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Constructing a Cheap and Simple Chicken Shed

29 11:59:20

Constructing a Cheap and Simple Chicken Shed






     Chicken ark is a moniker familiar in the United Kingdom to describe a movable chicken shed. It is akin to a chicken house, but is smaller and can be transported easily to any area of the backyard. A chicken ark, also known as a chicken tractor, is uncomplicated and quick to put together using uncomplicated chicken ark plans and means chickens can reproduce instinctive behavior and be protected from predators. And you get to choose which sections of the yard or garden your chickens will be able to graze in.

A chicken ark will work acceptably for as many as 4 or 5 hens and is a wise solution if you do not want to construct a permanent chicken coup. The main benefit of using a chicken ark is that you can get the benefits of free range poultry while keeping them protected from foul weather conditions and predators. It can be moved to a new location every few days to give the chickens fresh forage and keep you from having to deal with the manure buildup issues of a permanent house.

The most frequent model for a chicken ark is an "A" frame, which is analogous in structure to the sawhorse. The most universal variety has a straightforward design, a triangular appearance which makes it extremely simple to build, even for inexperienced hobbyists. The only possible difficult part of constructing a chicken tractor is installing windows.

Building a chicken tractor is an uncomplicated project that only takes a day, so you will most likely be able to get the chicken ark built and poultry installed extremely rapidly. Besides "A" framed construction you are able to construct it with a flat roof. The top can be of any appearance. The only important issue is if it keeps the inside dry. In addition to the wooden poultry housing you will ideally want an attached chicken run. This is an area that is wholly enclosed with wire. It's sort of like a porch attached to a residence.

A nest box must be integrated into the housing so your birds can lay their eggs in a nice sanitary spot. A number of individuals like to construct their arks high so that a little roosting pole can be added. This provides the chickens a spot to snooze off the floor like they would in the wild. The ark has a sliding door entrance linking the run and nest area so they are able to be locked in at nighttime for added warmth and security.

You can feed them a supplement or allow them to free range for very nearly all of their meals, but there are two issues with not providing supplemental nourishment. First of all, they won't find enough protein and calcium grazing, so they won't lay eggs very often. And second, you will have to move the chicken ark each day, or perhaps more than once a day, to new fresh places for free ranging. The ideal solution is to complement their diet with a feed that contains grit and calcium. The grit helps them grind and assimilate their food correctly while the calcium is needed for producing strong shells.

Though it might seem as though fresh eggs would be higher in dietary value, this is not necessarily true. Whether store bought or raised yourself, they possess the same nutritional makeup. And while we're on the topic, brown and white eggs are the same with regards to dietary value. At least that's what the "eggsperts" say. On the other hand, eggs purchased at the neighborhood supermarket are typically a lot older, come with a paler flatter yolk, and peel better when hard boiled. If you wish to hard boil your recently grown eggs make sure you let them sit in the fridge for a few weeks prior to hard boiling them. Fresh eggs don't peel well once they've been hard boiled; the shell sticks to the egg.