The story goes that Man strayed so far from his intended path, that the biggest "do over" in history was necessary to right him. In one story, the Ark became the vessel that held the genetic material to repopulate the Earth. Hmmm....
It is hard to look at modern Agriculture and not wonder if such a monumental "do over" is again necessary to right that which has been defiled. I apologize for such harsh words, but our industrial food system is nothing less than an abomination of Nature. A complete redo is necessary to fix such a catastrophic mess the industrial machine has made of it. If you have not seen Food, Inc., then you need to. See the Food, Inc. website at http://www.foodincmovie.com/. Factory farming of everything from chickens to pigs to corn and soy have taken the soul out of the most spiritual connection a organism of this planet can experience, the act of eating. And now genetic tampering and patenting of the blueprints of life threaten to ruin the gift of life for future generations (Sign the petition to establish Monterey County as a GMO Free Zone at http://www.gmofreemontereycounty.org/).
On the foundation of such chaos, I have undertaken to begin rasing food. Though my primary crop has been lavender, I have been working with the home garden for a number of years. This year however, I am expanding to include chickens. Part of a journey to connect with food beyond gazing lifelessly at a carton of eggs in the sterile refrigerator of a corporate supermarket. To do this, you must know the soul of the organism that gives you life. You must respect it as a living being. You must care for it. Our modern corporate industrial agriculture is anything but respect for life. It is time to change that.
Here I hold a member of my new flock. She is a Barred Rock chicken. These are some of my favorites. They are very curious birds. I have other types, but these little gals are amongst my favorites. They approach me and offer only a token complaint when I pick them up. They are not as flighty as some of the other breeds of chicken. They don't bully their way to the feed dish. They seem to trust me, that I will ensure they get the food they need. They are not dominated by fear, and rather have a healthy curiosity for life.When I thought about building a coop for my new chickens, symbolically it was a monumental departure. Leave the industrial food system behind, and begin a new food future. From the ground up. Though storm clouds may not fill the sky, they fill the future of food here on tiny planet Earth. The raindrops are each act of human folly. When we think we know better than nature. When I thought about building a new home for these gals, the image of the Ark popped into my mind.
To the right is a filmstrip of the construction. I started with a trailer base and an open bottom. The idea here is that the manure is able to fall directly onto the ground, and the Ark can be then moved to a new location. The manure can be disked into the soil upon which I can plant new food.I constructed the walls from standard 2x4 studs. Then fastened them onto the open-bottom foundation. Though conceptually the design imitates the Ark of the legends, it has a practical purpose. The large central hallway allows for easy entrance without stuping. The lower sides can enclose and shelter the nesting boxes. Access panels allow egg gathering w/o entry into the coop (a definite plus, if you've ever been inside a chicken coop, you know why!).
I roofed th coup with corrugated metal panels, which are economical, and light weight. The siding is of inexpensive plywood, which will be painted on the outside for protection against the elements, but left natural on the inside.
A door is placed on each end for easy access. The top tower has wire mesh for ventilation. Cool air can be drawn through the open wire floor, and vent out through the top on hot days. For winter, I'm thinking I can construct shutters for the top openings to provide additional shelter and protection during cold months.
Inside, on each side, there is a battery of nesting boxes for the little ladies to do their business. Here you can see an interior view, the nesting boxes on each side, the open wire floor, the "windows" at the top, and the open door at the far end. Cozy?
Well, the new hens seem to think so. They watched me from the window of their temporary shelter as I worked. Today they keep me company, and I feed them. And tomorrow, they will give me fresh eggs to eat. They are looking forward to moving into their new Ark. Maybe a day or so more and the new home should be ready. I just need to finish the doors, and put a second layer of wire on the bottom to keep predators from reaching their little feet.
I'm as anxious as they are for them to move in!
