A video of my hybrid coop/tractor design

[PithyPixel]

I've had chickens off and on my whole life. Which means I have lost my fair share of birds to predators.

I haven't lost a bird yet with my latest hybrid coop/tractor design.

How I Designed my Hybrid Coop/Tractor

It's still a work in progress, but I would love feedback.

 

[cherrynberry]

I've had chickens off and on my whole life. Which means I have lost my fair share of birds to predators.

I haven't lost a bird yet with my latest hybrid coop/tractor design.

How I Designed my Hybrid Coop/Tractor

It's still a work in progress, but I would love feedback.

If the wire is connected to the ground, along with the bricks, how would you still be able to move them to fresh grass? Is the coop movable?

 

[PithyPixel]

If the wire is connected to the ground, along with the bricks, how would you still be able to move them to fresh grass? Is the coop movable?

The hardware cloth is on the ground (not attached to the tractor). This makes it so that digging predators can't dig under the tractor portion. Yeah, essentially the tractor docks to the coop at night. My girls spend the day out on the lawn, eating bugs, digging, and dust-bathing.

 

[21hens-incharge]

How does that work for egg laying?

I see a tarp over it for I presume weather protection. Does it still get hot under the tarp being low to the ground?

 

[PithyPixel]

How does that work for egg laying?

I see a tarp over it for I presume weather protection. Does it still get hot under the tarp being low to the ground?

Really well. These Red Sex Links lay amazingly well. Pretty much every day. I wait to roll them out to pasture until later morning. 99% of the time they have finished laying and are eager to get to the business of digging in the grass.

Yeah the tarp goes on when I know it's going to rain or snow...so no temperature concerns during those times. I plan on eventually making a roll retractable cover...but this works for now.

Fortunately, their portion of lawn is very shady in the hot portion of the day...and usually they are not covered. No heat issues as of yet.

 

[Aunt Tat]

I've had chickens off and on my whole life. Which means I have lost my fair share of birds to predators.

I haven't lost a bird yet with my latest hybrid coop/tractor design.

How I Designed my Hybrid Coop/Tractor

It's still a work in progress, but I would love feedback.

Very clever!!! (More clever than a rascally racoon!)

 

[PithyPixel]

Very clever!!! (More clever than a rascally racoon!)

Hey thanks...that's the hope!

 

[cherrynberry]

The hardware cloth is on the ground (not attached to the tractor). This makes it so that digging predators can't dig under the tractor portion. Yeah, essentially the tractor docks to the coop at night. My girls spend the day out on the lawn, eating bugs, digging, and dust-bathing.

Oh! That’s really nice! So you just have to make sure that the tractor connects to the coop at night...I like the design! It’s like a movable, fully enclosed run...

 

[PithyPixel]

Oh! That’s really nice! So you just have to make sure that the tractor connects to the coop at night...I like the design! It’s like a movable, fully enclosed run...

Yup.