Tractor vs stationary

[Coach C]

I now have the resources and time for my coop. I am debating tractor versus stationary. What are y'all's suggestions? Pros and cons of both from experienced chicken people. Thanks in advance.

 

[N F C]

I'll preface this by saying this is just my opinion...

I'd go with the coop first and then maybe a tractor. A coop is stationary and can be really tightened up against predators. You can make it rain, wind and winter proof. You can also make it plenty big enough for most flocks.

Tractors you want to make light and small enough to move around a yard or pasture; that limits a tractor on size. In my mind a tractor is to enable the chickens to "graze" so you would have to leave the bottom open. An uncovered bottom allows digging predators access to the chickens.

I think they both have their place but to me, the coop comes first. Others may see this differently, everyone has their own situations to address so there isn't necessarily a right or wrong answer.

 

[PaigeBundy]

We put a small coop on a trailer and LOVE it ... Got a solar powered electric fence that is easy to move to go around it and keep the coons out. It's very easy to move around - takes about 35 min to hook the trailer to the 4wheeler and move it and then move the electric fence. We move it once every 3-4weeks. Only problem is now we need to use our trailer ... We've been looking for a design for a coop on some skids so we can easily drag the coop with the four wheeler without wasting our little trailer... Anyone have any pics of a coop on skids??

 

[PaigeBundy]

 

[PaigeBundy]

On the right is the permanent coop that they used to stay in all the time until it became a gross mess and on the left is the tractor... When they turn this spot into a dust bowl we'll move the tractor and the electric fence to a new spot..

 

[snow5164]

I don't understand coop vrs tractor? Shouldn't it be run attached to coop vrs tractor??

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are a lot of different ways you can arrange a tractor or a coop. A tractor might be a totally enclosed area with a run and coop section that has to be moved really often and has a very limited number of chickens you can house in it. A tractor might be a fairly open coop section that can be moved but is surrounded with electric netting to keep predators out. These can house a lot more chickens and don’t have to be moved as much. You may or may not need to have something to pull them or you might be able to do it by hand. There are other versions.

A stationary coop can be of many types. It can be built many different ways and may or may not have a run attached. That run may be totally enclosed or may be open on top.

You may incorporate a level of free range with either tractor or a stationary coop. There are a lot of different ways to manage them with either a tractor or stationary coop. Many people have very fixed ideas of what a tractor or a stationary coop look like but there are a tremendous number of variations of each.

Coach C, a tractor normally implies that you will be moving it pretty often. You are making a time commitment to be available to move it when you need it move it. Some people move their tractors twice a day. Some can go weeks if they are using the electric netting and can enclose a really large area. How often you move it depends a lot on how many chickens you have in it. Some people use tractors year around but a lot use a tractor in the summer when grass is growing and house them in a permanent coop during the winter.

I tried a tractor one summer and was moving it every two or three days. That was too much of a time commitment for me and I soon moved them back to the permanent coop. If it were me I’d build a permanent coop first and make it pretty predator proof and weather resistant. Make it bigger than you think you need too. That would be the base I start with. If you want to do something extra in the future you can but at least you have a good fallback if the tractor does not work out.

 

[RoswellOrganic]

There are a lot of different ways you can arrange a tractor or a coop. A tractor might be a totally enclosed area with a run and coop section that has to be moved really often and has a very limited number of chickens you can house in it. A tractor might be a fairly open coop section that can be moved but is surrounded with electric netting to keep predators out. These can house a lot more chickens and don’t have to be moved as much. You may or may not need to have something to pull them or you might be able to do it by hand. There are other versions.

A stationary coop can be of many types. It can be built many different ways and may or may not have a run attached. That run may be totally enclosed or may be open on top.

You may incorporate a level of free range with either tractor or a stationary coop. There are a lot of different ways to manage them with either a tractor or stationary coop. Many people have very fixed ideas of what a tractor or a stationary coop look like but there are a tremendous number of variations of each.

Coach C, a tractor normally implies that you will be moving it pretty often. You are making a time commitment to be available to move it when you need it move it. Some people move their tractors twice a day. Some can go weeks if they are using the electric netting and can enclose a really large area. How often you move it depends a lot on how many chickens you have in it. Some people use tractors year around but a lot use a tractor in the summer when grass is growing and house them in a permanent coop during the winter.

I tried a tractor one summer and was moving it every two or three days. That was too much of a time commitment for me and I soon moved them back to the permanent coop. If it were me I’d build a permanent coop first and make it pretty predator proof and weather resistant. Make it bigger than you think you need too. That would be the base I start with. If you want to do something extra in the future you can but at least you have a good fallback if the tractor does not work out.

I am new to keeping chickens, have 2 SLW for 3 months and I have a tractor. I completely agree with the above and wish that I had understood better all the pros and cons. I did tons of research and still ended up with the tractor heavier than what I like. I can move it by myself ( I am 5'6" middle age woman in reasonable but not great shape), but it is not something I can tackle everyday, it takes me about 1 hour to get it all done. The run size and only having 2 chickens does let me move it once a week and keep them on fresh grass, but don't think I can do this through our coldest 2 months of the year.
And now that I want to add 2 more chickens I don't have space to keep them in the same coop and separated until they are old enough to be be together, so I need a new, safe place to keep the new girls for 4 months...
So I would say if you can, plan on the big coop and on having enough space to be able to add a grow out partition for new additions.
I am already working on plans for tackling the winter, thinking of going with tunnels to allow them to move around more.
Hope this helps