Plinky
Chirping
- Mar 9, 2016
- 196
- 27
- 94
I was planning to have my coop built two weeks ago, but illness, weather, etc have caused delays. We have 4 chicks 4 - 4 1/2 weeks. As I wrote in another post different stages of development one mostly down, one mostly feathers... They are flying around the brooder box (2 x 2 x 5') and I feel like I've got to get them somewhere bigger and better!
So I think I should build a "tractor" and put if out on warm days (possibly with a lamp run out if the temp is less than 75° during the day) and bring the tractor into the garage at night (with heat lamp as garage is cool). Later I can use the tractor in my garden or as an isolation pen.
This will get me time to build the coop the way I want to.
Does that sound like something that will be ok to do?
My big concern are predators. We have EVERYTHING, really EVERYTHING.
I have seen that most tractors do not have wire floors in the run part. I would like the chicks to be able to scratch and peck at the ground but I am afraid that some critter will crawl under the edge and attack them.
Would it be horrible to have a hardware cloth floor in the tractor?
In the permanent coop I am planning a deep litter run with a deeply buried wire perimeter.
Sorry if these questions are obvious but I really appreciate just sounding out other chicken owners on this forum!
So I think I should build a "tractor" and put if out on warm days (possibly with a lamp run out if the temp is less than 75° during the day) and bring the tractor into the garage at night (with heat lamp as garage is cool). Later I can use the tractor in my garden or as an isolation pen.
This will get me time to build the coop the way I want to.
Does that sound like something that will be ok to do?
My big concern are predators. We have EVERYTHING, really EVERYTHING.
I have seen that most tractors do not have wire floors in the run part. I would like the chicks to be able to scratch and peck at the ground but I am afraid that some critter will crawl under the edge and attack them.
Would it be horrible to have a hardware cloth floor in the tractor?
In the permanent coop I am planning a deep litter run with a deeply buried wire perimeter.
Sorry if these questions are obvious but I really appreciate just sounding out other chicken owners on this forum!