Whether you keep chickens in a chicken ark or chicken coop, chickens require the right chicken feed or they will stop laying eggs. If you do not provide them with the necessary essential nutrients their egg production will decrease tremendously, but if you feed them correctly they will keep laying eggs consistently for many years. Learn the right way for feeding chickens and keep them laying eggs daily.

Chicken feeding is more than just throwing out a few grains to your hens. If you want to raise chickens that produce high quality eggs on a consistent basis you need to know a few basics about feeding chickens. Some top egg-laying breeds can produce an egg almost every day for many months, but will require proper chicken feeding to do so. Laying birds require a diet that contains from 16% to 18% protein. The actual protein requirements vary depending on whether it is early or later in the laying cycle.

When hens first begin laying eggs, during the early laying period, they are still growing and maturing. During this period they need an increased amount of protein. As egg production begins to decrease their protein requirements also decrease. It does not hurt to feed chickens 18% protein during the entire laying cycle, but protein is expensive and therefore can be decreased at certain times to save money.

High Amounts of Protein is Required for Top Egg Production…

Commercial growers must watch their expenses carefully when feeding chickens so they begin by giving their pullets (egg laying chickens) 18% protein for the first 4 months of their egg laying period and then decrease it to 16% at about 4 months. Protein is then decreased again to 15% when the laying birds drop to about 65% production from their peak.

Most small flock owners want to keep things as uncomplicated as possible when feeding chickens and therefore give their laying birds the same feed throughout the entire laying period. Chicken feeding in this manner is normally accomplished with an all-mash diet that contains about 16% to 17% protein. The easiest chicken feeding method for small flock owners is to supply their hens with an all-mash diet that is placed in front of the birds at all times. There should be plenty of feeder space per bird and the feeders should always be kept filled.

The Mash and Grain System…

Mash is made from finely ground grains and can be formulated in two ways. It can either be mixed to provide all of the hen’s daily nutrient requirements or be fed in addition to other grains. Feeding chickens a large percentage of grains just before roost time can help them stay warmer and more comfortable during the night.

Do Not Forget the Grit…

Grit usually comes in the form of small stones or granite material and must be fed to birds eating whole grains. Grit helps grind the grains and improves digestion. Some owners think that they do not need to provide grit if they feed an all-mash diet to their birds, but this is not true. Birds will eat all types of things, including feathers, and grit should always be accessible to help hens digest these various items.

Whole grains can cause chickens to gain extra fat, which can cause a decrease in egg production, so it is important not to feed them too many grains. Additionally, scratch feeds (grains) are typically lower in protein, containing about 10%, so the mash should contain as much as 20% protein or more if grains are added to the diet. The entire diet of grains and mash should provide a total protein level of about 16%.

Too Much Grain Can Cause Low Egg Production…

Feeding chickens using a mash and grain approach can easily lead to an overall decrease in protein which will lower egg production, so it is important to mix the amounts properly. Mashes can contain as much as 40% protein levels which make it possible to use less mash and more grains in a mash and grain diet. Feeding more grains and less mash can save money on feed, especially if you are growing your own grains.

Can Kitchen Scraps be Fed to Chickens?

To lower the feed bill kitchen scraps and garden surplus can be added to a hen’s diet. These types of foods can be used as a replacement for a portion of the grains, but should be fed in limited amounts as they can decrease the overall protein levels. Depending on the type of table scraps they can also lead to bad tasting eggs. Offering vegetable peelings and green tops is good, but giving onions, fruit peelings, and other strong-flavored foods is not.

Calcium is Essential for Maximum Egg Production…

Calcium is one of the most important requirements in a layer’s diet because it is needed to form strong egg shells. Feeding chickens an all-mash diet is usually sufficient because all-mash diets usually contain about 3% or more calcium. If egg shell quality ever seems to diminish extra calcium must be added to the diet and is usually provided in the form of oyster shells.

