Free Range Your Chickens, But Keep Them in a Chicken Ark

Free range, that was the idea when I bought my first chickens. That was much of the appeal of having chickens – watching them scratch and peck contentedly. It didn’t work out quite like that. They started free ranging over to the neighbor’s yard, even getting on their bird table where they enjoyed the plump sunflower seeds.

The answer had to be a chicken coop I could move around. Then they could get to pastures new, but would stay in my backyard. When I was out in the backyard they could roam free, to give them some extra space to explore. Picture the scene: a lovely chicken ark, with hens secure at night and pecking contentedly in the run by day.

There was a big but though, these beautuful chicken arks cost a bomb. The shipping on them added even more. As a result I did some research into chicken ark plans. Simple plans were what I wanted, with clear instructions, aimed at a beginner. I found some clear plans with good instructions for a simple chicken ark, plus plans for a larger hen house and the ultimate chicken coop I could build when I get more chickens.

With cutting plans for materials and step by step diagrams, the plans take me right through the construction process and there’s even lots of useful chicken keeping information that I didn’t know. We’re now set for the future with this downloadable book.

Now I have a handsome chicken ark with handles at each end so I can move it around. The girls are very happy. The roosting area and nest box ae covered to provide shelter, and the run is open so the chickens can peck around. I can put the chicken ark anywhere in my yard that I want cleared, and the neighbor’s bird table is back attracting wild birds, not backyard hens.

Now I’m planning to add to the flock. Should it be the simple hen house next, or shall I go the whole way and build the ultimate chicken coop, with a ridged roof and nestboxes down each side and a large run? It does look splendid, and I feel confident that with the chicken ark plans, I could make it quite easily.