Pastured Poultry

In this production system, birds are housed at night for protection and released during the day. Housing can be more substantial than a field pen since it is not moved daily by hand-the housing is towed (by tractor, pick-up, or horse) every week or so to prevent wear on the pasture. Beck-Chenoweth uses a shelter on skids enclosed with chicken wire with litter- covered floors, tarp-covered gable roofs, and doors on both ends. The only fencing required is perimeter fencing to deter daytime predators such as dogs. Enclosed is an older Extension publication showing construction plans for a summer range poultry shelter on skids. .
             Salatin's "eggmobile," discussed in Sustainable Chicken Production, is an example of a free-range system adapted for layers. He built a 20' x 12' house on a trailer for 100 hens. An enclosed article illustrates and describes the eggmobile.
             Automation is employed by some free-range producers to reduce the time needed to close doors at night. An enclosed article discusses an automatically closing chicken door.
             British companies offer "ark" housing, most versions of which are portable and designed for small-scale layer flocks on pasture. Contact Forsham Cottage Arks (7) for a U.S. dealer. U.S.-designed ark housing has recently become available. Stephen Keel of Egganic Industries (8) has developed the "Henspa"-a unit for 12 layers that can be moved on lawns or pasture. It is designed for busy people and features an automatic feeder and waterer. See the enclosed Internet print-out for more information. The price is high-$870 to $1195-and currently no plans are sold. North Dakota State University (NDSU) offers blueprints for many different types of poultry housing. Most of the blueprints are from older Extension materials and some are portable designs on skids. Call NDSU at 701-231-7883 to request a list of available blueprints, or visit their website and search using the keywords "poultry+housing.