Has anyone else tried building the Mother Earth News "portable coop"?

[dangerouschicken]

Here's the link if you don't know what I'm referring to:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/article.aspx?id=112440&LangType=1033

I found the run to be shakey and not strong enough to be used as an actual chicken tractor. I'm going to have to stake it in just one place instead

disappointed

Oh well, I think it will serve my Easter Eggers fine.....

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I was disappointed as well. Raccoons around here would just sit on top of it and grab the chickens. I've tried to reinforce mine with a wooden frame but the defeated the purpose of being light weight.

For right now, I've got the doghouse coop set up in a dog run for my 3 8-week old Barred Rocks. But I want something that I can move around the yard.

Coyote

 

[dangerouschicken]

I hear ya. It is NOT lightweight AT ALL, and I think I'm going to have to build a whole new chicken tractor in the future, one with a wooden frame, as well. Luckily I didn't have a permanent coop yet, so that is what this one will be.

As for the raccoon issue, I made sure to use 1/4 inch hardware cloth instead of her larger-sized wire, so I would have less of a predator problem. We also have skunks, coyotes, rattlesnakes, hawks... all the critters that could easily slip in there and grab a chicken if I had used the larger wire. I did use 1"X4" in the bottom so it would hurt their feet less. I'm going to use tent stakes to hold it down. Hope that keeps the critters from trying to access from underneath.

I thought the plan was so cool to start with. I'm really bummed it can't be used the way I wanted. Oh well. I have a permanent space for them now!