Chicken Tractor questions

[NikiMcAlister]

I've been doing a lot of research about chicken tractors. My family just relocated from Florida to Eastern Tennesee (Roane area) and our landlord said it was okay for us to use the land how we want (we're renting on 8 acres.) One of the biggest things we want to do is get chickens.
My plan was for 4-5 egg layers and some meat chickens. I'm unsure if I can house the egg layers with the meat birds or if I will have to put them in separate runs. I know we will be building a chicken tractor (or buying a kit/something similar,) but I'm unsure what type would work best for the land. We have a lot of slopes and hills around the main house. I was planning on running the chicken tractor(s) around the main house outside the chainlink fence in order to help with bug control and so they were close enough that I can keep an eye on them during the day/ be able to get to them if I need to at night.
So my questions are:
*Is a chicken tractor feasible with the slopes?
*Will I need to adjust in any way for the lean, to make sure the wind/predators don't flip it over.
*Should I have separate tractors for the egg layers and the meat birds?

Our winters here are mild, its our first winter and it's barely dropped to 13 degrees. My grandparents say it barely gets below 0 Farinheit, but I will be looking to get some cold hardy birds to be safe.
*Are chicken tractors easy to winterize or should I be looking at putting them in a coop during the winter?

I have to keep in mind that we are renting so anything we get has to be able to come with us when we move, which is another reason the tractors seem like the best idea. I can move them all over the property if I want to. As for how steep the slopes are...I don't know how to measure grade or anything like that. They aren't hard to walk up but if you put a ball down it will roll away quickly. The house appears to be up on a hill with all 4 sides sloping down.

As a side note we are planning on farming a portion of the land by the house and I had hoped to keep the chickens close to the plants for ease, but I am worried the slope may be too steep there.

 

[Welshies]

For your situation I would highly suggest making one coop. Chicken tractors aren't suitable for nighttime use, as they are designed for daytime use. They aren't very winter suitable nor predator proof. Kit coops also don't have roosts or nest boxes a lot of the time, and even less ventilation. A kit coop will not give you enough space nor will a chicken tractor. Chicken tractors are designed for daytime foraging not living in 24/7, and even fewer have adequate space or roosts.
For you, I would suggest a cold-hardy dual purpose breed. They would give you good eggs, but be sustainable and good meat. You could also hatch your own eggs by using a broody or a bator, meaning your flock is sustainable unlike most meat bird flocks. Also, you could eat your extra cockerels from your layers versus being unable to eat them and having to sell them.
I suggest looking at Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks, Chanteclers, Delawares, Sex Links, Cochins, Sussex or Orpingtons. A large (8 or more pounds) strain of Easter Eggers might be in your interest but be sure to look and weigh the parents because most EEs are around 5 pounds, not big enough for meat.
A coop needs at least 4 square feet of space PER bird in the coop. Your coop should be at least 5 feet tall, and you should have roosts at 3, 4, and 5 feet (above the nest boxes). You need 10" of roost space PER bird.
You need lots of ventilation. 1 square foot of ventilation per bird well above the roosts. Nest boxes should be below the roosts, 12"x12"x12", and you should have 1 nest box for every 5 to 8 hens.
The run space (and I highly suggest you build a run) should have at the very least 10 square feet of space per bird. 20-30 sq ft per bird is more suitable. I have 12 chickens in a 450 square foot run currently and even still, plan to expand it.
You would do best with a larger coop so you can raise lots of birds quickly. Make sure you have extra space because you'll want more chickens. I suggest starting out with at LEAST an 80 square feet coop. You can have 20 chickens comfortably in that. Your size depends on how many layers you want (5-6 would take about 25 square feet) and how many meat birds you plan to raise. You can also free range them if the property is fenced instead of building a run.if you want to take the coop and run with you when you move, put the coop on skids or wheels, and make the run framed and short (3 feet or less) so it's like a rabbit pen or chicken tractor.

 

[lazy gardener]

In a rental situation, I suggest that you build accordingly. That way you can take it with you when you move. You might look into building a hoop coop. If you go with standard construction, you might want to build the floor, roof, and walls in panels that can easily be connected or dis-assembled when you move. A shed style is the easiest to build. Building in 4 x 8 panels will eliminate a lot of waste. You will also want to put up a covered run to provide daytime security.

 

[NikiMcAlister]

