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Chicken Arks Make an Ideal First Hen House
By Dog Lover | May 30, 2009
If you’re just starting to keep chickens, a great way to save money is to build a simple chicken ark. Although there are some good ready-made chicken arks they are expensive, and building a chicken ark is not hard – especially if you’ve got a good set of pans and instructions to follow.
Chicken arks are the simple triangular shaped chicken coops that have an integral run. The easiest to type to build has a nest box and roosting space at one end and a run at the other. A weekend would allow you to build the chicken ark and go to buy your layers and get them installed in their new home.
For three hens they are a great solution – and if you buy broody hens they will be ready to lay only a few weeks after you get them home.
Get your children involved from the beginning by sharing the project of building the chicken ark, and then they should also get interested in the ongoing care of the chickens. get your children to help by reading instructions, organising materials, doing some of assembly – or if they are able (and willing!) building the chicken ark would be an excellent project for them to do themselves.
The chicken ark can be moved frquently so the hens graze new ground but remain safe form predators. You can also leave it in one place and allow your chickens to free range. They will clear rough ground for you; scratch up bugs and insects, and clear beds in the autumn.
f you do move the ark every day, you will get fertilised ground, but they won’t clear it completely. If you want you can move the chicken ark on your lawn – but do move it every single day.
Keeping chickens is not hard, you will find they are entertaining creatures, and of course they will give you eggs as well. First find some good chicken ark plans so the building is easy and quick, then make sure that you have all the information you need to keep your chickens safe and healthy – look for good plans that come with a complete kit of chicken keeping information,
Then you’ll have a constant supply of beautiful fresh eggs.
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Topics: Farm Animals Make Great Pets | No Comments »