Hybrid coop: tractor with deep Deep litter,

[Katonk]

Let me just say, I do not agree with the space Justin Rhodes gives his hens. A full grown hen needs a minimum of 4 sq feet of coop space. So for 20 chickens the coop would have to be as small as 10x8 feet

Do they seem unhappy in that space? I'm limited to 4x8 because of the size of available supply and my need to make it portable, but I can do two. A dolly or trailer is definitely out but Justins plans have an axel I can use for a decent fabrication price.
I'm of the mind that if my girls are sad my meals will not be as nutritious as they should be: sad birds are sick unhealthy things and that's not what I want on my children's plates.
"...We eat their misery.." to loosley quote one of my favorite books on poultry husbandry.
Besides my chicks are really cute and trusting and they make me giggle, serious jerk move to abuse that regardless of what their ultimate purpose is.
Right now I have 14 birds and no idea how many roosters out of 4 Rhode island red straight runs. If I get more than two I'm getting excess birds for my deep freeze. Two coops would better accommodate two roosters. Husband is pushing for guineas as well, four of them, but I intend to allow them to free range with cooping seperatly at night in their own coop. I hear they tend to be little bullies to chickens. Actually I'm kinda hoping to lose them, they are SO LOUD. I'll do it right and release one at a time with training so it's easier to ask them to come back to me but I won't be broken up if they decide to go on the lamb lol.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

I think 2 would just cause problems in the pecking order unless they are in separate areas of the yard. You could try putting more chic,ens in there but do not exceed 16 birds.
As long as you are letting your chickens out every morning really early it should be okay.

 

[Katonk]

Thanks bunches for the heads up. We don't wake up super early but my guys are up no later than 7am, so my girls will probably be let out 530ish when I'm getting my morning chores done and my animals seen to before the craziness starts.
Im hoping all of my girls are hardy layers and kind sisters but those I cull out won't be replaced if I'm looking at just one coop after considering your observations. Maybe I'll separate the layers from the meat birds so I can accomidate my next gens as the flock ages...
If you see any other issues with my plans please do point them out, I really appreciate your input

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

Your plan sounds good, but if you have any questions along your journey feel free to ask

 

[Alaskan]

I know you said your place is muddy...

But what about a hoop coop? Those can be pretty big and still be pull-able by one person... and you can put a few slats across to give it more stability and for the girls to get up put of the mud.

As to cold... I know someone who uses hoop coops in an area that will stay in the -20s F for a few weeks at a time. She tarps them for the winter but keeps the front side half open for ventilation.

 

[aart]

besides just disjointed musings on someone combining a tractor with deep litter.

That's because it's difficult, if not impossible, to do....
.... unless you have a plethora of interns to do the work(both gathering materials and turning them) like Justin does(was glad to hear him note this in one of his videos).....and I don't believe his compost is actually in the tractor.

It's the wheels I'm worried about.

Yep, you should.
The fatter(and larger diameter) the tires, the better they will roll over soft and/or uneven ground.

I need deep litter for winter temp regulation....

Not likely to happen. The moisture needed to get compost hot is a detriment to the coop environment...and is not really sustainable.

 

[Katonk]

That's because it's difficult, if not impossible, to do....
.... unless you have a plethora of interns to do the work(both gathering materials and turning them) like Justin does(was glad to hear him note this in one of his videos).....and I don't believe his compost is actually in the tractor.

Yep, you should.
The fatter(and larger diameter) the tires, the better they will roll over soft and/or uneven ground.

Not likely to happen. The moisture needed to get compost hot is a detriment to the coop environment...and is not really sustainable.

So it's probably safe to say you are not supportive of the idea? Thanks for the input I'll be sure to post all about my utterly unavoidable failure. Might save some other newbie some time

 

[aart]

So it's probably safe to say you are not supportive of the idea? Thanks for the input I'll be sure to post all about my utterly unavoidable failure. Might save some other newbie some time

You'll get lots of cheerleaders, I'm just being honest based on my experiences-which is what forums are for

 

[Katonk]

You'll get lots of cheerleaders, I'm just being honest based on my experiences-which is what forums are for

Yup that's why I'm here my friend, I meant it when I said I'd be posting my results. With your experience what do you think would be to be done to make it work?
The Rhodes design is too small and it's far too flimsy to work out here, but the basic thought of a one man movable coop on aasingle fulcrum is what drew me to it.
No it's def not used for deep litter, it's bottom is completely open. He manages his litter by spacing it out over a large swath of land.
If I were to utilize it here I'd really need to beef up the coop considerably, which would of course completely alter his entire designs ultimate purpose of light manuverability.
So I'm hoping folks like you that can see the faults of the original inspiration design can put in constructive criticism on how to solve the issues. You said my thoughts on the tires was spot on. Muse with me a bit: what would work? Skid assist to ensure wider larger wheels on a beefier axel had been suggested by a farmer neighbor of mine. He had a work shed he liked to move around with him that he had set up a bed and a fridge (ran off of propane) when he was younger and the land still belonged to his grandfather. He used a fulcrum with skids! Shed had to be at least 500lbs. It was wicked low to the ground and he dragged out a sand path for it between the 7 fields he had to work through during the harvest and planting.
He doesn't have it anymore, advances have their tractors pretty dang comfy- TV with satellite, ac, heat, fridge, waste recepticals- you could stay out there for a pretty long time comfortably now. I'm bartering with him to teach me to weld so I can pull off his skid idea but those wheels are the crux of it. He set it up on a busted single haybale trailer.
Aaand the guy is like 300lbs of solid Texan muscle... That's a lot of steel to move.
Your thoughts? I could use your help my friend, no one around here has been able to keep a flock past a season with land like mine, I'd have to be pretty dang different to pull it off.
(My land is basically unfenced and a little raw)
I've got to build it like a lock box.
Fyi I'm practicing welding on some metal vent plates from inside the house- putting a couple of layers of hardcloth on both sides to keep stuff from getting in at those points in case you understandably misunderstand my lock box analogy as airtight as well.
I'm looking at large used pot grow tables for the liner of the coop as their sides come up pretty high, but I might be looking at using ag pond liner inside a constructed coop because of size (grow table 4x8 and it was pointed out thats too small for my size flock). If I can't figure it out I'll fall back on the 4x8 design with the molded bottom but two separate flocks.
Throw me some ideas with your observations, your opinion is valued.

 

[Katonk]

Oh and my farmer friend moved his tiny house she'd thing himself, said the old codger would charge him for fuel if he used anything for his own purposes outside of the work itself.