subject: Important Steps For Building Chicken Arks (Portable Chicken Coops) Effectively [print this page] Lots of people who have pondered growing a few hens in their yard decide not to since they imagine it is just too much work to build a chicken coop. Or they assume they do not possess the necessary room to grow them successfully. However, using a chicken ark can allow you to raise poultry in a tiny yard without too much difficulty. In reality, poultry can even be successfully grown in a tiny garage. You can grow a lot of fresh eggs in a teeny 25 square foot space in your garage by stacking a few cages one on top of each other. Planning ahead and doing things the right way will make it possible to raise fresh organic eggs in a very tiny area.
The first thing you need to ask is "how many eggs do I wish to collect every day?" If you expect to raise a sufficient amount of pullets to produce 4 eggs every day, or 1 dozen eggs every three days, you will likely want roughly 5 chickens. This amount will easily be supported in a chicken ark. First-class commercially grown white leghorns will lay an egg almost every day if you feed them correctly and provide them adequate light.
One mistake that many backyard growers fall prey to is not feeding enough protein and calcium to their poultry. This can cause their egg production to suffer greatly. Pullets need lots of protein, calcium, and other nutrients for top health and production so it's important to supply it to them. A tiny chicken ark will allow your poultry to find a portion of their own meals, but a superior feed needs to complement their diet if you expect them to lay eggs on a consistent basis.
Chicken arks will typically sustain as many as eight chickens. If you are wanting to keep more birds it will be necessary to construct more than one movable ark. Generally, at least two-and-a-half to three square feet of room is needed for each individual hen. A 24 square-foot movable ark will be able to keep around 8 birds. Nonetheless, if you can supply more room for each individual hen you will lessen the chance of cannibalism among the flock. If chickens are too crowded they will often peck each other even to the point of death.
There are three chief benefits for manufacturing a chicken ark. First of all, they are simple and cheap to put together. Second, your poultry will be able to consume plants and bugs that can cut your food costs and keep your hens in good health. And third, they can be kept in small spaces, making it possible for practically anybody to raise their own fresh organic eggs.
It's truly not too tough to build a diminutive chicken ark. The simplest arks are built as "A" frames which mean they will be constructed in the form of a triangle. The floor will customarily be approximately 4 feet wide by 6 feet long, but can be constructed bigger or smaller as necessary. Nevertheless, as an alternative to manufacturing a wooden bottom, the land itself will be the floor. Two 6-foot 2x4s and two 4-foot 2x4s nailed together will be the base.
The "A" frame will be nailed to the base and will be framed with either two-by-fours or two-by-twos. The "A" frame section will have wire attached to its framework to permit clean air and sunshine into the portable ark, but can have the upper segment covered in durable outdoor plywood (not particle board to give the poultry shade and shelter from harsh sunlight. You can alter this design by altering its size, creating it in a square shape instead of triangular-shaped, or making further modifications as necessary.
Since the dirt itself is the flooring, your pullets will be able to consume whatever plants, grasses, and bug life resides inside their home. Pecking for a bit of their own food will keep them happier and healthier. After one location has been meticulously picked clean of all wild food by your poultry you can easily transport your portable ark to a new location with more succulent plant life. But remember, for top egg production give them a high quality feed as a complement to the grasses they will locate on their own.
Important Steps For Building Chicken Arks (Portable Chicken Coops) Effectively
