Kerr Chicken Tractor - Capacity?

[rgunn1]

Hi all. New member here. We picked up nine little chicks a few weeks ago from the local TSC and all of a sudden found ourselves in the chicken game (White Plymouth Rocks from what I've gathered from this site). I decided to go with the Kerr chicken tractor to house the little buggers. The only modification that I made to the design was to use 12 foot 4x4s for the runners, so the run is about two feet longer. I also made the run a little taller to make it easier to walk around in. I'm almost done with it.... just have to put the chicken wire up and build the door to the run. In fact, the birds have been living in the coop for the past few days. Will this be big enough for our nine birds? I plan to move it around the yard regularly and eventually build a larger more permanent coop and run, at which point this will just be a brooder. I'm trying to figure out how much time I've got.

http://kerrcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/chicken_tractor_plus_plans.pdf

Thanks in advance!

 

[rgunn1]

Any ideas? It is 15 square feet inside (5 feet wide by 3 feet deep).

 

[rgunn1]

Bump. Anybody?

 

[Sonya9]

Personally I would not keep more than 3 adult birds in it, and even then the run would be very small.

It doesn't take much time to buy some 6' tall 2x4 welded wire and sink some metal stakes to make a much larger run. Course with chicks there is a big concern about hawks.

On the upside if you cover the run with some tin or plastic panels it would make for a nice shaded/rain proof area in a large run. You could even throw some roosts up.

 

[aart]

Hi all. New member here. We picked up nine little chicks a few weeks ago from the local TSC and all of a sudden found ourselves in the chicken game (White Plymouth Rocks from what I've gathered from this site). I decided to go with the Kerr chicken tractor to house the little buggers. The only modification that I made to the design was to use 12 foot 4x4s for the runners, so the run is about two feet longer. I also made the run a little taller to make it easier to walk around in. I'm almost done with it.... just have to put the chicken wire up and build the door to the run. In fact, the birds have been living in the coop for the past few days. Will this be big enough for our nine birds? I plan to move it around the yard regularly and eventually build a larger more permanent coop and run, at which point this will just be a brooder. I'm trying to figure out how much time I've got.

http://kerrcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/chicken_tractor_plus_plans.pdf

Thanks in advance!

No...I'd start seriously planning then buiding your larger coop now.

That tractor will be a great brooder coop/run, but chicken wire will not keep predators out.

 

[rgunn1]

That tractor will be a great brooder coop/run, but chicken wire will not keep predators out.

No chicken wire. I'll get pics later, but it's welded wire over the top and on the sides from the top down and then hardware cloth from the bottom up about two feet. Already planning the "big" coop... so many choices...