Has anyone used the A Frame Chicken Tractor plans from Green Willow Homestead?

[crailly71]

Hi! I'm looking for coop advice. I will preface this by saying that we have previously enjoyed having chickens in the Midwest but have since moved to the Southeast and this will be our first experience in this hotter climate.

My husband often travels for work so we are specifically looking for Chicken Tractor design options that I can move myself. We have built our own coop in the past, but we need something quickly that doesn't get too heavy to move so we are considering purchasing a design. We like the idea of an A-frame or ideally a modified A-frame with nesting boxes. This search lead me to Green Willow Homestead and we are currently considering purchasing the plans for the Medium size chicken tractor available here: https://www.greenwillowhomestead.com/mobile-chicken-tractor-build-plans.html

Our main concern is using the White Corrugated Metal Sheeting they recommend. There seems to be adequate ventilation, but we are still a little worried about our girls getting too hot in the summer. Can anyone look at this design and give recommendations? Here are some pics from their site for further reference. We have 4 new baby chicks but know from experience that going bigger is better so we would like to start with the option of being able to add a few more if we decide to (our max plan here would be up to 8 chickens to be able to maintain portability and adequate space to keep our chickens happy).

• Flock Size: 6 - 10 hens
• Dimensions: 6’W x 10’L x 5.5’H
• Nesting Boxes: 4

Thanks in advance!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Seems a little small for that many hens.
I've never used it, sorry. Hope somebody that has comes along soon!

 

[McChooky]

Hi! I'm looking for coop advice. I will preface this by saying that we have previously enjoyed having chickens in the Midwest but have since moved to the Southeast and this will be our first experience in this hotter climate.

My husband often travels for work so we are specifically looking for Chicken Tractor design options that I can move myself. We have built our own coop in the past, but we need something quickly that doesn't get too heavy to move so we are considering purchasing a design. We like the idea of an A-frame or ideally a modified A-frame with nesting boxes. This search lead me to Green Willow Homestead and we are currently considering purchasing the plans for the Medium size chicken tractor available here: https://www.greenwillowhomestead.com/mobile-chicken-tractor-build-plans.html

Our main concern is using the White Corrugated Metal Sheeting they recommend. There seems to be adequate ventilation, but we are still a little worried about our girls getting too hot in the summer. Can anyone look at this design and give recommendations? Here are some pics from their site for further reference. We have 4 new baby chicks but know from experience that going bigger is better so we would like to start with the option of being able to add a few more if we decide to (our max plan here would be up to 8 chickens to be able to maintain portability and adequate space to keep our chickens happy).

View attachment 3065269

• Flock Size: 6 - 10 hens
• Dimensions: 6’W x 10’L x 5.5’H
• Nesting Boxes: 4

Thanks in advance!

If you count the square footage of the nest boxes as usable space(which you can't) this tractor is only big enough for your 4 chicks when grown (15 sq foot per bird coop and run combined) If it was me I would modify the plans and make 2 nest boxes instead of 4 and give them more room .I would also put the wheels in the middle instead of the end so it'll roll easier. If you should decide to build a bigger coop later you can always use this tractor for 4 hens at a time.

 

[aart]

One of the biggest cons to Aframes is that they are hard to ventilate well and weather proof.
The 3 little holes shown in the pics are not adequate ventilation.
You're going to need lots of ventilation in the south.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. from the NC Sandhills.

but have since moved to the Southeast and this will be our first experience in this hotter climate.

As a fellow resident of the Steamy Southeast, here's an article for you: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

• Flock Size: 6 - 10 hens
• Dimensions: 6’W x 10’L x 5.5’H
• Nesting Boxes: 4

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

BUT, here in the Steamy Southeast, I find that it usually takes either DEEP shade or a minimum of double to triple the suggested minimum ventilation to keep the coop under 100F on a 90F day.

One of the problems with A-frame designs is that they're dreadfully-hard to ventilate -- if you make them rain-proof by extending the roof down to the ground then there's no airflow. And if you're going to put them in the sun you don't have a coop, you have a rotisserie.

The best coop design for a hot climate is an Open Air style -- essentially a roofed wire box with a 3-sided shelter at one end. This one, a hoop tractor version, is a good design: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/ I myself would make it possible to roll up the tarps on the sides and leave a vent at the top of the back as well because airFLOW is key.

The plans you're looking at are too small for your proposed flock.

6 hens

• 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
• 6 feet of roost
• 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
• 6 square feet of ventilation.
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

You see that, at 6x10, it's only big enough to be the run for 6 birds, not the coop and run together.

It's also wasting space by having too many nests -- one of my rules of thumb is that a coop design with too many nests shows that the designer didn't know much about chickens' actual needs and thus it probably has other flaws too.

Why do you want a tractor specifically? Do you have photos of the yard where you plan to keep them?

 

[crailly71]

One of the biggest cons to Aframes is that they are hard to ventilate well and weather proof.
The 3 little holes shown in the pics are not adequate ventilation.
You're going to need lots of ventilation in the south.

Thanks for your response...there is another larger single hole near the peak on the other side and they have a wire open air bottom. I think also because of the corrugated metal there may also be some ventilation gaps there. Looking at it now, I should have included more pics instead of just the collage they had. I am definitely leaning away from this design now that I am getting these excellent responses, especially because of where we live now.

 

[crailly71]

One of the biggest cons to Aframes is that they are hard to ventilate well and weather proof.
The 3 little holes shown in the pics are not adequate ventilation.
You're going to need lots of ventilation in the south.

Thank you, they do have other ventilation built into the coop design, but I guess I didn't provide adequate pics. Looks like this design is not best for us anyway with the responses we are getting. I appreciate the help!

 

[crailly71]

If you count the square footage of the nest boxes as usable space(which you can't) this tractor is only big enough for your 4 chicks when grown (15 sq foot per bird coop and run combined) If it was me I would modify the plans and make 2 nest boxes instead of 4 and give them more room .I would also put the wheels in the middle instead of the end so it'll roll easier. If you should decide to build a bigger coop later you can always use this tractor for 4 hens at a time.

Thank you! I am looking for alternate designs now. I appreciate your advice.

 

[McChooky]

Thank you! I am looking for alternate designs now. I appreciate your advice.

Can you make it bigger to hold more chickens? Moving the wheels will make it a breeze to roll!

 

[3KillerBs]

Can you make it bigger to hold more chickens? Moving the wheels will make it a breeze to roll!

Even enlarged it would still be a design poorly-suited to a hot climate.