Chicken tractor for 30

[chiefcuster]

I have 30 two-week-old pullets growing like weeds. I need to start figuring out where I'm going to put them.

Ideally, I'd like to free range them in the truest sense of the word. I have an old coop, with no run on it anymore, that they could easily use as home base. They have acres and acres to run around in during the day. There are 2 issues, though. One is the garden conveniently located adjacent to the old coop. My aunt has made it clear to me that she wants NO CHICKENS IN THE GARDEN. There's a ratty old fence around it, and that will require fixing, if they are free ranging. Secondly, I work in the evenings, so I leave the farm before it gets dark, and the hens won't have gone in to roost yet. My mother could possibly close up shop at night, but that's not settled as of yet.

My other option is a tractor. There's plenty of land to move them around as often as necessary. I guess I'd prefer to not have to move them more than every 3 or 4 days. So my question is how would you go about doing that? A single, portable coop and run? A combination of a portable coop and some electric fencing? And how much square footage will they need to keep from laying waste to the space they occupy for 3 or 4 days?

Thanks!

-Ray

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

A tractor may be difficult unless you can hitch it to a vehicle or something to move it around.... chickens need 4 square feet each for a comfortable coop. where they wont pick on each other. so 30 chickens times four is 120 square feet. 10 x 12 feet or 8 x 15. you could build it on a trailer chassis.

WRT your aunts garden you will need to enclose it with a fence they cant fly over. Some Breeds of chickens fly quite well some do not.

 

[Cargo]

Actually, 4 sf is the minimum for just the coop. The run is another 10sf minimum.
Many long time chicken owners recommend 3 times that much space.
So 30 full size hens need at a bare minimum, a 10x12 coop with a 10x30 ft run.
And you would have happier hens with 20x20 coop and 20x45 Run.

So free ranging is a great idea.

Perhaps you could get an auto coop door?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
If you add 7' deer fencing, they are extremely unlikely to go over it and get into the garden.

Secondly, I work in the evenings, so I leave the farm before it gets dark, and the hens won't have gone in to roost yet. My mother could possibly close up shop at night, but that's not settled as of yet.

If someone is not able to lock them in without fail by dusk every night of every year, you can expect to sometimes lose some of them, maybe all. I'm not judging, I'm just pointing this out.

My other option is a tractor. There's plenty of land to move them around as often as necessary. I guess I'd prefer to not have to move them more than every 3 or 4 days.

You cannot build a pen-type tractor for 30 chickens unless you are cramming them into broiler-chicken-like conditions (which is unwise with laying chickens).

Even if you pretty seriously crowd your 30 layers, you would need AT LEAST a 6x10' coop for them PLUS at least a 12x16' run. You could build a large coop on wheels that you pull with a lawn tractor, plus a separate 12x16 hoop-style run that you move similarly, and attach the two when they get where they're going. This would be expensive and a big pain in the butt, but technically feasible. But it would only give you dangerously-crowded chickens who are going to seriously devastate the ground the pen's on, even in just ONE day let alone 3-4. I am NOT recommending it.

You could do would be a mobile *henhouse* and let them free range, but then they could still migrate into the garden at will, so I don't see that as any sort of solution.

I think tall deer fencing around the garden is BY FAR your best bet.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[perchie.girl]

Check this one out below looks to me almost large enough for 30 chickens total interior space is 8 x 15

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=42382-cluckingham-palace-mobile-coop

As far as a portable run the only thing I can think of is electric poultry netting on a Solar charger. Dont know how safe or practical that would be just throwing out possiblities.

Another though WRT pen. They make portable horse corrals that are designed to hang on the side of a horse trailer. Those are 12 x 12 but nothing says you cant make panels out of galvanized conduit and elbows and cover them with wire. 1/2 inch conduit is pretty light. and you can expand it as you can afford the materials. Cover the top with net for overhead predators. It wouldnt keep out the diggers

just some thoughts.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

You could split the flock up and build smaller mobile coops if you wanted. You can also check out the automatic coop doors. There's everything from all-in-one units to home built. Just do a search on it, there are lots of threads.