Which is better: stationary or tractor?

[ncCHICKS]

do you think 4 of these would be enough? have it raise just enough to let it move. maybe 2-3 inches?

 

[patandchickens]

Totally depends on your situation.

Even moving a tractor, they WILL mess up the grass. You end up leaving a trail of pooed-on, eaten-up, dusting-holes-scratched-into-it patches all across the lawn behind the tractor.

So probably what you need is to talk to your mom and see whether she would prefer ONE patch of ground to get thrashed into dirt (you can add sand or stuff so it doesn't look real nasty and get real muddy), or whether she would prefer a travelling parade of sublethally-messed-up ground all across the lawn.

A tractor that size is going to have to be either incredibly flimsy and lightweight, like the ones used for raising broilers, or will be moveable only with a lawn tractor (or bigger) and you won't be able to move it at all when the ground is damp and soggy. At the very least I'd suggest making the 'house' and 'pen' parts detachable, so you can move them separately. This won't solve your weight problem *much* but will make it a *bit* better.

Good luck, honestly it sounds to me (esp. with your problems with your mom) like you ought to build a permanent coop,

Pat

 

[ncCHICKS]

Quote:
I tend to agree. Maybe putting a ground cover on the run part, like mulch or something will slow them destroying grass totally. plus if it gets too bad, we can put them in a small tractor we already have and put down seed.

 

[junebug7334]

I covet the tractor ..I have two woderful coops but the mobile chicken thing is great. Some breeds will give you a hard time at first going from being totally free to a tractor.

 

[ncCHICKS]

Quote:
My girls are used to a 10x6 run that is covered. They murdered the grass in October, so we've been giving cabbage, grass clippings, and weeds. I think they would like fresh grass. I do let them free ranges every week for a little while (usually 2 at a time) when we free range, mom, grandma and me are out there right with them. Grandma sits on the patio hawkspottin. She seems to enjoy it. She says hawk, I get one chicken mom gets the other. It may sound dumb but when my PR was about 6 weeks old she almost got stolen by a hawk. Not letting it happen again.