separate coop and run?

[midwestmommy]

Hi, I'm brand new here, no chicks yet, trying to figure out what setup would work best for our family.

We are thinking of getting 3-4 chickens this year. I can't let them completely free range because of tons of hawks, but I would like to have a run I can move around the yard.

Would it work to build a stationary coop just outside my back door (with a small run) and then a bigger, moveable run I can move around the yard as needed? Would I be able to get them from one area to another reliably in morning/evening using treats or food placement?

Just brainstorming here, if this is crazy please tell me!

 

[FoxyChicken]

I don't think it's a crazy idea. Sounds like a good idea, in theory. In practice, it might not be so easy. I would guess that the chickens are going to want to go everywhere but the tractor once you let them out of the coop. They love to explore. If you handle them a lot when they're babies and get them tame you could carry them to the tractor. My girls are pretty tame and I can carry two at a time, so you could possible do it in two trips even with four chickens. Depending on how far the tractor is from the coop, that routine could get a little old after a few weeks... especially when you're in a hurry to get to work or something. They can sense when you're in a hurry and that's when they will decide to be the least cooperative! Maybe you could rig up a covered wagon out of a wheelbarrow or garden cart, something they couldn't fly out of, and move them all at once? You'll also need to account for chicken math, meaning eventually you'll end up with many more than 4 chickens to transport every day

I'm sure you'll get plenty of good ideas, people here are full of them and love to help!
Good luck!

 

[chfite]

Perhaps you could build a flexible tunnel to route the chickens to the new location daily.

Chris