Ideas for seasonal coop/run for meat birds?

[ChickenKickin]

Hello all,

This is my first post on BYC (I have been observing and learning for some time) and I have some questions on my planned set up for this summer. I have never raised meat birds before and I have slightly less than a years experience with laying hens. I plan on raising 15 Cornish X's and 15 Red Rangers. I want to raise them in separate enclosures/coops in order to make a good comparison between each breed.

I want to use electric poultry netting giving the chickens roughly 1600 sq ft of pasture. I will separate this in two with snow fencing or something else cheap to keep the breeds separate. I estimate I will be able to move the netting 8 times before they will have to revisit the same piece of ground and by that time they will likely be ready for slaughter. Does anyone here have experience with the electric poultry netting? I can't really afford the best of the best so I will have to go with something mid range.

As far as the coops, they will only be used for a couple months a year. So I need something that I can break down for storage, is cheap and also portable so I can rotate the pasture. I have read that 2 sq ft is about the minimum and I am hoping to stick to that to keep the size down. They will have about 53 sq. ft per chicken of pasture and I plan on making some lean to's with some used roofing metal so they can have some shelter outside the coop. I can only seem to find ideas for permanent coops or chicken tractors which is not what I need for this set up. The best idea I can come up with is sort of a covered wagon style with pvc pipes for the hoops and a tarp for the canvas.

What does every one else think about this set up? Is there anything I should/could do differently to improve anything?

Thanks!

 

[Chick Charm]

Portable PVC tractors are lightweight and if you had to can take them apart again. But still not easy. 1600 sf and 30 meat birds will give you a lot of poo even if moved around daily.

I applaud you raising your own meat birds. I have and still do each year.

Wish ya the best.

 

[ChickenKickin]

Wow, I was hoping to move the coop and netting only once a week. Will they really cause that much of a mess in such a short time? I want to keep rotating them to fresh pasture without beating up the ground too much.

Should I maybe go with fewer chickens or do two rotations? I could get another section of poultry netting but that would increase my initial investment even more.

 

[Chick Charm]

You will find that meaties poop so much more than other birds. So moving them regularly is a top priority.

Don't be afraid of meaties. Yes they are gross & stinky but the reward is AWESOME. And remember it's over all over in a couple of months in the case of Cornish X's. Very quick turn around on the meat.