Space for colored rangers...one tractor or two?

[hensonly]

HI,

We're planning to get 30 colored rangers this spring. We have plans for a tractor (thanks, chevygirl!!) but don't know whether to plan on one tractor or two. What's the square footage per bird for rangers? Same as for layers?

Thanks for any input!

 

[joedie]

 

[zephyrcreek]

The rangers will do better with a little more space than CX, but don't need as much space as a layer. I started 100 chicks in a 10x12 hoop house. I sell started meat birds out of each set and would usually be down to 75-80 birds by processing time. I never had any type of behaviour issues with that spacing. A bigger concern with my management system was feeder space. I feed in trough style feeders, and they needed more room. The more aggressive birds hogged the feeders and the less aggressive birds only had the left over grain to eat. We doubled our feeder space from 10 feet to 20 feet and the little guys caught up with the rest of the flock.

 

[Buster52]

What size tractor?

Mine are 8x8 and I wouldn't go over 30 in them. I raised 27 Dark Cornish in one this last year and that felt just about right to me.

 

[hensonly]

Quote:
Approx 8' x 9', not counting space needed for feeders, waterers, etc. I guess we could build one, they'd be ok in there while they're still smaller, with an option to make another if needed...this is our first time with meat birds, so we didn't want to put a ton of money into things we wouldn't use if we decided not to continue with meaties. OUr layers would love a tractor, so one tractor wouldn't go to "waste" even if we didn't do meaties again. Though if we had two, I could expand into the extra one so as not to leave it unused, right?!! MORE CHICKENS, OH BOY!!!!

Thanks for the info, everyone!

 

[Buster52]

I think that should work fine. And you can never have too many tractors.

 

[catdaddy66]

Quote:
Does that mean you can NEVER have too many tractors, or you can never HAVE too many tractors??

Does anyone remember the SNL skit about the director of a nuclear reactor going on vacation (Ed Asner) and telling the staff "You can never have too much water in a nuclear reactor!" and of course the employees chose the wrong way to interpret that statement!! LOL