Chicken tractor + coop?

[goldeaglenest]

i just finished building a chicken tractor/hoop coop structure for my laying hens. I intend to have them on fresh grass often all summer long. Do I need to now build them a coop for winter, or are they ok in this thing all year round? I have a LONG electric poultry fence that will go around the tractor when they are big enough to not step right through it for daytime foraging and leg stretching purposes.

I intend to winterize this with hay bales on the inside, deep mulch method, and greenhouse plastic around the coop instead of a tarp. I personally think this would be fine, and that chickens aren't all that particular given all their needs are met but what do more experienced chicken keepers say? I live in Maine. It is cold and snowy and all that here from about November often through early April.

Below is a picture of the chicken tractor. It is 8x12 and about 5 feet tall in the middle.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I have a chicken tractor too, which i have my almost grown chicks in, but it is a little different structure that yours. I have never tried wintering chickens in it, but we have a big coop, so have always just put them in there. I suppose if you covered up every place that the wind could get in, and put it in a place were buildings or something blocked the wind, it might work. It would definitely be a good idea to insulate it from inside and put hay, or something thick on the ground. I think that that would probably be okay! It would also be a good idea on really cold days to put a heat lamp in there, that they could get under. I don't know if you have electricity going to it, but you could use an extension cord.

 

[TalkALittle]

Lots of members have hoop coops (what yours is commonly referred to) that they use year round even in cold climates. Search the forum using that term and you'll see many posts about winterizing them. For starters you'll want to make sure it can withstand snow load.