what are your meat birds in

[nikka77]

I was wondering if you could share pictures of what you have your meat birds in. I live on 1/2 acre so I am sure if the tractor idea would not work too well. I am considering getting about 15 birds. We do have dogs, cats, hawks, owls, and raccoons in the area.

 

[SmokinChick]

Brand new tractor that weighs way too much! But it is mobile. 4 acres here to poop on. Maybe an electric fence is an option?
Good luck

 

[Beekissed]

 

[nikka77]

I think the electric fence may work. I will talk to my FIL about it since he has some around his crops.

 

[wsmoak]

Tractor and electric netting:



Even on a small site I'd still recommend the tractor. You could make a taller one and do deep litter bedding so you don't have to move it around. (Just keep adding shavings/wood chips/leaves/whatever you're using for bedding.)

But you could still move it around even if you only have a few spots to use. You'd just have to rake and hose down the 'old' area and then wait as long as you can before re-using it.

-Wendy

 

[Buster52]

15 birds won't need a lot of room. You could do a small tractors move it daily but still not use the half acre, or you could use a big one and move it once every three days or so.

 

[nikka77]

A third of that is the front yard in a residential area. Could I use a pen and do the deep litter method or would there be too much poop?

 

[Farmettehopeful]

Mine are in a very small tractor (only had 5 to put in it) that I can tarp as needed during the day and do tarp every night (pic is on my page, all materials I already had so it didn't cost me anything). I made it wrong so it is a pain to clean off the one end that is solid (so they don't have to sleep in wet grass when it rains). I am still amazed at the amount of poop but since the temps have been up and down regularly, the smell isn't bad. I do also put straw down on the grass to help stop the matting that occurs because that is hard to rake! I move mine everyday, sometimes twice a day to keep the poop matting down and they are out and about everyday as well but they don't travel far from the tractor I believe since it has the food...or the sense the dogs peering/drooling at them from the house window

Mine are now at 7 weeks~I'm getting hungry and starting to drool too haha

 

[Peruvian]

We raise 30 in a hoop house tractor, 8'x10'



We did add some electric netting this year as another line of defense due to the fox, racoons, coyote, and weasels, but the birds live in the tractor and I move it within the fence line. We've raised them in the front yard, back yard, and back meadow. Great for fertilizing the lawn!

 

[nikka77]

We raise 30 in a hoop house tractor, 8'x10'



We did add some electric netting this year as another line of defense due to the fox, racoons, coyote, and weasels, but the birds live in the tractor and I move it within the fence line. We've raised them in the front yard, back yard, and back meadow. Great for fertilizing the lawn!

What is your hoop coop made of? Do you think it could stay in one spot and use the deep litter method?