How sheltered does a coop need to be?

[PeteChicken]

We are building a chicken tractor which will have half of it enclosed in tin and the other half in chicken wire. We live in western australia so the climate is not frosty but does get hot at times. Do we need to worry about protecting the chickens from wind, rain and cold?

 

[Kikiriki]

Personally, I would be more worried about the tin acting like an oven in the summer... Think insulation! Protects from extreme heat or cold.

The chickens will want to escape from strong rain: mine will huddle under a bush in a downpour, but keep on scratching in a light rain.

We got down below 30 F a couple of nights this winter and the girls just stay close. On the hot nights of summer, they needed space to spread out. If you make the tin sides so they can lift for more airflow that would be good, or have windows in them that you could cover in winter or really foul weather.

Chicken wire will not protect the chickens from predators!

It is slightly more expensive, but you need to use 1/4 inch hardware cloth! It is a mesh of welded wire with 1/4 inch square openings.

Their roost area should be off the ground and have a bottom enclosure, too, for those predators that will dig. Hardware cloth would be fine. Their entrance to that area should be able to be secured shut, as well. Their nest box could be off of that area, with an opening on the outside for you to access to collect eggs. I'll see if I can find a good design for you....

 

[Kikiriki]

Okay, these are just photos of LOTS of tractors from a yahoo search for "chicken tractor designs".

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=ipad&va=chicken+tractor+designs

As you can see, the designs are endless in variations! But as you look them over think of several things that affect the design decisions:

Ventilation: very very important! nighttime poops are large and stinky, which is bad for chicken lungs

Weather protection: would you want to hang out in there in the heat, cold, or rain?

Predator protection: what do you have in your area? Dogs? Cats? Eagles? Diggers? Animals with small arms that can rip a chicken head off? Snakes? Rodents?

Weight: better protection means heavier tractor: will you be moving it by hand by yourself? Using a powered vehicle to drag it?

Wheels: they need to be able to fold up so the tractor will sit on the ground

Location: how flat is your land? A problem is land that is not nice and level. The gaps can let predators in and chickens out. If the bottom is fenced, the birds cannot walk, or reach the plants and bugs.

Where will you put their water supply so it is easy for you to fill and clean, and so they cannot spill it? I have one chicken who will purposely tip over any type of container. I had to put a hanging nipple waterer, and I also put a cup in the hollow of a concrete block.

How will you access the inside for cleaning and repairs?

Where will the roost go?

Where will the nest box go?

Finally, imagine you have an emergency and you cannot be home to lock things up... How likely is it you will come home to find a box full of chicken parts?