For your situation I would highly suggest making one coop. Chicken tractors aren't suitable for nighttime use, as they are designed for daytime use. They aren't very winter suitable nor predator proof. Kit coops also don't have roosts or nest boxes a lot of the time, and even less ventilation. A kit coop will not give you enough space nor will a chicken tractor. Chicken tractors are designed for daytime foraging not living in 24/7, and even fewer have adequate space or roosts.
For you, I would suggest a cold-hardy dual purpose breed. They would give you good eggs, but be sustainable and good meat. You could also hatch your own eggs by using a broody or a bator, meaning your flock is sustainable unlike most meat bird flocks. Also, you could eat your extra cockerels from your layers versus being unable to eat them and having to sell them.
I suggest looking at Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks, Chanteclers, Delawares, Sex Links, Cochins, Sussex or Orpingtons. A large (8 or more pounds) strain of Easter Eggers might be in your interest but be sure to look and weigh the parents because most EEs are around 5 pounds, not big enough for meat.
A coop needs at least 4 square feet of space PER bird in the coop. Your coop should be at least 5 feet tall, and you should have roosts at 3, 4, and 5 feet (above the nest boxes). You need 10" of roost space PER bird.
You need lots of ventilation. 1 square foot of ventilation per bird well above the roosts. Nest boxes should be below the roosts, 12"x12"x12", and you should have 1 nest box for every 5 to 8 hens.
The run space (and I highly suggest you build a run) should have at the very least 10 square feet of space per bird. 20-30 sq ft per bird is more suitable. I have 12 chickens in a 450 square foot run currently and even still, plan to expand it.
You would do best with a larger coop so you can raise lots of birds quickly. Make sure you have extra space because you'll want more chickens. I suggest starting out with at LEAST an 80 square feet coop. You can have 20 chickens comfortably in that. Your size depends on how many layers you want (5-6 would take about 25 square feet) and how many meat birds you plan to raise. You can also free range them if the property is fenced instead of building a run.if you want to take the coop and run with you when you move, put the coop on skids or wheels, and make the run framed and short (3 feet or less) so it's like a rabbit pen or chicken tractor.

I was under the impression that the chicken tractors were adjustable to be used full time, vs ones that don't have a living area with nest boxes and whatnot.
The main one I've been looking at is this one: https://www.ziptiedomes.com/index.htm

They appear to be used full time, with plenty of space for everyone and you move the entire dome around your yard to give them fresh grass and whatnot. People add in hanging nest boxes and from what i've read, winterizing them is fairly easy, just add more tarps. On their website people have reported using them for puppies, ducks, goats etc. I thought with a proper setup inside this would be sufficent, the pictures on the websites show people's birds looking healthy.

The landlord today said he didn't mind where we built the coop, but our neighbors are fairly close and everyone has dogs. There are no leash laws in our area so we have neighbor-dogs in our yard fairly often. The property is not fenced in so we have deer, coyotes, skunks, foxes and lord knows what else wandering around out there.

 

[Welshies]

I was under the impression that the chicken tractors were adjustable to be used full time, vs ones that don't have a living area with nest boxes and whatnot.
The main one I've been looking at is this one: https://www.ziptiedomes.com/index.htm

They appear to be used full time, with plenty of space for everyone and you move the entire dome around your yard to give them fresh grass and whatnot. People add in hanging nest boxes and from what i've read, winterizing them is fairly easy, just add more tarps. On their website people have reported using them for puppies, ducks, goats etc. I thought with a proper setup inside this would be sufficent, the pictures on the websites show people's birds looking healthy.

The landlord today said he didn't mind where we built the coop, but our neighbors are fairly close and everyone has dogs. There are no leash laws in our area so we have neighbor-dogs in our yard fairly often. The property is not fenced in so we have deer, coyotes, skunks, foxes and lord knows what else wandering around out there.

Chicken tractors generally aren't reliably predator proofed, and depending on your climate, not at all winter-possible. It gets on average -4°F here. I cannot use a coop. Predators like coyotes pose a big issue. They're smart enough to flip over or dig under anything.

 

[Welshies]

I was under the impression that the chicken tractors were adjustable to be used full time, vs ones that don't have a living area with nest boxes and whatnot.
The main one I've been looking at is this one: https://www.ziptiedomes.com/index.htm

They appear to be used full time, with plenty of space for everyone and you move the entire dome around your yard to give them fresh grass and whatnot. People add in hanging nest boxes and from what i've read, winterizing them is fairly easy, just add more tarps. On their website people have reported using them for puppies, ducks, goats etc. I thought with a proper setup inside this would be sufficent, the pictures on the websites show people's birds looking healthy.

The landlord today said he didn't mind where we built the coop, but our neighbors are fairly close and everyone has dogs. There are no leash laws in our area so we have neighbor-dogs in our yard fairly often. The property is not fenced in so we have deer, coyotes, skunks, foxes and lord knows what else wandering around out there.

That dome tractor? At the bottom?
I personally would not suggest that. That looks about 0% predator proof from what I can see in the picture.
A hoop coop may be something you would find suitable.

 

[lazy gardener]

That dome is not predator proof for just about any critter that likes chicken. I think the only thing it would keep out would be a hawk.

 

[junebuggena]

If you tarp that dome, which you would have to to give them some shade or shelter, it will be airborne with one good gust of wind.

 

[Welshies]

That dome is not predator proof for just about any critter that likes chicken. I think the only thing it would keep out would be a hawk.

If you tarp that dome, which you would have to to give them some shade or shelter, it will be airborne with one good gust of wind.

x2. That dome is NOT predator proof. It is more for aesthetics / guarded daytime grazing.

 

[KathryninQuebec]

We built a type Chick Shaw and surround it with portable electric chicken fencing for rotational grazing. Which is good for regular chickens in our late Spring Summer and Fall.(Advice don't build as big as ours.It was very hard to move around our uneven ground) They then go into a coop for our long cold Winters. Commercial meat chickens wouldn't do well in this situation since they have a hard time to get around. Heritage meat birds would be fine. I have seen chicken tractors utilized 24/7. Joel Salitin does it on a large scale. However his are very heavy and he has a gard dog.