Chicken Tractor Coop - Self-Sustaining

[RWCp]

My wife has always wanted to raise chickens so last year when an opportunity to purchase a home with 2 acres came along we jumped on it. We also had a pole barn constructed which left us with plenty of scrap lumber and metal panels. At first I wasn't fully convinced that I could build this coop, but after a few months of lurking on the BYC and youtube, I talked myself into going for it.

Our biggest challenge is that my wife and I both work in downtown Minneapolis. 30 miles away from our tiny 2 acre paradise. It also doesn't help that we're both restaurant industry which leaves us with sporadic/chaotic schedules. We knew we wouldn't be able to tend to our chickens as well as we would liked to so the goal was to design a self-sustaining coop.

Fast forward 7 months after the build, the coop's proven its durability and reliability. It's endured heat, hail, thunderstorms and finally snow as of last week so it just might survive this crazy Minnesotan weather. Finding the balance between human aesthetics vs practical needs of chickens is always challenging, but it was achievable.

This wouldn't have been possible without the sharing of knowledge across communities from the BYC and youtube. Just wanted to pay it forward and provide my buildout for anyone who would like to build one.

Build time:
45 days

Specs:
18ft x 8ft coop

Food:
(2) 80lb gravity feeders
Last up to 10 days w/ 160 chickens

Water:
(2) 30 gallon horizontal waterers
Last 1.5-2 months w/ 160 chickens

Free range:
Move coop every 2 weeks using a lawn tractor

 

[pennyJo1960]

Great build very solid do you have more ventilation than the three

 

[Wezdin]

Great build very solid do you have more ventilation than the three

What i was thinking, 160 chickens = lots of ammonia.

 

[RWCp]

What i was thinking, 160 chickens = lots of ammonia.

I only kept 160 for about 6 months while a friend was getting his coop ready. I only have 70 full grown chickens now (90 would probably be max) but during the time all 160 chickens were occupying the space the ammonia was surprisingly mellow. I think it was due to the size and placement of the windows.

 

[RWCp]

Great build very solid do you have more ventilation than the three

Thanks. I have soffit vents (3in wide) along the entire perimeter of the roof as well as a ridge cap vent on the top. In regards to windows, there's 6 and they all measure 4' x 2'. I used to leave all 6 windows open during the first month, but later realized 1-3 windows worked just as well. This past summer, I mostly left 2 open all the time.

 

[pennyJo1960]

So you really did do right wonderful for you birds
might want to post this in the coop section would have to rebuild it there under coops

 

[aart]

Have you been thru a winter yet?
Plans for thawed water and frozen eggs?

 

[RWCp]

Have you been thru a winter yet?
Plans for thawed water and frozen eggs?

It'll be my first winter.

Water:
I stored away the PVC water pipe (froze at 20 degrees) and attached horizontal waterers directly onto the drum. Inside the drum is 1500 watt de-icer. We actually hit 7 degrees two weeks ago and the waterers didn't freeze.

Eggs:
Luck of the draw on when I go to harvest.

 

[TwoShepherds]

Beautiful! Looks great to me. Want to come build one for us? JK

 

[Mossy Dell]

This coop is a real beauty. Good job!