Free-range chickens with mobile roost / coops

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Moving coops versus not moving would be done in third year. The business of not getting out is major concern that might be promoted by management strategy with plants. Cutting height or possibly strips. Prelimnary trials last summer suggest birds like to move along edges, even if edge is between freshly cut fescue and 6 inch red clover. They are all about edges, like quail.

 

[TDM]

I would like to see the paper after you are done.

I run a very isolated operation, and visit it once or twice a day. Currently two operational mobile hen houses are located on pasture, with the nearest occupied dwelling being more than a half mile away. The mobile hen houses are located in a 200 ft by 200 ft fenced area that is moved every week. The fence, double spike four foot high electric poultry netting, is powered by a 12 volt energizer attached to a marine battery. Five 15 watt amorphous solar panels charge the marine battery. Each 8 ft by 16 ft mobile hen house houses 65 chickens. Inside the mobile hen houses are a feeding station, nestboxes, and roosts. Other feeding stations are located just outside each coop. Currently, each hen house is being provided with extra lighting derived from solar power to provide 16 hours of daylight.

A critical component to the operation is a two year old, 120 lb Great Pyrenees LGD. Before the LGD went out on pasture, wolves and coyotes were challenging the fence, even during the daytime. Smart ones figured they could just jump over it. Stupid ones got their heads stuck in the netting and knocked the fence down while extricating themselves. Hawks were often seen inside the fence on the ground. The introduction of the LGD stopped the predation. I feel the Great Pyrenees to be a good choice due to the large size and their ability to handle the hard winters in the Michigan UP. They are experts at deterring predators, even large ones such as wolves and bears. Furthermore, the dog's temperament leans towards being independent, and thus can handle the isolation and lack of human attention.

Pasture is maintained by a six foot rotary cutter. The grass is of low quality, and the chickens mostly forage for strawberries and bugs.