My 4-6 week old chicks finally in chicken tractor - they love it, BUT! Questions....

[thistlewick]

Okay so our chicken tractor is WAY too huge to move a lot (we have one smaller one already and are getting 1, possibly 2 more easily movable ones)

So this one will be moved ONE more time after they grow up to a permanent location where they will be let out to free range on 3 acres of fenced pasture, with access to all many other acres all surrounding them (I have 24 in all) all day.

However - for the time being, these smol girls have only 36 square feet of run space (3x12) (an additional 24 square feet of coop space above them) this is NOT feasible once they get bigger. It's really not feasible to me even now. I don't like how crowded they seem, even though they don't really argue much.

So my question is, what about a daily run for them now that isn't *permanent* but just something they can run around in during the day and can be unattached at night (for safety, the tractor is mega-predator proofed) - does anyone do this? It would be covered and tarped (because holy heck the sun here in NC is REAL during the summer) so no hawks to bother them and it doesn't have to be dug in or skirted??? because it's just a daytime run.


Is this a feasible solution? Something like this? https://www.tmgindustrial.com/produ...Mt42HvgbgbUN_3Ai5mqwOCe1lNvjIjEEaAkhjEALw_wcB

Let me make sure it's understood that they will NOT be in this at night nor will it be even attached to their tractor. JUST daytime use/attached to tractor.


This is the tractor:

 

[user651618]

I would just add not to use chicken wire even for a temporary daytime run. I did once and somehow a hawk managed to kill two chicks through the mesh.

 

[thistlewick]

I would just add not to use chicken wire even for a temporary daytime run. I did once and somehow a hawk managed to kill two chicks through the mesh.

How? That seems extreme to some how reach through 1 1/4" holes :O I wonder how that went down

Well, they will have the coop/tractor to run back into for safety when a bird flies over.

It's cute as heck they are so careful already we have a nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds on our eaves (the boogers lol) and when they fly over the coop the chickens are like NOOOOO and it spooks them lol

Surprisingly, haven't seen any hawks since they have been outside, and they've been outside in a coop/tractor/run (much smaller than that one pictured) for 4 weeks now.

 

[user651618]

How? That seems extreme to some how reach through 1 1/4" holes :O I wonder how that went down

Well, they will have the coop/tractor to run back into for safety when a bird flies over.

It's cute as heck they are so careful already we have a nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds on our eaves (the boogers lol) and when they fly over the coop the chickens are like NOOOOO and it spooks them lol

Surprisingly, haven't seen any hawks since they have been outside, and they've been outside in a coop/tractor/run (much smaller than that one pictured) for 4 weeks now.

How, was my question exactly. But the little turd was out there pulling tasty bits through the wire when I went out. It managed to kill two in the 10 or so minutes I wasn't supervising. Now I just hardware cloth EVERYTHING.

 

[thistlewick]

Yeah we haven't gotten anything yet - they are still just in the tractor and the little pen we previously bought (it's all covered in Hardware Cloth)

They did NOT know how to get up into the coop last night, even though put them in the tractor VIA the coop.... the nerds.

So hubby and I were out there about 9pm (we gave them about 20 minutes to figure it out themselves and NOPE lol) putting them from the pile they made near the tractor door, where they were YELLING, and into the coop. Once all 13 were in the coop and I closed the door, instant silence LOL

They are so dumb and cute these birds man I love em

This morning, they were all chipper and happy and we uncovered the coop entrance (it's in the center of the coop that leads down to the pen of the tractor) and we found them ROOSTING on the BARS. They are all only 4-6 weeks old. The little adorable babies being all grown up!

So we will see how it goes tonight. We don't mind moving them and helping them learn where their coop is. They picked it up in the smaller tractor in 2 nights. This one is tougher because it's up a big ramp but I believe they will get it eventually!