Large numbers of chickens confined to a small space as in industrial farming, results in stress, restricted movement, over-heating in the summer, leading to a build-up of ammonia pollution from their droppings.

 

One of the advantages of keeping your own chickens is an opportunity to give them a better life. Chickens who are allowed free range, provides part of their diet through foraging, and will in result be healthier. Their instinct to peck and dig after plants and insects will also mean a natural pest-control and airing of the ground, while their manure acts as an excellent fertiliser. Permaculture offers a great system for chicken ranging by keeping them in moveable pens, on a rotation basis. Once an area has been scratched and dug to the desired level, the chickens are moved to the next patch. Here is an example diagram on how this works:

But the only way for this system to work, offering its benefits to both chickens and gardeners, is to have enough space to move the chickens around. Land in cities can be scarce, and many people do not have the space needed per chicken in organic systems even for themselves. But small land patches can be brought together into a bigger sum. By joining the Co-Coop initiative with neighbours and neighbouring gardens, a Chicken Tractor System can be hatched.

 

 

This does not mean you have to start knocking down your garden fences. Everyone needs a little piece of privacy and quiet, especially when living in big, busy cities. The Co-Coop building workshop will offer you advice on how to share your chickens with your neighbours while keeping the privacy of your back garden intact.

You can also download a template for a rota/ flock record here, or attend a Co-Coop Keeping workshop to learn more about keeping chickens collaboratively. Please find more information here.