Pasturing hens (shelters)experienced advice appreciated

[shanel]

Ok here is what i'm wanting to do. I want to have a hundred or so hens on pasture with my cows.I have wore the internet out searching this past week ,And here is what i have came up with.Buy 2 rolls of the poultry netting from premier (i already have a solar energizer),build 2 - 8X8 coops 4 or 5 ft high on skids one will be for nesting and one for roosting.Leave the feeders and waterers outside.Then move the fence and houses as needed .I would like some feedback on this good or bad.

 

[chickeydee]

SO If I heard that correct you are going to have 100 birds in one 8x8 to roost and another to nest . Why not build a 8x24 and attach the nest boxes to acess from out side . Each nest box will be able to be used by 4 birds .You may only need 16 boxes and you can build them on top of one another . Where do you live ? How much pasture do you have ? I have 10 acres and my coop is an open air coop .It has all four sides ,but on the south side I have hand made large windows that I leave open all the time uless the weather is real bad . There is netting behind them and a 1x6 that runs along the inside ,so if the girls want to sit they can . I hope you look into it more . There are alot of good ideals on here and the web.

 

[shanel]

Why not build a 8x24 and attach the nest boxes to acess from out side

.Thanks for the response.It seems to me 8x 24 would be hard to move and would likely pull into after several moves.​

 

[chickeydee]

Where are you located ? Are you looking to build a tractor or a hen house . How would you pull an 8x8 ?

 

[shanel]

Where are you located ? Are you looking to build a tractor or a hen house . How would you pull an 8x8

I'm in tennessee,on the cumberland plateau.I would move the 8x8's with the rhino,that i use to see about the cows and chickens.​

 

[chickeydee]

Beautiful country .maybe you need to put roost and nest boxes in both . Mine is on cinder blocks 2 feet off the ground and sand on the floor . 100 birds is to many for one coop that is just going to be for roost only. What about a rooster ?

 

[Bossroo]

Just add a sign ... "free Mc Nuggets, served daily". Or, do some more research on terrestial and airborn predator / chicken relationships.

 

[randomchick]

Quote:
.Thanks for the response.It seems to me 8x 24 would be hard to move and would likely pull into after several moves.

It' not hard to move if you build it on an old trailer frame.

That's what my husband is doing now to build a 10 X 20 portable pig farrowing house. He found that you can get a really good frame from a run down camper trailer for 200-400$, or an old trailer frame made of metal for 100-300$.

Also, I free range my birds, My husband built the coop which is 8 X 20 and placed it off the ground so he can move it around, though we don't.

 

[chickeydee]

Quote:
.Thanks for the response.It seems to me 8x 24 would be hard to move and would likely pull into after several moves.

It' not hard to move if you build it on an old trailer frame.

That's what my husband is doing now to build a 10 X 20 portable pig farrowing house. He found that you can get a really good frame from a run down camper trailer for 200-400$, or an old trailer frame made of metal for 100-300$.

Also, I free range my birds, My husband built the coop which is 8 X 20 and placed it off the ground so he can move it around, though we don't.

That is a great ideal. There is someone on here that has a coop on a trailer.It is very nice . Post pics of yours if you can love to see it .

 

[lorihadams]

Take a look at Joel Salatin's moveable coops. That might help you get some ideas. Look up polyface farm and that should give you a link to the website where you can scroll through the menu and look at the chicken section. Good luck!