Chickens were an early priority. It is a simple fact that, where animals are introduced into a system, everything moves along much faster. Factory "farmers" fight against the natural inclination of animals to work, to garden, and expend enormous energy doing so. Permaculture design attempts to harness the creative energies of animals and put it to work in evolving the system towards our own goals.

The First Chicken House was based on book designs. A little less than 1m wide, and about 1.5m long, it was built on the ground.