A Frame Tractor

[FireFlower4]

I am of the mind to build an A frame coop and run to move around. I may do free range later and periodically.

Can anyone share their thoughts and experiences using one. Preferred floor space on the ground and in the nesting spaces per bird, height and length, etc etc.

Any build plans??

Thanks

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

All the small enough to be portable A-frames I've seen end up being crowded for head room.
They might work OK for just a few birds tho.

Try reading some of these threads:
advanced search>titles only>A frame

 

[cabincreations]

You might want to look into hoop houses instead...they are easy to move around, easy to build, and can be tarped for the winters, or partially tapped for the summers...
I looked at the A frames a lot as well and the hoop houses are a much better option I think

 

[jmurf]

I'm about to put this to use. The friend who gave it to me outgrew it, but he liked it when he had 4 chickens. It's rated at 2-4 chickens. Reviews are good. With 4 birds it provides more than 4' per bird. It looked a little small though so I built the extension. No wheels on this one, but my wife and daughter can move it around.

 

[cholland]

X2 on the hoop house. I built an 8x8 with Livestock panels and love it.
I also have an A frame tractor and don't use it. They really only have room for a couple of full size birds. I keep it around in case I need to isolate someone.

 

[FireFlower4]

Numbers I see for the amount of room per bird is around 3-5 sq ft per bird. I have 6 gals so anything 4x8 would suffice would it not??
That's the size at least of the A frame I was planning to build. Perhaps even 5x10. Thoughts or comments??

 

[aart]

Space....https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

 

[WesleyBeal]

I put an A-Frame together last year as a grow-out area for my chicks, before I finished cleaning up the old coop.

First time doing it, I made mine 16' long, and around 5' high at the center. That was a mistake. It's too difficult to move around. If I installed wheels on one end I could move it enough with a dolly, but still not very easy to move.

If I did it again, I'd make one shorter in height and length. I think they're a fine concept, if you get set up so you don't ever need to go into the things. Something low enough that doors on the top/sides would allow you to reach to the ground and halfway across the width. That way you could reach everywhere without having to either crawl or hunch through the inside of the thing.

Maybe 8' long, and 3' high?

I chose to do an A-Frame rather than a hoop-coop, because working with the materials for an A-Frame came more naturally to me. If you've got the space for a higher structure, I think I like the concept of the hoop-coop better. It's lighter, and more easy to access.

On the other hand, an A-Frame seems easier to store out of the way when not in use.