Provide Lots of Clean Water…

Clean water is another essential item that must be available at all times. Egg production will suffer if pullets are deprived of water for even a short period of time. Keeping the water clean by changing it daily is also crucial because polluted water can discourage birds from drinking as much as they need. Dirty water can also cause the spread of disease. To maintain high egg production hens must have an adequate diet and plenty of clean water.

If you want to raise healthy chickens the first time, while avoiding the typical costly beginner mistakes, this is the article for you. You will discover the vital information necessary to feed your chickens on a small budget, while keeping them happy, healthy and productive at the same time.

If you want to raise healthy chickens there are two things you need to keep in mind; food and shelter. You provide the shelter by building them a chicken ark. There are many other names for chicken arks including chicken coops, chicken sheds, chicken hutches, chicken houses, poultry housing, chicken housing and more. After you have done your homework and purchased a detailed set of chicken house plans, and have also completed construction of your a chicken ark, you have two more items to accomplish. You need to get some poultry and you must supply them with a healthy balanced diet.

The health of your pullets has a lot to do with the type and quality of chicken ark that you provide for them, but it is also dependent on giving them a high quality feed. To get the highest production, in other words the highest quality and quantity of eggs, you must be certain that your flock is healthy and happy by feeding them a well balanced diet. To do this, there are a few things to keep in mind when you go to feed your birds.

When you are deciding on how to feed your chickens, you will have a choice between purchasing your feed at the feed store, mixing your own, allowing your birds to free range or choosing a combination of these. Free ranging can be accomplished by simply providing a portable chicken coop, which will be discussed shortly.

In addition, you will also need to decide if you want to provide a vegetarian diet for them. The “all vegetarian” diets are usually used by mass producers who want to limit their risk to latent animal diseases in poultry feed. They know that disease could destroy their entire flock, so many decide to use a vegetarian diet to reduce the risk. However, chickens fed on a strictly vegetarian diet are potentially undernourished.

Chickens require protein, which they naturally get from bugs. In addition to this natural protein, they should receive supplements such as grains and fish meal. With this type of diet, small city farmers can maintain the health of their chickens year after year, which can keep them producing a good number of high quality eggs for 10 or 12 years. As far as mass producers are concerned, they will replace their pullets every year, so a diet to keep them healthy for many years is not necessary. Their goal is to get the most production at the cheapest cost, period.

While keeping in mind that the ideal for your chickens is allowing them to forage for their own food around their chicken coops, where they can eat wild plants and bugs, you should realize that although scratching around their chicken ark might be healthy for them, too much free ranging is also a sure-fire way to reduce their egg production tremendously. In this case, a compromise needs to be made. Allowing your poultry to free range outside their chicken coops in limited amounts will save you money on feed, while still allowing your chickens to be productive in the chicken coop. It is just a balancing act.

You can also buy a prepackaged food. This is the easiest, but most costly method. It is as easy as reading the label and choosing the right package. With prepackaged feed, each bag is specially formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of a certain breed. Whether the chicken is male or female also plays a part, so if you are raising pullets, just be sure to buy a pullet mix, which means it will have the right amount of protein and other nutrients.

If saving money is utmost on your agenda you can mix your own feed. Although it will take a little extra time and planning, it is a worthwhile endeavor. If you decide to go this route, just go online and locate a good mixture and then put it together according to the instructions. It is often a wise choice for novices to begin by buying premixed chicken feed. As you gain experience you can mix your own rations. Regardless of the approach you take, free ranging around the chicken sheds is something that you can always let your chickens do. It will not take long before you have a good handle on just how much food your chickens should be allowed to scratch up on their own.

Portable chicken coops are an excellent way to add money-saving options to your feeding repertoire. Your pullets can get fresh juicy protein in the form of bugs and caterpillars while they are getting some fun exercise at the same time. Having your premixed or self-mixed feeds available at the same time will make certain that your birds are getting the nutrients they need for good health. Portable coops have two sections, an indoor and outdoor section. The outdoor area allows your hens to forage for bugs, while the inside area is where you will provide not only the staples of their diet, but protection from the elements as well. Making the outdoor area bigger will give them more space to forage. When there is no more food to be had in a particular area, it is an easy matter to move the portable chicken ark to a new location.

