Coop/Tractor question

Dkroy

Hatching
Feb 19, 2023
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Looking to build a coop like the one pictured. Estimated size would be 5x12 with an elevated 4x5 coop on the end, high enough to but a feed and water underneath. I live in the “city” so I wouldn’t be able to let the free range. I’ll make it mobile so I can move it, but I’m wondering if that would be large enough for 3-4 birds. Thanks!
 

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3 or 4 chickens would be the max.
I also live in the city, and do let my chickens free-range in the backyard when I'm out there supervised. I only keep chickens as pets, and do have a very large run area for them as well.
My chickens would not leave my backyard, but I supervise because of the threat of avian raptors. (hawks in my case)

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and:welcome
 
Welcome to BYC. Where are you located? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

I'm about to clock into work, but here's some general information for you:

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:
  • 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
  • 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
  • 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
  • 1/4 of a nest box,
  • And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.
4 hens
  • 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
  • 4 feet of roost
  • 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
  • 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
  • 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice
6 hens
  • 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
  • 6 feet of roost
  • 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
  • 6 square feet of ventilation.
  • 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice
I have to say that, as permanent housing rather than temporary use, tractors generally sound like a better idea than they actually are.

That particular design is woefully short on ventilation. :( Repecka Illustrates Coop Ventilation

Also, the 5-foot dimension is wasteful of lumber, which comes standard in multiples of 4 feet.

Here are some rules of thumb to help you evaluate coops and plans. :D
  • If it looks like a dollhouse it's only suitable for toy chickens.
  • If it's measured in inches instead of feet it's too small.
  • If your walk-in closet is larger than the coop-run combo you're thinking of buying think carefully about whether you have an utterly awesome closet or are looking at a seriously undersized chicken coop.
  • If a man of average height can't lie down in the run and stretch out comfortably it's too small.
  • If it has more nestboxes than the number of chickens it can legitimately hold the designer knew nothing about chickens' actual needs and it probably has other design flaws too.
 
Looking to build a coop like the one pictured. Estimated size would be 5x12 with an elevated 4x5 coop on the end, high enough to but a feed and water underneath. I live in the “city” so I wouldn’t be able to let the free range. I’ll make it mobile so I can move it, but I’m wondering if that would be large enough for 3-4 birds. Thanks!
Do you live in a climate that you'll be able to continue moving it in the winter? How many 'spots' do you have to move it between? Even moving it regularly, if you don't have enough places to go between for ground recovery, the ground will eventually get worn down.
 
South central Ky and I have a couple acres total. If it works out with them I’d like to make a permanent place for them.

How flat is your land?

One of the problems with tractors is that the land needs to be really FLAT for the sides to firmly contact the ground in order to keep predators/pests out. :)

Here's a good tractor to look at: Aart's Hoop Coop / Chicken Tractor
 
Tractors with the coop built-in tend to be on heavy side. My current thought is that it is best to make the coop and the run separate structures, so each one would be light enogh to move. The coop would be the heavier part and could go on wheels and have a solid, predator-proof floor and a door to shut the birds safely in at night. The run would be larger but actually lighter and without a floor, and could slide around easily.
 
My isolation/integration tractor turned out heavier than I was wanting it to be. The wheels did not work as well I wanted, but it was reasonably manageable.

4' x 8' .... built big enough to meet specs for 3 hens including lots of ventilation. My thoughts on if I were to make it bigger would have been to simply have a run portion that connected to the coop portion and could be moved separately as @Poppy Putentake suggested. Another thought I had was to use a shorter hog panel to make an arched run, which would have made it even lighter.

IMG_20221010_101552_372.jpg
 
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