The Garden Ark chicken coop is designed to be an efficient, portable, all-in-one chicken tractor for housing a small flock of 3–4 standard-sized chickens. But what if you want to house a few more hens than that, yet still stay mobile? Or what if you just want to give your small flock a little more space?
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Three of our coop designs (The Garden Loft, The Garden Coop, and The Garden Ark) have an integrated henhouse and run. So your chickens are free to move between the two areas as they wish. (You can add a door between them if you like.) In some cases, this means that your flock might choose to roost in the secure run at night, rather than inside the henhouse.
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“I built this with my girlfriend’s dad who is a retired Boeing machinist. It turned out really well, and the directions took a lot of guesswork out of the building process. I have the ark sitting on a base of 12×12 pavers loose-set in sand and gravel to deter raccoons from digging underneath the edge. Once the flock is established, I will be adding a pop door and a fence around the coop to allow the birds more room to range during the day.”
Kerry and her boys used our plans for The Basic Coop stand-alone chicken coop to build a new coop for their growing flock. The rest of this post comes directly from her. . .
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Some of the most interesting chicken coops feature repurposed, recycled, or salvaged materials and decorations. Whether done for the sentiment, the looks, the environment, or simply to save money, incorporating available and found materials into your backyard coop will make it one of a kind. . . (more…)
I’ve been working for some time on a solution to predator-proof the open floor of The Garden Ark mobile chicken tractor. The challenge has been finding a way to secure the floor without closing it off completely or permanently. After all, you need the open floor for mobility, cleaning, and access to grazing. After much trial, I finally came up with an elegant solution (essentially a version of one of these turned upside down) then put it to the test. It works perfectly, and now I’m excited to share it. (more…)
Let the chickens out. Let the chickens back in. Let ’em out. Let ’em in. . . .
Ian wasn’t having it anymore. While he wanted to give his chickens daily access to a larger space outside their coop, he couldn’t stay tied to their schedule. Not every day, anyway.
So being the tech savvy guy he is, Ian dug into his box of spare computer parts, added some components he found online, and fashioned a solution that has simplified his life. (more…)
Brian in Northern New Jersey built modified versions of the The Garden Coop and the The Garden Ark chicken coops to fit his Garden State home and needs. He sent us some great notes and photos of his handiwork: (more…)
You’ve made it your New Year’s resolution to finally get chickens. Good for you. Chickens are low-maintenance pets that give so much in return. On top of the amazing compost, free entertainment, and fresh eggs right from your backyard, you’ll also gain the skills and confidence to tackle more projects down the line.
Here are 10 steps to help you stay focused so that your chicken keeping resolution becomes chicken keeping reality: (more…)
Nick shared pictures of his blue and white chicken tractor that he built using The Garden Ark plans. The outboard nesting boxes look great, and the hinged window is a nice touch. Here are his comments. . . (more…)
Amy in Newtown, Connecticut, sent in this photo of her backyard chicken tractor built using The Garden Ark coop plans. She modified her coop to be a little longer than the original design. Here’s what she wrote:
I had to share my Garden Ark! I had so much fun making it, and the plans were superb. I am certainly a novice, and I had no trouble.
I had a hard time finding the polycarb roofing, so I got fiberglass, and I extended the run ten inches for a bit more room for my four girls. I also added a ramp, which was super easy, a rope in the front for moving it around, and a bittersweet roost to give them an outdoor perching spot.
Thanks, Amy! If you’d like to build your own Garden Ark to house a small flock or grow your existing flock, check out our chicken coop plans here.
Karen and her family in Maine used our chicken coop plans to put together this Garden Ark for their backyard flock. She made a few modifications to suit her needs — using wider lumber for the skids, adding handles, and securing the bottom for complete predator protection. (more…)
One of the nice things about The Garden Ark mobile chicken coop is that you can move it around your yard or garden to focus your chickens’ grazing activity where you want it — just roll it across your lawn or place it atop your vegetable rows.
But what if you prefer to garden in raised beds? How can you incorporate The Garden Ark into your garden rotation so that your hens can graze, till, and help fertilize your garden before or after harvest?
In this tutorial, I show you how to build a raised vegetable bed that fits The Garden Ark design perfectly. (more…)
They’re here! Our new chicken coop hardware Quick Kits for The Garden Coop and The Garden Ark let you build your backyard chicken coop even easier and faster.
In one box you get all the screws, staples, nuts, bolts, washers, nails, roofing screws, latches, hinges, braces, and more that you need to build your coop. All that’s left for you to shop for are the bulky items: wood, roofing, hardware cloth, pier blocks (Garden Coop), and stain/paint. (more…)
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