Food and shelter are the most important factors in raising healthy chickens that will lay eggs for many years. Providing sturdy chicken coops can provide the shelter, while a portable chicken ark can save you some money while maintaining the health and happiness of your birds. If you want to keep your chickens healthy and their productivity high, while lowering your feed costs at the same time, this is the way to do just that

Chicken Ark Uses – A Demonstration

Before you get started building any chicken arks, also known as chicken tractors, it’s important to have a good foundation all laid out beforehand. And by foundation I’m talking about chicken house plans. Sure, the idea of collecting your own eggs or raising your own meat is exciting and you want to get started as quickly as possible, but diving in without a decent plan can turn your experience into a nightmare.

Raising chickens can be a very fun and rewarding experience if you do things the right way. Eating fresh organic eggs and meat that you grew yourself can be a very satisfying experience. In addition, these foods are more nutritious and taste better too. So let’s get off on the right foot and make a few plans first.

Providing a home for your chickens is one of the most basic and important tasks that you can do for them. It will provide protection from the elements and from predators. And if you build it correctly it will also save you money and improve the health of your flock.

The first matter at hand concerns the number of chickens you will be raising. This will determine the size or even the number of chicken arks you need. As a general rule each bird will need about 4 or 5 square feet of space. A flock of 10 will require 40 or 50 square feet. One small portable chicken ark will do for 10 birds. Chicken arks are basically chicken coops that are portable. The big difference is that arks don’t have a wood or cement floor like coops; the ground is the floor.

Once you’ve decided that it’s a chicken ark that you need the next step is the design. Look around online until you find an attractive ark, think about any changes you might want in your own design, and then draw your vision of the perfect ark on paper. It doesn’t have to be a great drawing, just good enough so that you will know how it will look, where the egg collecting door will be, where the windows will be, and a few other things.

Chickens need light so you’ll need to make sure there are one or two windows included. Chickens need a certain amount of light each day or they won’t lay eggs. Windows are useful for a couple of other reasons as well. The smell of ammonia can build up pretty quickly so allowing access to fresh air is a must. Plus, during inclement weather they can keep out the excess moisture.

The chicken ark needs to be built so that there are no large openings. You may think everything is alright as long as there are no openings big enough to allow your chickens to escape, but this isn’t necessarily true. Small predators and wild birds can enter inside using spaces smaller than you might realize. The spaces in the wire should not be larger than 2 inches square and preferably 1 inch.

Egg collecting is something that will need to be done every day. For this reason you need to make sure you have good access to the eggs. A small hinged door just outside of where the nests are located will make egg collecting a breeze. However, if you have to open the door to get inside the chicken ark each time you want to collect eggs you will be causing both you and your chickens a lot of undue stress.

Cleanup is another important factor. When building a chicken coop it’s always a good idea to build it off the ground with a wire bottom that will allow the droppings to fall through. This will make it easier to clean up and also more sanitary for the birds. However, with a chicken ark it’s a whole other ballgame.

Chicken arks have the ground for a floor. The longer the ark is in one location the messier it will become. So the obvious solution is to simply move it to a new location when the old one becomes too messy. This makes cleanup a breeze. Whenever cleanup is necessary, just move your chicken tractor to a new location.

If you want to raise chickens in your backyard there are three ways to do it. First, let them run loose wherever they want. Second, build a chicken coop, also known as a chicken shed, with only wire as the walls or ceiling. Or third, build high quality chicken coops out of wood and chicken wire. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method, but before getting started on your housing you need to consider the differences.

Allowing your flock to roam the backyard without any restraint will be loved by your birds. They will enjoy the freedom to hunt and peck all day long for plants and bugs. They will find all of their own food which will make feeding them virtually free. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

There are two main problems with this method. Letting them get all of their own food will save you money, but it will also provide them with less protein and calcium than required for good egg production. In other words, you will not get very many eggs with this method.

