his instructions. The drawings and diagrams are easy to interpret and the lists of materials and tools needed are very helpful. Keene also appreciates that the value of using recycled materials in your chicken coop – cheap and environmentally friendly. Keene encourages responsible husbandry – his reminder of tasks to be completed weekly, monthly and sixth monthly should be replicated onto the calendar of any careful poultry keeper.

The level of detail is just right, from a list of the color of the egg you might expect from you hen to a description of healthy hen’s poop! If you follow his tips, your happy hens will be very productive. Next we need a cookbook for ideas to use up all the spare eggs…” Tracyann - Amateur Chicken Farmer - Devon, United Kingdom

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If you need to keep your chickens safe and contained, simple fencing will do. it will keep them off the rest of the plot. This solution works well when you have a fair amount of rough ground - the chickens here will peck and scratch this area clean, then it can be dug over (pre-fertilized!) for planting.

If you have less space and you need to keep your chickens more closely contained, then a Chicken Ark can be a great solution.

An ark will also give the hens the shelter they need at night and you can move it different parts of your plot, so they are still, in effect, ranging free.

Our downloadable chicken ark plans are actually three complete sets, so you can also build a larger upright hen house and when you move on to keeping more chickens, a complete chicken house with pitched roof and external nest boxes. All instructions are clearly laid out - and you only need a hammer and nails, plus some wood of course. The materials lists are included as is extensive information on keepng chickens.

You’ll save a fortune compared to ready-made hen houses - and the ark will take less than a day to build. it’s also ideal for rabbits or guiness pigs.

Technorati Tags: Chicken Ark, chicken coop plans, free range chickens

Chicken Arks and hen houses come in a range of shapes and sizes, suitable for different numbers and sizes of chicken. A good set of chicken coop plans could be all you need to get started. When you’re starting out in keeping chickens you need to ask some key questions to identify what sort of hen house to choose. What Kind of Chicken Coop? Start by working out what size and type of chicken house you will need. Ask yourself: • Whether you want a permanent structure or one you can move around • How much space you want to take up • How many chickens you are going to keep • What you want to spend • Whether you want an enclosed run • Whether you can build the chicken ark yourself You need about 4.5 sq ft of space per chicken, somewhere for them to scratch and peck around, space for them to perch (each bird needs 9 inches of perch length) and of course somewhere for them to lay eggs. Part of the chicken house should provide shelter from wind and rain, but chickens are surprisingly hardy and generally don’t need additional warmth – they will tend to huddle up together when its cold.

Free Range or Run? Many people let their chickens roam free, and choose a design without a run, shutting their chickens up in the house at night. Others prefer to give their chickens their own space but in a confined run. This will depend on whether you want your chickens in your vegetable patch and scratching around your prize blooms, or not. It’s also important to think about predators – some, like foxes, can be active even during the day. Chicken Ark, Hen House or Large Chicken Coop? Chicken arks have an integral run as part of the design. They either have a roosting space and nest boxes at one end, and an attached run (these are very easy to make and move around your yard), or they have run at the base and space above in the apex for the chickens to roost. A taller, rectangular hen house allows you to get inside the run and the house for cleaning, but will need a permanent site. With a larger flock of hens you will need a more sophisticated chicken house. Even this type is not hard to build from a good set of plans and instructions.

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If you keep your chickens in a chicken shed or run, you obviously have to feed them. They will not get access to the same variety of diet that hens allowed to peck and roam have. Thee has been much discussion about the difference in the nutritional values of eggs from hens kept in different conditions. This article (below) is an interesting study and raises the heated debate about free range and caged hens eggs.

One solution is the moveable Chicken Ark (see chicken ark plans for how to build an ark) that is moved around frequently - normally every day.

From

Mother Earth News

Meet Real Free-Range Eggs
The new results are in: Eggs from hens allowed to peck on pasture are a heck of a lot better than those from chickens raised in cages!
October/November 2007 By Cheryl Long and Tabitha Alterman

Most of the eggs currently sold in supermarkets are nutritionally inferior to eggs produced by hens raised on pasture. That’s the conclusion we have reached following completion of the 2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project. Our testing has found that, compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

These amazing results come from 14 flocks around the country that range freely on pasture or are housed in moveable pens that are rotated frequently to maximize access to fresh pasture and protect the birds from predators. We had six eggs from each of the 14 pastured flocks tested by an accredited laboratory in Portland, Ore. The chart at the end of this article shows the average nutrient content of the samples, compared with the official egg nutrient data from the USDA for “conventional” (i.e. from confined hens) eggs. The chart lists the individual results from each flock.

The 2007 results are similar to those from 2005, when we tested eggs from four flocks all managed as truly free range. But our tests are not the first to show that pastured eggs are more nutritious — see “Mounting Evidence” below for a summary of six studies that all indicated that pastured eggs are richer in nutrients than typical supermarket eggs.

