Open-floored tractor without enclosed coop, anyone?

[fhughes]

I have a nice sturdy little tractor for 6 laying hens. It has no floor, no enclosed space at all, but half of it is roofed, covering the nest box (low down) and the roost (high above& angled so they can't poop in the nest boxes.) Should I build a floor, wall, and door over that part so they can stay safe from predators? The pressure-treated lumber is so heavy already it might be too heavy to move if I add more weight.

Does anyone have experience with 100% open-floored coops? Is it inevitable that a predator (we do have coyotes and foxes) will eventually dig under, or might the hardware-cloth apron method suffice?
Thanks for any ideas!

 

[luvmychixandducks]

Look on Craigslist for a section of chain link fencing. Or scrounge a section from a dumpsite.
Lay the chain link on the ground where you want to put the coop .
Use zipties to hold in place (attach it to your tractor) . If predator does dig under it will just come up and hit the chainlink.
Grass etc is available to the chickens right through and around the chainlink inside the coop .
When you move the tractor- move the floor independently then re-ziptie in the new spot.
This also works as an apron around a permanent coop.
Unless the predator learns to back off four plus feet, cant dig through- and the grass
outside your permanent coop grows up as the chain sinks in...
you can mow right over it- no worries.

 

[CMV]

My old tractor that housed my hens for 3 years had an enclosed house, but I will say that nothing ever tried to dig underneath it. I had a 12" hardware cloth apron around the whole perimeter, so the run was pretty well protected, but nothing ever even tried to dig under it. I had animals test the doors and try to rip the hardware cloth off the run, but no digging that I could see. Now, is that because nothing ever tried or because the culprit was deterred pretty quickly by the apron? Who knows.

That being said- I would not feel safe leaving my birds in an insecure house at night.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.