Tractor v. Coop

[BluesChicken]

Total noob here!

We plan on getting 4-5 chicks next spring and I want to get everything ready for the new arrivals. I'd like to build their "house" this winter, but I'm not sure whether to build a tractor or a coop. Our yard is smallish (maybe 100' by 40') and completely fenced. I'm planning on giving them free run while I am around and keeping them in their house or coop otherwise. Do I need a tractor to move them around the yard or will they roam enough so that I can just give them a house with a run?

What do you think??

Dave

 

[HEChicken]

When I lived in the city, with a securely fenced backyard, all I had was a small coop. I opened the door in the morning and they had the run of the backyard throughout the day, returning to the coop to sleep at night. I had neither a run nor a tractor. Don't know if that helps?

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

When I lived in the city, with a securely fenced backyard, all I had was a small coop. I opened the door in the morning and they had the run of the backyard throughout the day, returning to the coop to sleep at night. I had neither a run nor a tractor. Don't know if that helps?

x2

 

[ChickensRDinos]

x2 I also live in the city. I have a small coop and just let them free range during the day. I think I would only do a tractor if I had a really big yard and wanted to control where they foraged.

 

[BluesChicken]

Thanks for the advice. That makes perfect sense to me, and greatly simplifies my "winter" hen-house project.

Dave

 

[aander]

I'm one with a big backyard in town, and as previous poster noted, it would be good to control where they forage. I currently have a garden shed as the coop and let them have free range of the yard during the day, but I want better control of where they are foraging (to not have too much wear in one area), so I have a tractor in construction to be in use by next spring.

 

[HEChicken]

I'm one with a big backyard in town, and as previous poster noted, it would be good to control where they forage. I currently have a garden shed as the coop and let them have free range of the yard during the day, but I want better control of where they are foraging (to not have too much wear in one area), so I have a tractor in construction to be in use by next spring.

If you have a large backyard, I wouldn't be concerned too much about them wearing out areas, unless you have a really high number of birds. I had a maximum of 12 in my fairly small backyard and they never wore it out in 3 years. In fact, the backyard had amazing green grass from all the fertilizer they were adding. I did have to fence off my vegie garden to keep them from going in. At the end of the season I'd open the gate and let them in to clean up for me and fertilize the beds for the following year.