Let Your Chickens Roam - And Keep Them Safe From Predators
If you have a small flock of chickens, but live in an area prone to predators such as skunks, owls, raccoons, hawks, snakes, opossums, bobcats and foxes, one answer to allowing them space to peck and graze, but keeping them safe, is a chicken ark.
The chicken ark is designed to be moved around, giving chickens new ground to forage and browse on, but as the run is enclosed, it keeps them safe. There is a sheltered night time roosting area and protected nesting boxes. If predators do try to get into the run - the chickens are tucked up in the roosting area.
Let the chickens roam when you can keep an eye on them and put them in the run for protection when you fo out.
The two-tier chicken arks have roosting areas at the top wth the run in the wider base below. The run, while still open, gets shade and protection from the rosting area above.
The other design of chicken ark has a roosting and nesting space one end in a triangular section enclosure with a triangular section run attached. This chicken ark design means the run is open to the elements - so the chickens get sun wind and rain, just like the free range outdoors. Your chickens are protected, but they are grazing new ground, so the eggs will have the full nutritional value of free range.
Arks must be moved frquently - often every day.
They can be sited on any sort of ground where chickens can hunt for grubs and bugs or eat the grass or weeds., so they will have the variety of diet that contributes to flavorful eggs.
You can give your rough ground a clear, or your flowerbeds a tidy up beofre winter, or let your chickne sfertilize your grass. The droppings provide instant fertilizer, but won’t build up as you’ll be moving the ark regularly.
The ‘run at the side’ type of chicken ark tends to be lighter and so easier to move, with the roosting part at ground level. Easy to build, this is a very good design if you are new to keeping chickens.
Building your own chicken ark should result in an attractive, well-designed hen house, which will last for years, give you and your hens a lot of pleasure - and save you a considerable amount.
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