So due to my recent discovery that my Irish Setter thinks my chickens would make a good dinner (he didnt get any but he snapped at them... I was outside when this happened thankfully) I have decided to make some sort of enclosure for my chickens to be in during the day.
I either wanted to make a run or a tractor, and I am currently leaning more to the tractor side because I can put them in the tractor inside the horse pastures and the garden and whatnot and control what they scratch up and fertalize.
I read for full sized hens that I need 10 sq feet a hen in a run, I have 7 chickens (6 hens and roo) so I would need 70 sq feet? What about for a tractor? I would think they dont need so much space because you move the tractor every day or as needed.
What is the best material to build them out of? I live in the seattle area so obviously rain is a factor. I was thinking 5' wide 5' long and 4' tall with some sort of roof/door over half of it. I was going to make it out of 2x2s with Hardware mesh as fencing.
What do you think?
I either wanted to make a run or a tractor, and I am currently leaning more to the tractor side because I can put them in the tractor inside the horse pastures and the garden and whatnot and control what they scratch up and fertalize.
I read for full sized hens that I need 10 sq feet a hen in a run, I have 7 chickens (6 hens and roo) so I would need 70 sq feet? What about for a tractor? I would think they dont need so much space because you move the tractor every day or as needed.
What is the best material to build them out of? I live in the seattle area so obviously rain is a factor. I was thinking 5' wide 5' long and 4' tall with some sort of roof/door over half of it. I was going to make it out of 2x2s with Hardware mesh as fencing.
What do you think?