http://www.forshamcottagearks.co.uk/iph.htm -- Lawrence F. London, Jr. Venaura Farm http://metalab.unc.edu/intergarden /permaculture /intergarden/orgfarm /ecolandtech lflondon@mindspring.com london@metalab.unc.eduTitle: chickens,hen coops,bantams,poultrys,banties,bantys,fowls,hen houses
The Romney RangeThis range of arks is an evolutionary development of our Forsham 600's series. ( Thanks to Mr and Mrs Paul Kemp of Forsham Middle England at Tembury Wells who's idea this was). This range falls between two stools. They are the same basic unit as the Forshams but incorporating the Penshurst's covered run end for bird and feed protection and the door in the run to aid when catching. Making a more user and hen friendly ark. The units all have access to the front and side of the run area plus a door to the rear of the house the 305 & 306 also have side doors into the house. Removable perching also enables easier cleaning. arks. Romney Options.SCRATCH MAT Sheet of 2"x 2" mesh that goes on the ground in the run area
to stop digging in and out. ROMNEY 302BThe smallest Romney is ideally suited to being a broody Ark giving shelter to hen and
chicks. The 302b can be used as permanent fold for a very small bantam trio or a rabbit
shelter. ROMNEY 303The ideal birds for this ark would be a bantam trio although a pair of medium size hens
could use it. ROMNEY 305House five standard hens or bantams. ROMNEY 306
The Penshurst RangeThe Penshurst is a new range of housing that has one major advantage over the other units we build, in that it has draft walls which afford the hens protection from the side winds. There is also a covered area at the front of the run for further bird protection and to keep their feed dry . A door in the side of the run helps when catching. All the triangle walls are fully removable including the central the pophole wall. There is a nest access hatch (except the 302) set into the back door for egg collection. Which does restrict the chances of a bird doing a "runner" when your trying to collect eggs. The nest and perching also dismantle to aid when cleaning. The nest does have night shutters but I must be honest because the shutters are so low they are awkward to operate. Penshurst OptionsSCRATCH MAT Sheet of 2"x 2" mesh that goes on the ground in the run area
to stop digging in and out. PENSHURST 402 There isn't an egg
collection door in this unit as its prime purpose is as a broody unit or pet pen. I am
told that the 402 is ideal for quail but I have never kept quail and would have to guided
by more time served keepers. It would house a small Bantam Trio. PENSHURST 404
PENSHURST 405The 405 is suited for a large cockerel with 3 to 4 hens, you could use
it for half a dozen hens but I am of the opinion that the 405 would be under utilised. The Lenham RangeThis range of housing has been designed to ease many of the more tedious tasks that accompany fowl keeping such as cleaning. It also incorporates features that have evolved through many years of bird keeping where you learn the shortcomings of ill conceived poultry housing the hard way. All of the Lenham range have removable nest boxes and side walls, removable perching, full length ridge ventilation, and carrying handles. The internal arrangements are made to keep cleaning as easy as possible. The external access nest box bank and the wall opposite lift away from and house and so , in a few moments the house is open right through for maximum access. The removable perching has been arranged in two banks either side of the central pop hole door and are angled to rise away from the door. This encourages the early roosting birds to occupy the highest perches and, therefore, the furthest from the door so avoiding congestion - even the birds at the bottom end of the pecking order get a perch. The walled corridor between the perch banks may be drawn out through the pop hole door, with the perches and corridor fitted the hens cannot get under the perching, so are barred access to accumulated night droppings. An old feeding bag left under the perching is a simple aid to cleaning. The central corridor has another advantage in being the only part of the ark floor the birds can walk on before mounting a perch, so takes the brunt of any soiling brought into the house by the hens. Because it can be removed, the normally tedious task of scraping dried compact soiling becomes much easier. My mother-in-law, to good effect, ties the perching and corridor together and soaks them in the duck pond while she sees to the rest of the ark. Another pet hate I have is birds using the nest boxes as sleeping quarters, or they perch on the edge of the boxes, soiling the nesting litter which results in dirty and, in my opinion, unappetising eggs. So we have incorporated night shutters which when in place, stop occupation of the nests, keeping fowling to a minimum. Lenham Options LENHAM 503 Smallest but none
the less affective the Lenham 503 will facilitate 6 laying birds, or 3 large fowl hens
with cockerel. LENHAM 504 The Lenham 504 will
house 12 Laying Hens or 6 large fowl with a cockerel. LENHAM 505
The Forsham RangeA comprehensive range of arks, having the traditional format of house and run in line.