Bearing this in mind, your solution might be to simply put out a little bit of high quality feed for them to supplement their diet. This will still keep your feed costs low while increasing egg production. This would be a good idea, but unfortunately, it’s just not safe outside. Neighborhood pets or wild predators will put your birds at risk. No matter where you live the chances are very good that there will be animals roaming around that can quickly decimate your flock. The only way to prevent this is to provide a safe home.

Now that you’ve decided to build a home for your birds you may decide to do it the cheapest and easiest way; put a few posts in the ground and staple chicken wire to them. This will create four walls and a ceiling, but it really isn’t the same as building a chicken coop. The main problem is that it still won’t keep out persistent predators who may decide to dig underneath the wire. In addition, it won’t protect your flock from the elements. Plus, hens will lay more eggs if they feel safer, which means you need to use some wood and build a chicken coop.

The safest chicken coops are built with wood. Along with the actual wooden chicken house you can add a porch area surrounded by wire to allow your birds a little freedom to scratch and peck for enjoyment. But to keep your birds safe from predators bury some chicken wire under the ground to prevent them from getting inside by digging underneath.

Add a window or two on the south side for ventilation, but be certain to place some wire across the opening. Chickens need a dry, well-ventilated area to maintain optimum health and a wooden house will serve this purpose. You will be rewarded because the healthiest chickens lay the most eggs.

Choose a location that has good drainage to prevent exceptionally muddy areas. Also, make certain it is not located at the bottom of a slope where water will drain toward it, make sure there are wind barriers, and be certain to construct it in an area where there are no loud noises. With a little advanced thinking it’s possible to build chicken coops that will allow your flocks to maintain good health, feel safe, and lay lots of high quality eggs for your table.

How do you start a laying flock of hens? Should you start them in chicken coops or hen houses? Should you hatch your own or buy day-old chicks? There are many ways to start a laying flock, but which way is best for you? If you want to raise chickens in your backyard, discover valuable tips for determining the best way to begin your laying flock.

So you have decided that backyard chicken raising is something you would like to try. Backyard chicken raising can be a lot of fun and also give you an opportunity to produce your own healthy organic eggs for the kitchen table. Before you can get your chickens you will need to build a chicken ark or hen house to house your pullets. Once you have built your chicken ark or chicken coop and have purchased all of the other necessary supplies, you are ready to start your laying flock. But where do you begin in your backyard chicken raising endeavor?

There are many options for starting a flock of laying hens for the backyard chicken raising beginner…

There are many ways to start a laying flock including setting fertile eggs under a broody hen, hatching them yourself in an incubator, or buying day old chicks or started pullets. Another way is to buy second-year layers that already have a year’s worth of experience laying eggs. With all of these options, which one is best for you?

Are second-year pullets a good way to start?

Pullets that have already laid eggs for a year are usually a poor choice. Egg production normally decreases each year so you will be starting out with hens that will not produce as many eggs. The quality of the egg may also be lower and it’s possible that they could begin molting and stop laying altogether. Moving chickens from one location to another can often distress the birds, causing them to molt. Molting is when birds lose their old feathers and have new ones take their place.

Now that we have ruled out second-year pullets we have four other main options: We can hatch eggs under a broody hen or in an incubator, or buy day-old chicks or started pullets. If you are new to raising chickens you probably don’t have a broody hen or an incubator yet. Backyard chicken raising beginners should usually stick with buying live birds because hatching your own eggs requires a lot more work and expertise

Should you buy live hens or hatch your own?

Buying live birds has many advantages. If you decide to hatch your own chickens you will usually end up with a fairly even mixture of males and females. And since your purpose for raising chickens is to provide your family with eggs, you will only want hens, not roosters. Buying live birds gives you the opportunity to buy only the sex you want. Hatching your own eggs means you will either be forced to kill the males or raise them for meat. Raising chickens for meat takes a lot more work, but if you don’t mind slaughtering and dressing out your birds this may be something that would interest you.

