Question about portable run size and ideas for portable run around trees

[colorfield]

Hi, I'm working on building a coop and run for the six chickens I'll be getting this summer. I live on 1/3 acre in the city and have been developing a large garden and planting fruit trees. After lots of reading here and elsewhere, I decided that a permanent coop and run would be best for me. The coop I designed is 4ft by 8ft with an 8ft by 12ft run. I'll post some pics when it's done. Anyway, while the run may be large enough, I'd like to be able to bring the girls into the garden when I'm home on weekends and during the summer to do some work and get some fresh greens.

With that in mind, I've been checking out ideas for chicken tractors. I like the hoop style ones and think I could build one pretty easily. My question is: How big would such a tractor need to be if it's not the primary place my girls will be spending their time? Does the 10 sq ft per bird rule still apply or would smaller be fine (I'm thinking 4ft by 8ft or 10ft).

Also, I'd like to be able to have the girls eat bugs and grubs around the fruit trees. I've been thinking about making some sort of portable fence panels to encircle the trees. My concern is that the chickens will get out of the enclosure since I won't be able to cover it. Does anyone have any ideas? I'd use the portable electric netting, but I don't think that would go over with the neighbors too well, especially because there are lots of young children in my neighborhood (they don't generally come into my yard, but you never know what will happen when there's some pretty chickens to look at). Does the netting work without being electrified or will the many neighborhood cats just get tangled in it?

Thanks for your ideas.

 

[Chick Charm]

Yes you could design/devise a plan to encircle them around a tree for sure. You don't have to use electric fencing. You can wrap netting or even chicken wire on top or all the way around for that matter. And for a situation like you are planning, NO they do not have to have 10 sf per bird. You can put your six in a smaller area knowing that #1 they will scratch that area up faster and #2 they will want to get out.

One thing to consider is if you are planning on letting them forage while you are home on the weekends is.......free range em.

Wish you the best.

 

[aart]

Garden run could be smaller... do a search on chicken tunnels.

Electric netting can be dangerous if not electrified..heard horror stories about dogs getting tangled in it, plus its expensive if you don't need the electric aspect.

 

[colorfield]

Thanks for replying! While I had thought of covering a portable fence with netting when it was not around trees, I hadn't thought of wrapping around the tree with the netting. That would certainly make it more challenging for them to get out.

I'd love to let them free range, but I'm in the city and don't have a fence of any kind around my yard. We do get the occasional stray dog and, though there aren't any official rules about chickens here, while checking that out we talked to the animal control officer who said that we would have to keep them confined to our yard.

I don't mind if keeping them in a smaller space makes them scratch it up faster. Actually, that would be ideal when I want them to clean out a garden bed. I'll try to make something that's of a size that I can manage and not too terribly small for them.

I'll avoid the electric netting unless I change my mind about electrifying it. The last thing I want is someone's pet to get tangled in it.

 

[Chick Charm]

I have seen a wonderful idea of a hoop coop that fits directly on top of a raised garden bed. It was very light weight, using PVC and netting. The hop coop could be lifted and placed right on top of the garden bed confining the chickens and allowing them to till up the soil and eat all the bugs and seeds. It was a 4 X 8 set up but could be made to suit whatever garden area you have. Small areas like that could be foraged thoroughly in a day or maybe two and then on to the next one.

Maybe that is something that would work in your case. I'm just guessing and throwing out an idea.
Or here are a couple tractors / mobile coops that I have built.

 

[colorfield]

Thanks for the idea. Those are cute.

 

[OHalAnimalFarm]

These are so cute! Do you sell them somewhere?

Thank you!

Felicia