Good Chicken Plans Make Good Chicken Coops

What Type of Chicken Plans for Building a Chicken Coop are Right for You?

Are all chicken plans the same? Whether you build chicken arks or chicken coops, you’ll end up with the same thing, right? The answer to these questions is yes and no. They all have the same basic structure, but their functions can differ greatly. When it’s a stationary structure it’s generally called a chicken coop, but when it’s portable it’s referred to as a chicken ark, chicken tractor, or portable chicken coop. But by any name they’re pretty much the same.

If you’re keeping a small number of chickens the portable chicken ark is the easiest and cheapest way to provide your flock with protection. The main idea is that you are building a home for a fairly small number chickens that can be moved around your backyard or garden easily.

There are several obvious advantages to chicken arks when compared to chicken coops, but the best reasons for building a chicken ark are saving money on food, giving your chickens a chance for some excitement by allowing them to hunt and peck for a portion of their own food, and being able to move their home to more desirable areas as required.

A chicken ark has no base. Your birds are not living on a wood or cement floor, but are roaming over areas of ground where vegetation and insects are located. Chickens are provided an area where they can hunt and peck for some of their own food, thus saving you money while increasing their health and happiness.

Your birds will have the opportunity to scratch around for bugs and worms while they fertilize the ground with their droppings at the same time. Not only will your chickens be healthier for it, but the ground will receive a high quality organic fertilizer. This is especially useful if you are moving your chicken tractor to different areas of your garden.

By allowing your poultry the opportunity to graze for some of their own rations they will be enjoying the benefits of fresh live food that can’t be bought at a feed store. And we all know that fresh is better. Plus, the more they can find on their own, the less you have to buy. If you allow them enough room they can actually find 100% of their own food. However, if you want them to produce a good number of eggs you’ll need to provide the majority of the feed yourself. Chickens that are allowed to fill up on grasses instead of a high protein feed will lay very few eggs.

Another advantage of a chicken ark is the cleanup factor because there is basically no cleanup at all. Once one area has been pecked over it’s a simple matter of moving the chicken tractor to another location with fresh plant growth. Nature will do the cleanup for you. The chickens will fertilize any place they happen to be and the plant growth will have a chance to replenish itself while the chickens are roaming in a new area.

Some backyard chicken farmers allow their birds to roam outside the confines of a chicken coop altogether. However, the chicken ark will provide needed protection from predators and the elements. All it takes is one neighborhood pet or wild animal to wreak havoc in the flock so keeping your birds safe is a good idea.

The Automatic Watering System for a Chicken Coop