The advantages of buying started pullets…

The easiest way to start a laying flock is to buy started pullets. Using this method eliminates the need for any special equipment or broody hens. You won’t have to spend money on an incubator or learn how to use it correctly and you won’t have to care for young chicks. With started pullets they will typically be about nineteen or twenty weeks old so no special care will be necessary. For the backyard chicken raising beginner this is often the ideal method for starting a laying flock.

Another advantage to buying started pullets is that it will eliminate some work on your part. Chickens should be given plenty of room in their chicken arks or chicken coops, but if they are overcrowded you will usually end up with a cannibalism problem. The dominant birds will peck other birds which can cause bleeding and eventual death. If you buy started pullets from commercial growers you can have them debeaked so they will not be able to peck each other. Hatching your own eggs will require you to debeak the birds or give them more room than you may have available.

Day old chicks are a good way to start a flock of laying hens for the backyard chicken raising beginner…

Day old chicks are another great choice for the backyard chicken raising beginner, but they require a bit more work than started hens. Be sure to have them debeaked. Debeaking can be a scary thing to do for a backyard chicken raising beginner. It’s very easy to cut the beak in the wrong spot which can cause the chick to bleed to death. Since the cost is very small it is usually best to get them debeaked by the commercial grower you are buying them from.

If you decide to buy day-old chicks you will need to keep them in a brooder where they can be kept warm and protected for the first several weeks. Started birds don’t need this extra attention. Since hens will usually start laying at about 4 or 5 months of age you will have to wait several months longer before you start getting eggs from your flock. Once you have some experience under your belt you can give incubation a try. Hatching eggs in your own incubator can be a lot of fun and very rewarding.

Many beginning chicken raisers think they need lots of room to raise chickens. However, it doesn’t take much backyard space to produce your own eggs or meat. When you think about building chicken coops their size will depend on how many birds you’ll be raising, the type of bird, and the housing system you choose. Since the average backyard grower will usually keep less than a dozen hens the amount of space required will be minimal.

There are two types of housing that you can provide for your flock and each requires a different amount of backyard space. Using the cage system, which is generally what commercial producers use, requires less space than floor housing. However, most backyard growers who only want to raise a few birds should not attempt the cage system.

To explain it in simple terms the cage system is really just a bunch of small cages all lined up horizontally and on top of each other with each cage containing one bird or sometimes two. This system requires the least amount of space, but if you plan on keeping your chickens longer than one laying season you will most likely encounter more health disorders using this system.

Most home chicken raisers will want to give their flock a little extra room and therefore will be using floor housing. Floor housing allows the flock access to all parts of the chicken coop; the nests, feeder area, watering area, and even the outdoor area where they can hunt and peck for some of their own food. Raising a few pullets in your own backyard is a lot more satisfying when you allow the birds a little extra elbow room.

Various age groups and breeds have different space requirements. Bantam chickens (miniature birds) will typically require less space. You may think that the large meat breeds would require more space than the small egg laying breeds, but that’s not always true. However, no matter what type of birds you’ll be raising, having enough floor space is vital. Too little floor space can lead to cannibalism, poor growth, lowered egg production, and death.

Chicks up to 10 weeks of age will need less than 1 square foot of floor space and thereafter about 1.5 to 2.0 square feet. Layers of brown eggs will generally need more floor space than white egg layers, ranging from 2.0 to 2.5 square feet. White egg layers will require 1.5 to 2.0 square feet. Laying chickens that are meat-type breeders require more area, about 2.5 to 3.0 square feet.

If your purpose for raising chickens is to grow your own organic eggs you will need about 18 to 30 square feet of space for a dozen birds depending on which type of eggs you’ll be growing. That translates into a 5-foot by 6-foot chicken coop to house a dozen brown egg layers. Sure, it will look a little crowded, but it isn’t necessary to provide a lot of room for just a few birds.

Broilers are generally butchered by 8 weeks of age so they never get too large. They generally need only 1 square foot per bird. You would think that raising large roasters would take much more space, but this is not necessarily true. They need about 1 square foot until they are 8 weeks of age, the same as broilers. Up to 12 weeks they will require 2.0 square feet which is about the same as a white egg layer. And from 12 weeks to 20 weeks they will require 2.0 up to 3.0 square feet. This is the same space requirements as a layer of meat-type breeders.

