I always jump in with both feet, and went into this last spring knowing nothing. I have a tendency to obsess, so I ate this forum up, there are so many experienced, smart people on here!
My original plan was not to free range, but to totally protect the birds 24/7 within the tractor. So the Flying Fortress was born. There's no better system than a tractor, except one, free ranging, if it's possible.
So to answer your question, yes I move the tractor once a week, to keep it very fresh, plus, like the last two days, it's rained all day, so they stayed in. That's why you still need 10 square feet per bird, because they'll be days they can't come out.
Other than that, mine free range all day, everyday.
I am aware of the weather, and if a storms coming in, I might move the tractor a few days early, if I think I won't be able to move it for a few days because of snow. That sets me up before the storm, with fresh grass in the tractor.
Yes it's nice not have mess with poop because I'm a tractor, or if the predator situation spun out of control, I can go back to the tractor function.
But it's a little more expensive to build a tractor, and some people don't have enough land, and some people don't have something to pull it with, so if you're committed to free ranging especially, you don't have to have a tractor, but if you want bang for your buck, you can save money, and get a lot of space, with hoop coop.
Properly designed and oriented, there's no space that will do a better job of keeping your birds healthy and happy, even if you spent a great deal more than the hoop coop cost. You do need a 2x6 center post at one end, and a door at the other end, with a header. Between the post and the header you need a 2x6 running down the center ceiling of the length of the tractor, secured to the header and center post. That keeps snow from collapsing the hoop.
My original plan was not to free range, but to totally protect the birds 24/7 within the tractor. So the Flying Fortress was born. There's no better system than a tractor, except one, free ranging, if it's possible.
So to answer your question, yes I move the tractor once a week, to keep it very fresh, plus, like the last two days, it's rained all day, so they stayed in. That's why you still need 10 square feet per bird, because they'll be days they can't come out.
Other than that, mine free range all day, everyday.
I am aware of the weather, and if a storms coming in, I might move the tractor a few days early, if I think I won't be able to move it for a few days because of snow. That sets me up before the storm, with fresh grass in the tractor.
Yes it's nice not have mess with poop because I'm a tractor, or if the predator situation spun out of control, I can go back to the tractor function.
But it's a little more expensive to build a tractor, and some people don't have enough land, and some people don't have something to pull it with, so if you're committed to free ranging especially, you don't have to have a tractor, but if you want bang for your buck, you can save money, and get a lot of space, with hoop coop.
Properly designed and oriented, there's no space that will do a better job of keeping your birds healthy and happy, even if you spent a great deal more than the hoop coop cost. You do need a 2x6 center post at one end, and a door at the other end, with a header. Between the post and the header you need a 2x6 running down the center ceiling of the length of the tractor, secured to the header and center post. That keeps snow from collapsing the hoop.
