Mini tractor for chicks- talk me out of it??

[Tracyree]

So I came across a little tortoise play pen online and it looks like the perfect play pen for a few baby chicks. I have 3 that are 2 weeks old, so a long way off from being with the big girls.

Talk me out of buying it?

http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=244&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=1

It's so cute!

I would only use it during the day inside the secure run (so no dogs over turning it or anything).

It's too small for using it later on, for say a brooch mama...isn't it?

Cool video demonstration as well:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?deskto...e.com/watch?v=GGzVcJq5x6E&v=GGzVcJq5x6E&gl=US

 

[Dawn419]

You came to the wrong place if you truly want to be talked out of something chicken related!

That's too cute and it would definately work for a few chicks or a broody hen. The only thing that I don't like is the spacing of the wire...it won't keep snakes out. Cover the existing wire with hardware cloth and it should be good to go!

 

[Tracyree]

Quote:
I thought the wire spacing was too big until I watched the video.... The video makes it look smaller? I'd be fine lining it in hardware cloth though.

Hmmm, so you're saying it's big enough for a brooch girl? If I can find a possible future use after these chicks are old enough to go with the big girls, I can totally justify it. Ha.

 

[Dawn419]

I looked at it again and it might be a tight squeeze for a large breed broody but it'd be perfect for banties.

 

[stubbornhill]

I can say after looking...I can't talk you out of it!! Too cute!

 

[dsqard]

I'll talk you out of it. You need something really much bigger for all the chickens you will get.

 

[Tracyree]

Ha! Well, I have a big coop, but need something for the 3 babies to playing outside without the big girls eating them. I'd buy this in a second if it were about twice as big.

 

[Abirdbrain]

IMHO it is too small. The sides should be at least 30 inchs tall. Get your hamma, n'some nails, N' do yur own. taint that hard.

 

[Tracyree]

I'm gonna skip it. I would loooove to make my own. Mama to two small kiddos makes it tough though.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I made what I think was a very clever chick "play-pen" out of 3/4" PVC pipe and poultry netting. It's 6'long by 4'wide (so I could use 10' pieces of pipe with no waste) and about 2 1/2' tall so that I could use 36' poultry netting around the outside and still have a 6" skirt at the bottom. The skirt isn't really a deterrent to predators, but it means I can put a 2"X4" on the skirt and feel confident that a chick couldn't wiggle under if there were slight dips or rises in the ground. I used the pen in the garage (set on a piece of linoleum) on bad weather days or when I couldn't be nearby to keep an eye on them and outside on nice weather days when I could keep an eye on them. Now that my girls are 7 weeks old and out in their coop and run I can use the "play-pen" to extend the size of the permanent run, again at times when I'm close by working in the garden or coop itself because I wouldn't count on it holding up to a fox for more than about 3 minutes. If you'r interested I'll post photos and more detailed instructions.