Chicken tractor vs free range

[Scooter&Suzie]

Quote:
Personally, I think so. They will kill every inch of grass in two or three days, most likely. But I think it is much better than my stationary coop. I really want to have the option of easily moving my coop around...

 

[RHewitt]

I like free ranging for sure but have lost birds to predators or the occassional stray dog so often that I now use two midsized tractors for my laying hens that I actually move everycouple of days or at the end of each day. They are about 10 feet by 4 feet and easy to just lift up on one end and push or pull them to a fresh spot of grass each day. By doing this in nice straight lines I can fertilize my yard and keep the hens eating some fresh grass. By the time I get back around to a previoulsy used spot the grass has grown and ready to be eaten again. Each tractor has one end that is sheltered with two nesting boxes. I hang the waterer and supplimental feed so that when I lift and roll it forward teh food and water goes along for the ride as well. I have a main coop and run and will rotate the hens in and out occassionally so that they all get the benefits of some fresh grass and life away from the main coop from time to time. Works great for me.

 

[Marengoite]

OK, I'm dumb.

I have an 8' x 14' A-frame tractor That I use early on for a breeding pen and then later as a grow-out pen. It gets moved around weekly. This is in opposition to my chickens that are penned during the day and let out to forage a few hours before bedtime. I move the pen at least once a month, maybe every other week if the ground looks pretty worn. Where do I fall in the tractor v. free range spectrum? And what if I were to get some premiere fencing and move their pen and portable coop once a week (a strategy I'm considering) in addition to the weekly move of the tractor grow-out pen? Is that still free range?

 

[foulplay]

OK, I'm dumb.

I have an 8' x 14' A-frame tractor That I use early on for a breeding pen and then later as a grow-out pen. It gets moved around weekly. This is in opposition to my chickens that are penned during the day and let out to forage a few hours before bedtime. I move the pen at least once a month, maybe every other week if the ground looks pretty worn. Where do I fall in the tractor v. free range spectrum? And what if I were to get some premiere fencing and move their pen and portable coop once a week (a strategy I'm considering) in addition to the weekly move of the tractor grow-out pen? Is that still free range?

The A frame is a chicken tractor or a mobile coop. The other chickens have free range. I think. I don't know what you could call your second plan (clever). Personally my chickens are free range. I think when you say free run it still implies that they are penned up just outside.