Ideally suited to short in leg birds like Pekins that do not like to climb. All the arks
in this range have front access into the run area, large rear doors into the house The 605
and 606 also have side doors into the housing area. All have externally operated pop hole
doors and, of course, carrying handles. Forsham Options.SCRATCH MAT Sheet of 2"x 2" mesh that goes on the ground in the run area
to stop digging in and out. FORSHAM 602A This broody ark
gives a sitting hen a secure haven during incubation and a safe run area during the first
few weeks of life for the chicks. With this ark the hen can scratch and show her brood how
to feed without fear of magpie or crow.Also make a good lawn run for a Rabbit. FORSHAM 602BThe 602B has the same obvious advantages as the 602A but is longer. It also has a
nesting area and perch take making this ark dual purpose, as a broody ark or a permanent
ark for very small bantams. May be used as rabbit housing or as an isolation unit for
birds that may need separating from the flock. FORSHAM 603 Designed for a
bantam trio where segregation to maintain purity of breed is essential. Removable perching
and nest box partitioning are standard features of this ark and contribute to ease of
maintenance and usage. FORSHAM 605For up to 5 medium sized hens or bantams, the 605 has the advantage of an extra side
door into the house. FORSHAM 606The largest ark in the Forsham range, the 606 has the extra head room required when
confining a cockerel. The 606 will house 6 to 7 medium sized birds or a large fowl trio.
And the advantage of an extra side door into the house. The Rye RunA multi options run with multi option usage. The Rye Run options give you the chance to
customise a run to suit your particular requirements. The wall and roof format is
standard, the customising is achieved by selecting one of the gable end options. The Rye
Run ideally should be used as a stand alone run unit in conjunction with our 801.802.803.
503*.504.505. night arks. It may also be used to extended the runs on the 303.305 306.
603,605.606. The Rye will make a secure pet run and if a personal door gable is used the
children could use it as a well. Rye OptionsSCRATCH MAT Sheet of 2"x 2" mesh that goes on the ground in the run area
to stop digging in and out. RYE WALL & ROOF SETNo matter what purpose you require the run for, the walls and roof sections are the same. The set has a one third boarded section to give all round cover. The remaining being wired and with a wired door in one roof section. The various run usage options are derived by the permutation of end gables you build into the Rye. BLANK GABLENo doors so is used to block one or both ends of the run with the access via the roof door. ARK DOCK GABLEAllows the run to be docked with the Bedgebury, Lenham , Romney , or Forsham Arks as listed above. Has a combined internal ramp which doubles as a door. PERSONNEL GABLEGives the access required by larger water fowl and would give limited "person" access as well, which would allow children access to their pets. The desirability of that would be for you to decide. POPHOLE GABLEHas a pophole built in to allow the birds to free range from the Run. The Boughton RangeThe Boughton 902A with wheel option When building large framed arks it became apparent that the amount of room within the structure was not being fully utilised. By simply putting the house above the run the resulting arks make more efficient use of the area provided for the number of birds housed. The Boughton cover less ground space than arks of more traditional format and has the added advantage of a covered run, which gives both the hens and costly feed a degree of weather protection. This layout also satisfies the birds' natural instincts by allowing them to go up at night to roost. The Boughtons are specifically designed for bantams and medium sized birds, it is not thought suitable for large fowl. All of the range have full length side doors, access to the runs, at both ends, removable perching and a hinged ladder which may be drawn up to secure the birds at night. The nesting boxes are located at the end of the ark and have their own external egg collecting doors. To stop undesirable night occupation of the nests we have incorporated night shutters, which keeps nest fowling to a minimum and cuts down on egg cleaning time. All have stout carrying handles. Boughton OptionsSCRATCH MAT Sheet of 2"x 2" mesh that goes on the ground in the run area
to stop digging in and out. BOUGHTON 902 BOUGHTON 902A The
Boughton 902A housing for six to seven hens an ideal first time keeper unit. This is the
ark that we supplied to Channel 4's The Big Breakfast Show when the fox got into their old
house and killed their hens. The 902 A has one nest box. BOUGHTON 903 Nesting
boxes at both ends, accommodates up to 10 hens. BOUGHTON 904
ORPINGTON POULTRY HOUSE 1006
We have brought together many features from two of our best arks. In this design we
have incorporated the covered run and the "no bending to clean" concept of the
Boughton Range, and the removable nest boxes with night shutters and easy clean features
of the Lenham Range. The resulting ark has a versatility all of its own. As the name
suggests, its prime function is as a secure unit for housing large fowl birds, but the
features enable the house to be used as a more intensive hen pen for the purpose of the
producing eggs in the garden. The birds are well sheltered from rain, wind and sun. The
area under the house where the birds will dust bath has its own door to enable you to
check feed and water without going into the run. When it comes to cleaning, the ark really
comes into its own. Firstly, the birds are shut out of the house, then you are able to
remove the nest box bank and open opposite door . This opens the ark right through. The
area beneath the removable perching is inaccessible to the hens. Night droppings lay,
uncompacted on a previously placed paper sack which is simply removed and replaced when
necessary. Just inside the pop hole door, where the really compacted soiling occurs, is
both fully accessible and just below waist level, so the simple use of "pooh"
scraper soon has it clean. ® Registered Trade Mark of Robert Joseph Pellett, 18 March 1994, © Robert Joseph Pellett, All Rights Reserved. |