Stationary vs portable coop

[Thatchickenchick]

Hi, guys, so I have 5 baby chicks right now and I’m really stressed about coop/run situation when they’re older. I currently live in a duplex where the 2.5 acres of back yard space is shared. The neighbors are okay with chickens but don’t want me to free range them which is totally understand. I don’t really want to build a stationary coop and run because I feel like that’s unsanitary… I’m thinking about buying a coop and run on wheels so I can sort of rotate them around my side of the lawn, but wondering if that’s a good idea? Will the chickens have behavioral issues if they’re in a portable coop and run? Also, do you think the grass will be torn up even with rotating the coop?

 

[nuthatched]

A tractor will just tear up/burn the grass out in a large area.
I wouldn't worry about unsanitary, just clean the run regularly.

 

[sunshinesnuggles]

Chickens aren't bothered by being in a portable coop to my knowledge, but they are generally much less predator proof than stationary coops (although you may not have many predators near you since it sounds like you live in a fairly populated area). The grass in your run will likely take some visible damage, it depends on how often you're moving it and how much space you have to go through. Portable coops are usually pretty small as well, just something to think about with five chickens.
But as a stationary coop owner, and this is just my opinion of course, as long as you're cleaning it frequently it's perfectly sanitary, and I've never had a problem with my birds (or with my neighbors!) because of odor or bacteria in my coop.

 

[Chicken_Mamma1979]

A tractor will just tear up/burn the grass out in a large area.
I wouldn't worry about unsanitary, just clean the run regularly.

Hi, I built a fairly large chicken tractor about 7ft tall and about 10 feet long that I will move around my yard every 3-4 days a week with a chunnel out to another coop/run that they can go into and be safe in the back yard that is also mobile. The goal is not to have them stationary during the summer at all and to have them moving around the yard and free range as much as possible that way without attracting too much attention from predators, which we don't have much on the side of town I'm on, but it's not unheard of. I have seen a coyote once and cougar have been spotted on the upside of town about 5 miles from my house, but I've never seem them on my side of town, however, I do live in the mountains, so, again, not unheard of. I do have a pretty sturdy fenced in yard. I am also building a stationary coop for the winter with a completely enclosed run for them that will be 60ft long and 7ft tall with a huge insulated coop. I only have 4 chickens at the moment, hoping to add about 2 to 3 more. Am I still looking at the same burnout rate for my grass, how will this affect my yard, do you have any ideas?

 

[paintedChix]

Here are several different tractor styles we have used. W/ 5 chickens, they won't fit in the puppy x-pen/rabbit cage or pvc one once they are full size.

You might want to add more length to the a-frame (5x8') - if your breeds are larger. It will need to be moved daily once the birds are mature.

The fertilization over the years has changed the front yard of sand & crab grass to lush green grasses & weeds that overtook the area. W/ few chickens & dead lawn equipment, right now we have heavy growth - some of which is 9' tall & even w/ tractors needs heavy mowing & weed eating before can move tractors forward...

Tractors

Edit to add - the pvc tractor is too tall (think it's 38"?). Hard to care for rabbits or chicks. The top covers the full square. Again too large. Awkward/difficult to open for care access. Heavy & eventually broke. Plan to cut in half height wise & redo lids - either 1 lid over 1/2 w/ solid other side or or two lids w/ a center bar.

The puppy x-pen/rabbit cage chick tractor needs to be put on a wood or pvc base, add wheels to facilitate easier movement... just never did that.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Them eating the grass in a tractor is one issue. They will eat it down fairly fast and also tromp on it, flattening it. If you move the tractor before they destroy the roots it will come back. Your lawn will look spotty, a rich green spot where the tractor was once it recovers and kind of beat down until it recovers. How fast it recovers will depend on your weather and how much you let it get beaten down.

The other issue is that they poop a lot. You will probably be moving it to stop poop build-up before the grass is destroyed. If it rains you need to move it even more often because of the poop.

Lots of people use tractors for safe gazing. They can work but you will have a learning curve on how often you need to move it.

When I had mine it was modular. It had the nests, feed, and sleeping area in one end. The other section was an open area for additional space. I set up guillotine doors so each could be closed off when they were moved and using butterfly nuts with bolts could connect the two sections when stationary and in use. So two each 4 feet x 8 feet tractors for a total of 64 square feet when connected. If the weather was wet I moved it daily. If the weather was dry I could often go three days before I moved it. The field looked a little spotty if I didn't mow it for a while but it did not take that long for it to even out. I kept mine for about a month but that was too much moving. I went back to a stationary coop and run.

