Chicken tractor

[Norma_Lorp]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone has input on chicken tractors. I have 4 laying hens and need one where they can lay eggs in. Right now they have a coop inside a roofed run but outside the run I have sooo many ant hills in the grass. They would have a field day going at them and I need them gone!! I would only put them in there when I’m home and have an eye on them so the structure doesn’t need to be indestructible. Thanks!

 

[NatJ]

Could you just string a strip of chicken wire, or a dog exercise pen, around the area and let them out for a bit each day?

If your major predators are at night only, then you only need something sturdy enough to keep the chickens in the right place.

If you have hawks, you'll need a roof; and if dogs come running over, you'll need a dog-proof fence.

A dog run (the kind that are about 10 feet square) often works well. You could put in something like a doghouse to use for a nestbox, waterer and maybe feeder, and a tarp on top for shade. (The holes in the sides would be too big for a safe night-time coop, but in the day when you're home, you probably won't have to worry about things like raccoons.)

 

[Norma_Lorp]

Could you just string a strip of chicken wire, or a dog exercise pen, around the area and let them out for a bit each day?

If your major predators are at night only, then you only need something sturdy enough to keep the chickens in the right place.

If you have hawks, you'll need a roof; and if dogs come running over, you'll need a dog-proof fence.

A dog run (the kind that are about 10 feet square) often works well. You could put in something like a doghouse to use for a nestbox, waterer and maybe feeder, and a tarp on top for shade. (The holes in the sides would be too big for a safe night-time coop, but in the day when you're home, you probably won't have to worry about things like raccoons.)

Thanks for the reply!
I picked up a bundle of strapping at the lumber yard and I’m going to make a rectangular frame with roof then staple chick wire to it. One side a hatch and one side a small area with a solid roof Incase they wanna get out of the sun. Want to build it now but I just mowed the lawn and I got eaten alive by black flies!!

 

[NatJ]

That should work. Hopefully the flies will give you a chance to build it soon!

 

[ElleMNOP]

We recently added wheels to our little coop to be able to use it as a chicken tractor!