Free-range chickens do have to have their wandering restricted a little.
Anyone who is thinking of owning free-range chickens is going to need a chicken coop. Whether it is for one chicken or 20 chickens, they are going to need somewhere that can restrict their wanderings a little. Being free-range does not necessarily mean free reign across the land, so it is important to keep all of your chickens together. Otherwise, the neighbors may find their gardens suddenly full of chickens. Some coops are designed to keep the chickens in during the day, while others can house chickens both night and day. Still others are more permanent structures that are built like small homes for a large number of chickens, usually on farms.
Chicken Tractors
Chicken tractors are basically small, lightweight enclosed coops that are designed to be portable. Some are built in a triangular shape, some are built in a rectangular shape and others look like little carts. Most of them have wheels to make them easier to move, and the ones that have the base on the ground usually don't have bottoms. This allows the chickens free range access to the vegetation and insects, and their feces will help fertilize the ground. Usually the coops are built with a wooden frame and then covered in chicken wire, but some people use PVC pipe to build the frame making the coop extremely lightweight. The advantage of wooden frames, however, is the ability to add plywood to the frame to construct sides and possibly a roof.
The Ark
The chicken ark is a contained coop that offers the chickens a place to scratch and graze, a place to roost and a place to nest--all in a compact way that even can be portable. The ark prism shaped with the ends resembling the capital letter A. It has two layers serving different purposes for the chickens. At the bottom is where the chickens can peck at the ground. The top layer is where the chickens can roost and nest. This layer is usually covered by a hinged piece of wood that allows access to the top layer for cleaning and egg collecting. The bottom layer is fenced with chicken wire, and the two layers are connected with a sloping walkway that can be closed at night to protect the chickens and keep them warm.
Big Chicken Houses
Many farmers own a multitude of chickens, so they have to come up with a way to house them all. Big chicken houses are usually the answer. These are built like large storage sheds with multiple pens inside for the birds. Many of these building have shutters that will open to give the chicken free access to outdoor pens during the day. These chicken houses tend to offer a lot more warmth and space for the chickens but are a much bigger area to clean.
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