 

[paintedChix]

I love the idea of a 2 part tractor!!

 

[dbblondee]

Chickens aren't bothered by being in a portable coop to my knowledge, but they are generally much less predator proof than stationary coops (although you may not have many predators near you since it sounds like you live in a fairly populated area). The grass in your run will likely take some visible damage, it depends on how often you're moving it and how much space you have to go through. Portable coops are usually pretty small as well, just something to think about with five chickens.
But as a stationary coop owner, and this is just my opinion of course, as long as you're cleaning it frequently it's perfectly sanitary, and I've never had a problem with my birds (or with my neighbors!) because of odor or bacteria in my coop.

You can buy fully enclosed chicken coops with longer runs. Predator proof. They have large or small. Whatever you are looking for just Google it...you will find lots that will suit what your needs are!

 

[Biddle65]

Hi, I built a fairly large chicken tractor about 7ft tall and about 10 feet long that I will move around my yard every 3-4 days a week with a chunnel out to another coop/run that they can go into and be safe in the back yard that is also mobile. The goal is not to have them stationary during the summer at all and to have them moving around the yard and free range as much as possible that way without attracting too much attention from predators, which we don't have much on the side of town I'm on, but it's not unheard of. I have seen a coyote once and cougar have been spotted on the upside of town about 5 miles from my house, but I've never seem them on my side of town, however, I do live in the mountains, so, again, not unheard of. I do have a pretty sturdy fenced in yard. I am also building a stationary coop for the winter with a completely enclosed run for them that will be 60ft long and 7ft tall with a huge insulated coop. I only have 4 chickens at the moment, hoping to add about 2 to 3 more. Am I still looking at the same burnout rate for my grass, how will this affect my yard, do you have any ideas?

What did you decide? We need help please? Anyone who can give us good advice would be appreciated. We have 6 chicks aprox 11 weeks in a temporary house. My husband is ready and willing to build whatever I want but honestly I just don't know what type is the best and safest. We've never had chickens but I'm bonding and loving them already and I couldn't handle them being picked off 1 by 1 as someone said that could happen from predators. I want storage for their food etc and them to have plenty of space to roam and space for locking them in at night with their boxes. In order to keep them safe we would need to put the small hole fencing all the way around bottom included correct? But then will that bother their feet after awhile and what about cleaning the floor if it is on the grass. If we make the bottom of plywood won't that get yucky soon after even with bedding and be unsanitary. I live in north Carolina there are predators. I haven't seen but they are around. I have a huge barn but snakes could get them in there. I like the idea of the mobile too for more fresh grass. There getting big fast please send me ideas for a long term housing idea. Thank you so much.

 

[paintedChix]

What did you decide? We need help please? Anyone who can give us good advice would be appreciated. We have 6 chicks aprox 11 weeks in a temporary house. My husband is ready and willing to build whatever I want but honestly I just don't know what type is the best and safest. We've never had chickens but I'm bonding and loving them already and I couldn't handle them being picked off 1 by 1 as someone said that could happen from predators. I want storage for their food etc and them to have plenty of space to roam and space for locking them in at night with their boxes. In order to keep them safe we would need to put the small hole fencing all the way around bottom included correct? But then will that bother their feet after awhile and what about cleaning the floor if it is on the grass. If we make the bottom of plywood won't that get yucky soon after even with bedding and be unsanitary. I live in north Carolina there are predators. I haven't seen but they are around. I have a huge barn but snakes could get them in there. I like the idea of the mobile too for more fresh grass. There getting big fast please send me ideas for a long term housing idea. Thank you so much.

It would be better if you did your own thread on needing help w/ your chicks' new coop & run. Folks wont necessarily see this post attached to another poster's thread.

That said, living in NC, you have a lot of options & there are a lot of us all around NC. I also recommend reading through the NC Thread. You can see all the different styles of coops folks have here in NC.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/north-carolina.91762/post-1007442

I live in the sandhills, Harnett & Moore counties. I LOVE open air coops. I have found building w/ Cattle Panel (CP) & generally hoop them as hoop coops to be relatively easy & doable at my age & condition, by myself. All of our pens, tractors & hooped coops are open to the ground. No wire between ground & chicken feets. Pens, coops & runs have DLM or natural materials that compost down & have to be regularly added to. Tractors are cleaned by moving them forwards, backwards or sideways to new grass spot.

And now I've "stolen" OP's thread. I may copy/paste this to my own thread...

I have moved the rest of my post to -

Thread 'Painted Chix - refurbish/enlarge coops' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/painted-chix-refurbish-enlarge-coops.1663582/