Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Prod on July 14, 2013, 15:20
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Ive managed to pick up 3 Forsham Arks for £50, a small, medium and large. They need a small amount of work, nothing major but they would all benefit from new floors. With these coops the perches sit only about an inch above the floor so I was thinking instead of re-flooring them with wood I could use mesh instead and then the waste would go directly onto the ground. Each ark has wheels so I can move them around the field. Good idea or not??? :wacko:
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Firstly, congratulations on picking up a major bargain :) Just give them a really good clean in case they harbour red mite or other nasties ;)
Mesh sounds a like a good idea, but make sure a mesh floor would not mean draughts. Shouldn't do if the sides of the ark come right down to the ground, but if there is already a gap at the base for air flow, it could make the coop a bit too draughty :)
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Thanks I got them from a lady who used to breed quite a lot of poultry but is downsizing. She must have spent a fortune when she bought them all, they were all numbered.. I got 1, 6 and 23 :D She creosoted them and they are pretty sound apart from the floors which she said has happened since she has just left them standing. They really just need a good rub down and wood treating. I didn't really want 3 but I thought they were such a bargain.......... cant say on here what me OH said :ohmy: :ohmy: :blush: :blush: :blush:
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You could always sell on what you don't use.
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If you have room for them you can never have too many. :wub:
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a lot of poultry places have mesh floored arks so any mess can just drop down and fertilize the ground. If the whole floor is mesh then draughts shouldn't be a problem - it would be a problem if you had small holes which concentrated the air flow.
I have chickens living in trees all year round without any problems :)
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Hello Prod .
In my previous incarnation I would have made your arks. My wife & I started Forsham in 1979 and lost it in 2011 . I am still ‘at the bench’ making things so if you need parts I could possible help.
Moderator Edit: Email details removed to prevent spam (they are with the admin team should you need them).
Grandad Rob, please remember though that anything on here must be free or swapped for goods - no selling of items allowed.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=19481.0
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A note to new keepers . BETTER DEAD THAN RED
I have kept hens for nearly forty years, run a lot of poultry keeping for beginners courses and spoken with hundreds ( possibly thousands) of first time keepers . Personally, I keep a sprayer near the ark treat at every sign of the little parasites and if I cant see then I’ll assume they are hiding so still spray . Concentrated especially on the perch ends. ! Do not get hung up about mite, but DON’T ignore them either, just handle it like you would flees on the dog or black fly on your beans .
Plastic or wood housing has to be down to personal preference, (mine is wood but i am biased ) just believe me mite really don’t care . They will live in the grass under the house, under the droppingS, in the nest litter. Under the floor liner, under the feeders ..........The secret is to maintain a good husbandry regime and being observant Freddy Hams a renowned old poultry keeper of my acquaintance told me “a good keeper will see today what’s gone wrong tomorrow” .
Granddad Rob