[geoffwales]

As usual as a newbie am probebly going to ask a daft question.

The farmer at the rear of my house has said no    to renting me some field to keep chickens on so im back to the idea of an Ark in the garden.

Are Arks cruel?, everyone says how good it is for the chickens to have freedom to roam. As im aiming to convince the wife we need chickens probably 2 or 3 she is against  the idea of an Ark as she says its still caged in. I understand about the footprint of 2ft x 2ft space per bird as a minimum, but I am still curious as to everyones opinion. Also do kids spook the birds or are they ok with them.

Thx
Geoff

[Sadgit]

sounds like you are going to keep them inside the ark 24x7?? If so then you might as well be a battery hen farmer.

Surely you are going to have some kind of run attached to the coop so they can get out and about?

[geoffwales]

sounds like you are going to keep them inside the ark 24x7?? If so then you might as well be a battery hen farmer.

Surely you are going to have some kind of run attached to the coop so they can get out and about?

Hi you are right I am thinking of the arks with the run underneath it

[mumof4]

mine (3LF & 1 bantam)are in run 11x4ft but they also get to free range in my garden.

When i first put my hens in the run i was pleased i didn't have more as i'm now alarmed at how many hens some companies say can fit in the same size.

Mine get to also go in my garden as i couldn't keep them locked up in the run all day.

[richyrich7]

Hi Geoff
 the thing I don't like about arks is that with them being a triangle can the chooks really use the space below their head height effectively, as for space I'd try to go for 3x3 per bird personally, they will live closer together but whether so happily I'm doubtful.
Mine 4 live quite happily in a run that's 8x4 and a shed with about 6x3 space inside. I'd like a couple more but won't till I can make the run bigger.

[treacleminer]

A coop and enclosed run are fine but make sure that they have enough head room to 'flap' wings and stretch out a bit.  Various threads on here about people either moving runs daily or giving permanent position with bark chip floors.  
I did find when I had an ark that I lifted the whole side off to access eggs, it was quite heavy and the side I lifted in and out split after a while.
Some very pretty (and pricey) hen houses out there which could look good in a garden - domestic fowl trust, omlet etc! can spend hours looking online if your not careful!

[geoffwales]

I was looking at these two types
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Chicken-poultry-house-ark-run-MASSIVE-1-5m-x-1-5m_W0QQitemZ160254125746QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item160254125746&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CHICKEN-COOP-HEN-HOUSE-POULTRY-ARK-CHICKEN-ARK-AND-RUN_W0QQitemZ170231292717QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170231292717&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[treacleminer]

I suppose both are the same distance from north wales buyer collects!
1st one - the ramp looks quite steep so talking from the point of my great knowledge (none or guesswork!) I would think it was most suitable for smallish chickens - warrens or maybe bantams as larger ones may not like the ramp.
I was told that arks were originally that shape because when placed in mixed livestock fields it stopped the sheep jumping on them!

[Zak the Rabbit]

think of it this way - if you lived on a farm, then had to move to a flat, would you think it cruel? probably no, but if you had to live in a cupboard then yes you would. Whats the difference? - space. The chooks, like yourself, need space to stretch, move about, have a roam around, bit of a scratt and peck, and space stops them getting bored.

so long as they have enough space to be comfortable and happy, they will be fine. Mine live in a homemade house about 4ft x 6ft floor, like a shed on wheels, during the day they have access to a run some 6ft x 10ft ish, and i keep 4 hybrid layers very happily. They are allowed to freerange in the garden when i am there, but thats every other few days, so they can be considered as living in that house and run. Oh, and build your own, it far cheaper!


oh, and a bit of advice to everyone - a 6ft length of old 20mm white plastic cable trunking (square stuff) makes a great 'herding' wand!  i can use mine to direct the chooks where i want them without touching them with it if they go near places i dont want them

[daz]

i dont think they are cruel but i wouldnt like to put anywhere near as much hens in there as they claim but on the other hand mine get to free range the garden when im home and when im out the garden and they are in their run they stare at me and make a bit of noise as if they are asking/telling me to let them out so altho they are happy couped up they are happier free ranging



someone on here posted a link to £65 coup buy one of them and then spend the rest on materials to build the biggest run you have room for

[violet]

I am a beginer and luckily our birds have a very large garden to free range or should I say trash about in!  I was amazed just how far the birds walk/run in a day, so from that observation I do not think they would be very happy in a small coop...as I say it's only from watching not years of experience :roll:

[Porffor]

Being new to chooks i very recently looked at such runs. My sister hasn't got chickens yet but plans to get an arc. Personally we went the run and house route. Started off with a converted hutch inside the 3mx2.5m run. Then saw a fantastic dog kennel in really solid wood with a door. So converted that into a henhouse and it sits on a stand outside the run, the edge of the run goes to the front of hte house and a steep ladder leads up.. wasn't sure my hybrids would cope with that, but they do fine walk up it with a little flapping of wings now and then and fly down in the morning, hubby reckoned this might deter a fox getting into the henhouse and i can see his point as a dog wouldn't be able to balance on it for sure.

Ok.. sorry to rabbit on.

If you look on ebay there are henhouses that are 'boxed in' with a run that is head height for you to walk in. that way you could have some logs a dust bath and plenty of space for shelter and feed These are a much better option 'off the peg' I feel. There are some around hte price braket you are looking at there too.

good luck with the choices..

[henpecked]

I really would only feel comfortable with one of those if the chooks were mainly free-ranging in the garden and the run was only for odd times, certainly not on a daily basis.

I'm just basing that on how happy my chooks are in their current set up a walk in house approx 6' x 12' and the run approx 12x18. In no way do they ever seem enclosed, the run has no roof and the house is big enough for them to scratch around in there too...especially on a weekend morning when no one fancies being up at the crack of dawn.

IMHO it kind of defeats the object (or at least my object of keeping chooks   )

[geoffwales]

Their seems to be a very mixed bag of feelings as to what is free and what isnt considered cruel. im thinking possibly three in a ark with the run underneath aprox 1.5 x 1.5 mtr

[daz]

Their seems to be a very mixed bag of feelings as to what is free and what isnt considered cruel. im thinking possibly three in a ark with the run underneath aprox 1.5 x 1.5 mtr

if you get a small one then get some ex bats then atleast altho some people may consider the arks cruel its still a hell of alot better life than they are used to