We think these dramatically differing nutrient levels are most likely the result of the different diets of birds that produce these two types of eggs. True free-range birds eat a chicken’s natural diet — all kinds of seeds, green plants, insects and worms, usually along with grain or laying mash. Factory farm birds never even see the outdoors, let alone get to forage for their natural diet. Instead they are fed the cheapest possible mixture of corn, soy and/or cottonseed meals, with all kinds of additives — see “The Caged Hen’s Diet” below.

The conventional egg industry wants very much to deny that free-range/pastured eggs are better than eggs from birds kept in crowded, inhumane indoor conditions. A statement on the American Egg Board’s Web site says “True free-range eggs are those produced by hens raised outdoors or that have daily access to the outdoors.”

Baloney. They’re trying to duck the issue by incorrectly defining “true free-range.” And the USDA isn’t helping consumers learn the truth, either: “Allowed access to the outside” is how the USDA defines “free-range.” This inadequate definition means that producers can, and do, label their eggs as “free-range” even if all they do is leave little doors open on their giant sheds, regardless of whether the birds ever learn to go outside, and regardless of whether there is good pasture or just bare dirt or concrete outside those doors!

Again, that is hogwash. They think they can simply ignore the growing body of evidence that clearly shows that eggs are superior when the hens are allowed to eat their natural diet. Or maybe they think it’s OK to mislead the public to protect egg producers’ bottom line.

After we published our first report about the high nutrient levels in pastured eggs, the Egg Nutrition Council questioned our “suggestion” that pastured eggs were better in their Aug. 8, 2005, newsletter:

“Barring special diets or breeds, egg nutrients are most likely similar for egg-laying hens, no matter how they are raised.” There’s that double-speak, again: “Barring special diets …” Since when are diets not a part of how chickens are raised? Come on, people, we’ve cited six studies (see “Mounting Evidence”, below) showing that pastured eggs are better. The best you can say is “most likely” this evidence is wrong? Cite some science to support your assertions! The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association offers the same misleading statement on its Web site:

“What are free-range eggs? Free-range eggs are from hens that live outdoors or have access to the outdoors. The nutrient content of eggs from free-range hens is the same as those from hens housed in production facilities with cages.”

It’s amazing what a group can do with a $20 million annual budget. That’s what factory-farm egg producers pay to fund the AEB each year to convince the public to keep buying their eggs, which we now believe are substandard.

The Egg Board’s misleading claims about free-range/pastured eggs pervade the Internet, even though the Board has been aware of the evidence about the nutrient differences at least since our 2005 report. We found virtually the same (unsubstantiated) claim denying any difference in nutrient content on Web sites of the American Council on Science and Health (an industry-funded nonprofit), the Iowa Egg Council, the Georgia Egg Commission, the Alberta (Canada) Egg Producers, Hormel Foods, CalMaine Foods and NuCal Foods (“the largest distributor of shell eggs in the Western United States”).

But the most ridiculous online comments turned up at www.supermarketguru.com, a site maintained by a “food trends consultant.” It says:

“FREE RANGE: Probably the most misunderstood of all claims, it’s important to note that hens basically stay near their food, water and nests, and the idea of a happy-go-lucky bird scampering across a field is far from the natural way of life. The claim only means that the hens have access to the outdoors, not that they avail themselves of the opportunity. The hens produce fewer eggs so they are more expensive; higher product costs add to the price of the eggs. The nutrient content is the same as other eggs.”

If you’ve ever been around chickens, you know that whoever wrote that hasn’t. Chickens will spend almost their entire day ranging around a property scratching and searching for food. Even as tiny chicks, they are naturally curious and will begin eating grass and pecking curiously at any insects or even specks on the walls of their brooder box. “Scampering across a field,” looking for food, is precisely their natural way of life.

Supermarket Guru did get one thing right, though. Free-range/pastured eggs are likely to be more expensive because production costs are higher. As usual, you get what you pay for. If you buy the cheapest supermarket eggs, you are not only missing out on the valuable nutrients eggs should and can contain, you are also supporting an industrial production system that treats animals cruelly and makes more sustainable, small-scale egg production difficult.

Technorati Tags: chicken ark plans, Chicken Arks, free range chickens, nutritional value of free range eggs

A chicken ark is simple to build and works well for up to 4-6 chickens, and is the sensible solution if you do not want a permanent hen house. The flexibility of being able to move it around your plot can be very important.

But if you’d like a permanent hen house that’s as simple to build as the ark design, these hen house plans are ideal as there are complete easy-to-build plans for three types of chicken coop. As well as the moveable chicken ark, it also has plans and instructions for an exteremely simple but effective hen house.

The hen house has a large enclosed run, secure space for the hens to roost as well as easy to access nest boxes so you can collect the eggs from outside the hen house.

If you decide on the hen house, you can tuck it away in a corner of your yard or garden and then you could make the Chicken Ark as well, to provide a sheltered run that can be moved around. It could also be a good solution if you have problems with one chicken being pecked, are introducing new chickens to your flock, or are rearing chicks, so they have alternative accommodation until they can be integrated into your main flock.

The design in the plans is similar to the one below which sells for £300/$470 - so even if you had to buy all the materials, (although it’s often possible to make use of bit and pieces you may already have), you’d still be able to build your own (including the plans) for around a quater of the price.

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