Portable shelters within a run

[BirdOfPray]

Hi folks!

I'm working on a plan for the way I want to keep our poultry, and having some trouble coming up with what I want. We have goats and will add a few cows later on. For the goats, and probably the cows, we're using portable electric fencing for rotational grazing. I'd like to essentially do the same with the poultry: use electric net to create a run, and have some portable shelter(s) I can move along with them. I'd probably be moving them once or twice a week, so I really want to stay lightweight on the shelter(s). We have solid perimeter fencing and LGDs who will be guarding the property outside the poultry pen, so between the permanent fence and the dogs and the electric fence I'm hoping we'll have minimal trouble with predators. We're in central Texas, so generally warm (hot) weather and not a whole lot of rain (although when it does rain, it can rain very hard). Snow is not an issue, and freezing weather isn't the norm.

What's the simplest (most portable) shelter I can get away with for laying hens in that situation? Eventually I'm potentially interested in geese, guineas and turkeys, but for now we're just looking at chickens. I'd like to have the potential for a couple dozen, although I think we'd start smaller.

Thanks for your help!

Robyn

 

[rjohns39]

There are multiple options and I'm still experimenting. Here are a couple of my preferred shelters. My birds stay inside (for the most part) feather net fence and I move them often. I am trying to follow the polyface model.

This is what I use for broilers and young birds. It's 8X8 can hold 40 birds and DW can move it by herself.

This is my newest addition. I haven't put in the nest box yet--but have instruction on how to. I like this one cause I can stand up once inside. The door is open during the day and the birds return to it at dusk. Feeders and water are outside.

They are not pretty but they are very functional. I can probably dig up plans of the 8X8 modified for layers--but wan't thrilled with that design.

 

[BirdOfPray]

I'm looking at Polyface for some of my inspiration, but we had "chicken tractors" (I know that's not what he calls his) when I was growing up and we didn't really like them. We ended up free ranging our birds. I don't want to confine them to a permanent poultry yard, but I'm not sure free ranging is ideal either. And I'd really like to use them for pasture improvement and possible parasite reduction. So, I'm trying to split the difference.

I like the hoop coops (I'm actually looking at building a somewhat similar structure for our goats in the next week or so), so I may end up going that route. Looks like you put wheels on the back of yours -- how hard is it to move? I really want something I can move myself or with the kids, rather than needing to get multiple adults or a truck or tractor out there. I figure the easier it is to move, the more likely I am to actually do so. And with the fence + LGDs + electric fence I'm not too worried about predators (I think? I hope?), so my concern is mainly shelter, roosts, and nesting boxes.

 

[rjohns39]

Both of the shelters are easy to move. DW can move them by herself. My first shelter was strictly to Joel's standards. I had a dolly fabricated to his specs so it would be easy to move and it just proved to be a monster. I started poking around and found one of his former apprentices who posted designs for the modified shelter, tried it and it worked.

One key point... if you use the 2X4 base with 2X2 risers, make sure the 2X2s are at least a 1/2" above the ground. An inch is better... If not, when you go to move it they will dig in, which is bad.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes. look in the tractors section of this. It's from the "articles" section at the top of this page.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/coops.12/

Will your goats be in the same area as the chickens? Goats can be really destructive and can climb, you might want to take that into consideration. My first thought was the hoop coop on skids or even wheels but not sure how well that would hold up to goats. Wind can be a consideration too. You don't want it to blow over.

 

[BirdOfPray]

No, the goats and chickens will be separate -- I'd like to move the chickens into an area after the goats or cows are done with it. I'm not overly keen on the idea of mixing types of livestock more than necessary. Seems like everyone would be healthiest and happiest with their own space.

I may be constructing a (semi)permanent hoop house for a goat shelter, so I guess I could see how much wind seems to hit that before deciding if a portable model would work for chickens.

 

[rjohns39]

No, the goats and chickens will be separate -- I'd like to move the chickens into an area after the goats or cows are done with it. I'm not overly keen on the idea of mixing types of livestock more than necessary. Seems like everyone would be healthiest and happiest with their own space.

I may be constructing a (semi)permanent hoop house for a goat shelter, so I guess I could see how much wind seems to hit that before deciding if a portable model would work for chickens.

My hoop coop has not yet been wind tested. However, my scissor truss has and failed miserably. I've had to shrink it and steak it to keep it from blowing over. I probably should point out that the birds only sleep in their shelters, during the day they are out and about doing what birds do.