Portable Forage Yard

[dandelionheart]

We have 2 1/3 acres in the city... but would like our hens to enjoy foraging. Hubby and I are trying to design an easily movable yard (like on a sled?) that can dock to our coop/run. It would need to be lightweight and keep daytime predators away. We aren't planning on keeping them in there overnight. We are looking at lightweight wood or PVC... Also affordable. What has worked for others (or not worked)? Pictures would be VERY appreciated. We had been using a screened gazebo tent thing, but it got blown over in the wind (and broke) and we had to scramble to get our crazy girls corralled back into their run.

Too many city concerns to keep them completely free...

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have been looking into this quite a bit for my silkies lately on internet.

The one idea that really interests me is a dog run...I have found them on craigslist, and I think it was amazon.com for around $200-300 new. Ones that you can move around. Maybe 4 feet by 6-8 feet? They have short ones and tall ones. Chain link.

One of my neighbors has their bantams in a movable dog run, with a little dog house for them inside it. I see it moved around their yard. It has a top too to keep hawks out. Theirs is tall.

Oh you are in the city- I think you would definitely want a top on it to keep dogs from jumping over it if you went this route.

http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-7126-12-6-Foot-Kennel/dp/B0009KKTIO/ref=pd_sim_dbs_sg_5
This one isn't highly rated but you get the idea.

 

[dandelionheart]

Ideally we would like to move it every day... so the dog runs I've seen seem a bit much for that... I did just find (when Googling for dog runs) this http://www.thecozynest.com/Housing/hoop_house2.jpg and it seems along the lines of what I'm looking for. We do have a small lawn tractor to pull it if necessary (but would like it if we could do it easily with one person (or two if we have to). The screen gazebo was nice, but it was too flimsy and we want something that would last a while.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Oooooooh- have you looked at the chicken tractor section here?:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/chicken-coop-tractor.html

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

http://cmfarm.us/cheapcoop.html

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
WOW!

How are the tubs connected and kept from coming loose. And are they just for laying?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

little metal hooks catch over the lip in the toats. Look like fish hooks.

Far from bomb proof but they work.

 

[wolftracks]

Did you add the doors or were they vented or what?

Sorry but we were working on some new coops and then mu husband died and I just can't seem to get myself moving. I need extra areas from different breeds and this looks like something I can work on even in the house at night.

So these can be used at night too?

Sorry just got excited seeing something I can do RIGHT NOW.

I need things that are easy to move and simple to clean right now and can keep the drafts off.

What are your tub measurements? Gallon sizes?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
I have a whole page on the building of our chicken forager. It can be found here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=43104-chicken-tractor-forager

We use it for more than the originally intended purpose (confined, protected foraging).

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Dandelionheart--go to my page and you will see our tractor and run. We move it every day. The run is made out of pvc pipe that was our wellwater pipe until we had to pull the pump and replace it. We used the old pipe and bought connectors to make a frame for the run then covered it with chicken wire. I did a second layer around the bottom half and extended it out as an apron. It is open on one side to butt up against the tractor. The tractor has an apron on the bottom and we just connect the apron to the run with ties. The run is lightweight and I can move it myself. I weigh down the apron on the run with some heavy pieces of scrap wood. So far no predators have been around except for the neighbors dogs and they just go around it. Hope this helps.