Raising your own meat and eggs doesn’t require a lot of space. Sure, you can give them more if you want, but it’s not necessary. However, there is one thing to keep in mind. The more space you give them, the less likelihood of cannibalism and disease.

Before beginning construction on your poultry housing you need to put some thought into where it will be located. Picking out the correct site is one of those often overlooked, but very important tasks.

Without proper consideration it’s very easy to make a mistake when it comes to the location of your chicken shed. And choosing the wrong site can make all the difference between being a success or a failure as a small flock owner. Picking an inadequate site can lead to disease, diminished egg production, unclean eggs, and many other negative consequences.

There are several important items that must be considered before choosing a location. These aren’t the only factors, but they are certainly the most important. These include drainage, air movement, and water supply.

Good soil drainage is certainly one of the most important items because poor drainage will lead to wet litter, dirty eggs, and disease. Chickens roaming around in mud will result in decreased health for your birds and an increase in diseases. And washing the filth off of every egg to make it presentable will soon get tiresome.

Locate your poultry housing where the winds won’t blow the odor toward your home. When you’ve spent a full day cooking a fine meal for your family or special guests the last thing you want is an unwanted aroma spoiling the meal.

Always think with an eye to the future. Even if you’re not planning on expanding your operation in the future it’s always possible that you could change your mind at some point in time. Locate your housing in an area where there is room to expand if you should ever wish to do so. Having no room for expansion will limit your options in the future.

Access is also important. The site you choose should be easily accessible to you, but should also have other conveniences in the area. Being able to provide electricity so that lights and other electrical necessities can be used can be very helpful. The lights will help you keep production at a high level even when there isn’t enough sunlight in a day to keep your hens laying eggs regularly. And water is extremely important. Even small chicken growers can install automatic watering systems if a faucet is close. Plus, water will also aid in cleanup.

If the ground slopes be sure to build your chicken shed on the highest ground. Locating it at the bottom of a slope where seepage can occur is not a wise choice. If the housing is situated on sloping ground any water drainage should be away from and not toward the structure. If the water drains toward your structure you will have to dig some type of ditch to divert the water away from your housing.

In areas where the winters are severe the chicken house should be facing south for maximum sun exposure. This will help keep the shed warmer and the litter dryer which will also help everything stay cleaner.

Cleanup is also important. Maintaining a dry, clean, aerated environment for your birds will not only keep your chickens healthier and more productive, it will attract fewer mice, rats, and flies, and will reduce odors. And speaking of rodents, one good way to keep these pesky creatures out of the feed bags is to store the feed in large 5 or 6 gallon buckets. This will keep it dry, clean, and out of the reach of rodents that can eat it and produce droppings in it.

The type of poultry house you’ll need depends on a lot of factors. If you plan on starting with baby chicks they will require tighter and more comfortable accommodations than adult birds. If you want to begin with started birds the chickens coops will need to be larger, but will not have to be insulated as well as the housing for younger birds. Colder areas may require an all-indoor section while warmer areas can have sides made from chicken wire.

When building chicken coops there are a few things to keep in mind before beginning construction. Things like feeding, watering, cleaning, and gathering eggs are the most critical when it comes to planning your coop. An expensive or lavish home for your flock is not necessary, just an enclosed area that will protect your birds from the elements and predators. In fact, if you already have an old shed or building in your yard it can most often be modified to house a small flock of birds. However, if you want to raise a large flock it’s usually best to start building their home from scratch.

There are basically two types of chicken houses, floor housing and cage systems. Floor housing allows birds free access to anywhere in the house. It can be used for managing a small flock from start to finish. You can brood and grow chicks in this type of housing as well as raise chickens for meat and egg production. This is the preferred method for small flock owners because it allows the birds more room than the cage system.

