I know this has been asked a million times, but ...

[TexasHomestead]

We are trying to design a Chicken Tractor that we will move around our property. We have two gates that are 8' wide (I know, I did not plan the gates, but rather inherited them when I got the place) that we will need to move through. We are planning on up to 10 laying hens. Originally I thought about a 6' x 10' with a coop around 6' x 3', with three laying boxes.

Then, I start reading all these threads. That makes me wonder about making the chicken run longer to 12' or 15'. Then I think I need to make the coop bigger. Yes, there will be room for the hens to scratch under the coop (about 2 1/2 foot clearance between the ground and the floor of the coop. The interior of the coop will be about 3' from floor to ceiling.

Am I planning enough room? 6' wide is going to be the widest it can be because of the gates, and I don't want to make it so long that it will be hard to maneuver. The hens will be in the tractor full time. Neighbor is always loosing hers on the road, and I just want my hens to be happy and safe.

Any help would be appreciated.

TexasHomestead

 

[Monguire]

My coop is 6x3 and six heavy birds will all but fill it. There are ways to mitigate coop-cramp. Free ranging is the best way...using the coop for only sleeping and laying. Having an attached run (10 sqft per hen is the sweet-spot so I read) that they have free access to is the next best way. As long as the girls aren't penned up in the mosh-pit of a coop any longer than necessary (i.e., you have an automatic door opener or enjoy being up at sunrise EVERY morning to promptly let them out into the run) you could likely easily get away with 6-8 hens in a 6x3. Ten might be pushing it unless they were smaller gals and even then I don't know that I would do it with the potential for fighting/illness in cramped quarters.

As with every question you pose to this site, you'll get as many different answers as posters. Your girls will let you know if they are happy or not. All the "thou shalt"s and "X sqft minimums" are guidelines...often very good ones, but guidelines nonetheless. Your individual circumstances (climate, size of birds, temperament, flock methodologies, etc) are all modifiers to those guidelines.

 

[TexasHomestead]

You mentioned and automatic door opener? I want one of those!

 

[MadAngler]

You mentioned and automatic door opener? I want one of those!

In my opinion, you're better off making the entire structure predator-proof. Then, your chickens will be safe durign the day too. Coyotes and other predators have no problem getting chickens during the day.

That also eliminates the need for any door. The chickens can come and go as they please. And when they wake up at 5:00am, they can let themselves out.

 

[TexasHomestead]

Completely makes sense MadAngler. I plan on enclosing the entire structure in 1/4 inch mesh, with 'fly screen' along the bottom part to keep make it harder on the Raccoon family that eats my deer corn. I am also considering a skirt along the bottom that will keep the diggers out, and make it harder for snakes to find an opening along the bottom. Still working on that one in my head. We start construction Saturday and I will take photos of the progress.

I am going to have a door that I can open and close from the outside for those bad weather days.

Living in Texas, I am also getting solar powered exhaust fans to circulate air in the coop. We are not that far from the days when it only cools down to 90 during the night.

 

[petrel]

My tractor is 6' X 16' with a 6' X 6' coop. I originally intended it to house 8 chickens, but it housed 13 without any picking and with relatively good egg production. I installed an Ador1 to be sure they were freed from the coop at first light. The coop isn't hard to maneuver and sometimes I move it by myself. Please take a look at my coop link if you are interested. I'd be happy to answer any questions.

 

[Llamaranch]

You mentioned and automatic door opener?  I want one of those!

Check out chiickendoor.com . Really nice unit ...battery and solar charger with photocell. Open with the sun, close at dusk. Made in TX!