With the increasing popularity of small-scale hobby farming, more people are trying to get into raising their own produce than ever before. Even people with small urban yards or rooftop container gardens want to try to grow their own food, including raising chickens. A chicken ark (also called a chicken tractor) is the ideal way to raise birds in a small space, and chicken tractor plans can be followed by anyone, with or without prior building experience.
Why Build a Chicken Tractor?
Chicken tractor plans are generally for small coops without floors. These allow chickens to engage in their natural scratching behavior, while keeping them confined to the floorspace of the chicken tractor or ark. These are especially great for small urban or suburban farms, since they allow hobbyists to keep their birds confined, and offer some protection against small predators. A chicken tractor or ark can either be cleaned out regularly, or manure can be allowed to accumulate underneath, and covered with clean bedding.
Easy To Move and Clean
At the end of a certain period of time, the small, lightweight chicken ark can simply be picked up and moved to a clean area, and the manure and soiled bedding dug up for composting. Chicken tractor plans are generally not for permanent structures like many other coops, since a lot of the chicken ark's appeal is in its small size and relative portability.
Beware of Predators
The features of a chicken ark that make it so great for urban hobby farmers, however, might make it less appealing to hobbyists in more rural areas. Chicken tractor plans are designed to provide a small, relatively secure area for chickens to scratch and lay, but a simple chicken ark often doesn't provide enough protection against predators like foxes or coyotes. The fact that most types of chicken ark have bare floors makes them attractive to predators who can dig or burrow, so builders who live in areas with foxes or coyotes might want to scrap their chicken tractor plans for something that's a bit stronger, with a solid floor.
Not A Lot Of Space?
If you're an urban hobby farmer with a small space, a chicken ark might be perfect for you. Raising chickens can help reduce your grocery expenditures, allow you to eat better, and even make some extra money selling eggs, and a chicken ark can help you raise healthy, beautiful birds, no matter how much space you have to devote to them.
Why Build a Chicken Tractor?
Chicken tractor plans are generally for small coops without floors. These allow chickens to engage in their natural scratching behavior, while keeping them confined to the floorspace of the chicken tractor or ark. These are especially great for small urban or suburban farms, since they allow hobbyists to keep their birds confined, and offer some protection against small predators. A chicken tractor or ark can either be cleaned out regularly, or manure can be allowed to accumulate underneath, and covered with clean bedding.
Easy To Move and Clean
At the end of a certain period of time, the small, lightweight chicken ark can simply be picked up and moved to a clean area, and the manure and soiled bedding dug up for composting. Chicken tractor plans are generally not for permanent structures like many other coops, since a lot of the chicken ark's appeal is in its small size and relative portability.
Beware of Predators
The features of a chicken ark that make it so great for urban hobby farmers, however, might make it less appealing to hobbyists in more rural areas. Chicken tractor plans are designed to provide a small, relatively secure area for chickens to scratch and lay, but a simple chicken ark often doesn't provide enough protection against predators like foxes or coyotes. The fact that most types of chicken ark have bare floors makes them attractive to predators who can dig or burrow, so builders who live in areas with foxes or coyotes might want to scrap their chicken tractor plans for something that's a bit stronger, with a solid floor.
Not A Lot Of Space?
If you're an urban hobby farmer with a small space, a chicken ark might be perfect for you. Raising chickens can help reduce your grocery expenditures, allow you to eat better, and even make some extra money selling eggs, and a chicken ark can help you raise healthy, beautiful birds, no matter how much space you have to devote to them.
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