The cage system is the type used most frequently by commercial egg producers. This isn’t the healthiest system for the birds, but it’s cheaper because more birds can be housed in a smaller area. It also saves money on labor because automatic feeders and watering systems can be installed along with belt systems for collecting eggs. A cage system will require less manpower to manage a large flock. If you want to raise a large amount of birds and start your own egg producing business, this is the most economical system to use.

A poultry house must provide a safe, clean, and dry atmosphere for your flock and should be tight enough to prevent drafts, especially in colder climates. A tight house can prevent large temperature changes during the day and also save on heating costs. In colder climates the walls and ceiling should be insulated. It’s also a good idea to use electric heat tapes and water warmers if the temperatures get below freezing.

Chicken pens can produce a lot of moisture and therefore a good ventilation system must be used. For the small laying flock this can be just a couple of windows that can be opened when the weather is good and closed when the weather is bad. At the same time the structure needs to be sturdy enough to withstand a strong wind if there are no other protective barriers surround the poultry housing.

One other item of importance is light. This is important for both layers and growing stock. Without enough light the birds will lay fewer eggs while still eating feed that you had to pay for. Anything you can do to increase egg production while lowering your feed bill is a good thing.

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

If you would like to learn how to build your own chicken ark (portable chicken coop) and save hundreds of dollars over buying a pre-built one, this article was written especially for you. Build it right the first time the smart and inexpensive way.

Once you have made the decision to save hundreds of dollars by building your chicken ark, you will want to consider a few other basic items of information. Chickens need three basic things; adequate food and pure water, a nesting area that can be kept clean and dry and a good-sized area to hunt and peck for food. First, you need to decide on the location. Next, you need to determine if you are going to build a portable chicken ark or place your chicken coops, also known as chicken sheds, in a permanent location. There are lots of good chicken ark plans, one of the more popular being the “A” frame type. However, permanent structures tend to be a more complicated in their designs.

If you are going to build permanent chicken coops, the outdoor section should be divided into two parts. You will only be using one part at a time, but there is a reason for this; Chickens tend to tear up the ground when they are scratching and pecking for food. If you have just one area where they can hunt and peck, the ground will get ruined fairly quickly.

Because chickens will be scratching in a single section of a chicken coop at any given time, after one section has been relieved of most of its bugs and wild plants it is a simple matter to move them to the other section. By following this method, areas that have recently been ravished will have a chance to grow new plants which will attract more tasty morsels in the form of insects. And buying some easy-to-understand chicken coop plans will make building your structure a lot less difficult and more efficient.

To build chicken sheds, two main materials must be supplied, wire and wood. Make sure that the chicken wire has small spaces, no larger than 2 inches square. This will prevent animals and wild birds from being able to enter the interior of the chicken ark where they can scare or hurt your poultry. The wood and wire used in building chicken coops should be weather-treated so that you will not end up with rotting wood, infestations of insects or rusted wire. The price will be a bit more initially, but it will save money and frustration over the long haul.

Make sure that when you are clearing out the perimeter of your chicken coop, you dig a 4-6 inch trench and add this to the height of your wire. You will want to do this to keep out predators that will try to dig under your fencing. It will also help prevent your chickens from escaping. The chicken coops themselves can be of any design, and there are many different chicken house plans and designs available for sale inexpensively.

There are some other considerations you should be aware of before starting on your project. Be sure to keep the inside of your chicken pen dry at all times and there must be enough nesting space available for each bird. You also need one or two windows for your chicken coops that can be closed up completely during wet or windy weather. Open windows and can be shut during stormy weather. You do not want the moisture inside the chicken hutch where it can ruin nests along with other structures and cause your chickens to become sick.

The chore that most backyard chicken farmers like the least has to be the cleanup. But, with a well designed chicken coop, this chore can actually be fairly easy. The most important thing is to install a large hinged door so that you can get completely inside when necessary. This will make cleanup much easier, but will also make it an easy job to gather eggs quicker and remove chickens when required. With proper planning you will have more time to enjoy your birds and less time required to clean up after them.