Farming on pasture is rewarding. But it’s also a lot of work.

Spanning 1,200 acres in Perryville, Arkansas, Heifer Ranch is committed to regenerative agriculture, raising broilers, turkeys, layers, grass-fed sheep and cattle, and woodlot pigs.

Their products are sold through Grass Roots Farmers Co-op, making sure high-quality, pasture-raised meat reaches consumers who care about sustainability.

As demand grew, so did their flock. But with growth came challenges.

Managing more birds meant more coops to move, more feed to distribute, and not enough hours in the day. Burnout was setting in, and the team needed a better way to keep up.

That’s when they found the ROVA|BARN, a mobile poultry coop designed to do the hard work for them.

What is the ROVA|BARN?

The ROVA|BARN is an automated mobile poultry barn designed to make pasture-based farming easier and more efficient.

Unlike traditional chicken coops, the ROVA|BARN moves itself daily and provides fresh grass and bedding for your flock without requiring heavy labour.

It uses automatic feeding and watering systems, intelligent ventilation, and predator-proofing, all of which can be controlled remotely via a mobile app.

Built to support regenerative agriculture, the ROVA|BARN encourages healthier livestock and reduces manual labour so farmers can focus on growth rather than daily chores.

The Challenge

Before using the ROVA|BARN, Heifer Ranch faced a big challenge: labour shortages.

As they scaled up their poultry production, the time and effort needed to move and feed their birds started to become unsustainable.

“The majority of the day solely revolved around the basic chores, and we had little time to spend doing other things. All of us working with the livestock were getting burnt out,” explained Sam Noble, Poultry Production Specialist at Heifer International's Heifer Ranch.

The constant need for new hires became a costly issue. Training new farmhands took up valuable time and resources, and the farm’s productivity and profitability started to feel the impact.

"We were all getting burnt out doing poultry chores and had difficulty retaining employees, which in turn cost us more money having to retrain new farmhands from the repeated turnover,” explained Noble.

The Solution

When Heifer Ranch discovered the ROVA|BARN, they quickly realized it could help them create a more efficient farming system.

But first, it had to be built.

Four members of the UKKÖ team flew to Arkansas, where all the materials were ready on-site. With several ROVA|BARN setups already under our belt, we followed the same streamlined setup process—assembling the structure, wheels, and hoop frame before adding the roof, feed bins, water tanks, and electrical components. In just four days, the barn was up and running, and our team trained Sam on how to operate it.

“The ROVA|BARN stood out because of the quality of the barn and the time and thought that Dan and Kat put into every detail. Many farmers are hesitant when it comes to technology, but they made the whole process smooth and simple.”

The only real challenge? The Arkansas heat—and the spiders. Lots of spiders. But nothing can stop the UKKÖ team from getting the job done.

How Exactly Did It Help?

Since adding the ROVA|BARN900 to their farm, Heifer Ranch has drastically reduced their labour needs:

• A job that once required 2-3 people and a tractor now only takes ONE person—without a tractor.
• The time they’ve saved on feeding, moving, and maintaining coops now goes into improving other farm operations.
• The automated system eliminates the physical burnout of their daily poultry chores.

Heifer’s Favourite ROVA|BARN Features

Heifer Ranch has a few favourite features of the ROVA|BARN mobile barn that they love most:

• Automated Movement—No more dragging coops across fields, phew! The ROVA|BARN moves itself for fresh grass and bedding daily.
• Smart Feeding & Watering—The external feed and water tanks make refilling fast and easy.
• Remote Monitoring—Through the app-controlled system and built-in cameras, they’re able to check on their birds without needing to be in the field.
• Climate Control—Automatic curtains will adjust for optimal coop temperature for healthier poultry.

The Best Mobile Coop for Pasture-Based Farming

The upfront cost of the ROVA|BARN might seem significant, but for Heifer Ranch, the long-term savings on labour and equipment have made it well worth their investment.

“With the labour and tractor use it will save us, the cost will pay for itself in no time,” said Noble.

The ROVA|BARN also represents a new era of pasture-based poultry farming—one that makes regenerative agriculture more accessible, scalable, and sustainable.

“Automated mobile coops are the next step in bringing pasture-raised meat and eggs to more accessible markets,” explained Noble. “The ROVA|BARN is what the mobile hoop coop is to Salatin tractors—a game changer for the entire pastured meats industry.”

UKKÖ Robotics and Regenerative Farming

At UKKÖ Robotics, we believe in solutions that empower farmers, reduce labour burdens, and improve sustainability. The ROVA|BARN is part of a larger shift towards more efficient, environmentally responsible agriculture.

By making pasture-based systems more practical and scalable, the ROVA|BARN helps farms like Heifer Ranch focus on soil health, animal welfare, and long-term sustainability. Its self-moving design allows for even manure distribution to improve pasture fertility, and the automated feeding and watering system eliminates waste and optimizes resource use. And by reducing the need for heavy equipment, it lowers fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Regenerative farming is the future, and we’re trying to make it more accessible than ever.

Interested in seeing how the ROVA|BARN could work for your farm? Learn more or book a demo today.