subject: Hen Ark Plans - An Afternoon with Charlie [print this page] Hen Ark Plans - An Afternoon with Charlie
When I first started my chicken ranch, I had to come up with own hen ark plans. I still remember walking the farm yard and taking my grand kids out with me. We would do some basic chores around the farm as we walked and I would be thinking of my hen ark plans. And while we were walking and doing chores along the way I was able to share some stories with my grandchildren and sometimes and friend or two they invited. The stories seemed to keep them interested in where we were and what we were doing. This also let me connect with them and experience the excitement in their faces as I told them my stories.
One afternoon on our walk my grandson Charlie was so insistent on asking his granddad a whole lot a questions about the chicken ranch and why granddad had so many chickens and a whole lot more.
"Well Charlie," I started out, "Your granddad has always loved farming and raising things and seeing them grow." Well the next thing I know
Charlie hits me with another good one, "Where do chickens come from?"
I laughed a little and said to him, "Do mean what came first the chicken or the egg?"
"No granddad," he said, "I mean how did they get here and where did they come from like Kansas or California?"
"Oh I get what you're asking. You want me to tell you about the history of the chicken don't you?"
"Yea! Granddad yea!"
I said "OK, and while I started to explain the history of the chicken to my grandson Charlie. I drifted a little into my needs of the hen ark plans I had been trying to figure out for my chickens. Because the needs of chickens have remained the same for hundreds of years I flashed on my hen ark plans.
As I told Charlie about the history of the chicken, I went in and out of my hen ark planning for my own farm. "Well Charlie," I said, "the chickens of a long time ago that we know of from our history books started back in China about 2500 BC, that's where they got tamed first. The people there raised the chickens like we do today for the eggs, and to use for meat for their meals. They liked that the chickens were big enough to feed their family for one meal and that the meat would not go to waste. They also liked that the chickens would give them fresh eggs everyday and not have to worry about them spoiling."
Before I was done telling Charlie about the history of the chicken I realized something. When figuring out your hen ark plans remember the basic needs of your chickens. They don't need a whole lot of space. That has not changed in hundreds of years. Keep them well feed and well watered. That has been a constant too! Remember to keep the hen ark clean and free from insects, and predators. These are some basic things to remember for your hen ark plans.
