who has portable chicken coop/run for 25 birds ?

[MamaChic21]

Since we can't decided on what area that the chickens and ducks can be, we're thinking of going portable but what mobile/portable chicken coop will accomodiate 25 birds ? I've checked and done my research and the one's I like can't be portable and the ones that are portable are too small. I am in desperate need of help

If anyone has any ideas, suggestions, I will be greatly appriciated.

 

[patandchickens]

You've posted this before and I really don't know what anyone can possibly say other than, there is a real limit to how big portable things can be.

Try it this way: what SIZE do you want? ("25 chickens" is not a size, because we do not know how many square feet you want to give them). Tell us what DIMENSION structure you want, and we can suggest whether it is feasible at all and if so what'd be the best construction method.

Pat

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I would think that you might want to go with the prefabricated ones that hold 10 hens (but they will be crowded in there) like the eglu or the henspa.

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/henspa.html

http://www.omlet.us/products_services/products_services.php?cat=Eglu+Cube&subcat=Pricing
see the one at the bottom of the page

This is if you aren't wanting to build something yourself. I have no personal experience with the above products at all (and also no financial stake in them, lol)!

Edited to add- maybe the prefab ones aren't what you are looking for- but I always like looking at them anyways- they are eye candy.

 

[MamaChic21]

Quote:
I'm terribly sorry and apologize for the re-peat, but I thought maybe that with all the new things we learn, hear or see daily, people can give me some ideas. The dimentions I was looking for is 7x7, 8x10 and 5x10.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.horizonstructures.com/Details.asp?List=1&Product=6

ahaaa! I knew I had seen it somewhere. Beautiful coop.

 

[Judy]

On many properties, there is really only one good spot for a pond, the lowest spot. And even if you are only going to let them have a kiddie pool, you want the water to drain away when you dump it. IMO, kiddie pools are no life for a duck. I would suggest you pick an area with the water needs of ducks in mind and settle on it.

In that climate, I assume there will be many days they want to stay inside. Because of that, the 4 sq ft per bird is pretty stingy, and they will be much better off with a good deal more, like maybe a 16' x 24' building.

If you end up turning an old trailer of some sort into a coop, unless it is awfully large, I'm afraid you'll be posting with an appeal on how to deal with pecking or even cannibalism.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
For the run:

Have you looked at hoop-coop structures that have been recommended to you? I do not have links offhand but there is a VAST number of them on BYC, the cattle-panel ones being generally stronger than the pvc-hoop ones.

Alternatively you can buy a chainlink dog kennel and put wheels on it, it'll be harder to move but several BYCers do this without vehicular power.

Alternatively go check out the meat-bird tractor designs in the Meat Birds Etc section of the BYC forum, and adapt one or more of them as a run (or even, covered solidly in something LIGHTWEIGHT, as a coop).

For the coop:

Either do one of the above and put *lightweight* solid sides and roof on it (tarp, or coroplast and replace it frequently, or thin plywood); or spend some time figuring out how to strip a regular 8x8 coop down to bare-minimum weight (it'll help if it's NOT walk-in height) and put it on wheels, which is quite simple other than the "making it light enough" part; or get an appropriate sized cart/wagon chassis and build a small coop on that (again, best to be only reach-in size) and make sure you figure out ahead of time whether you can pull it iwthout a vehicle.

There is however a REASON that people are not posting to describe their 25-chicken tractors. The reason is, it doesn't really work well at all, unless you are free ranging the birds and all that's portable is the COOP (and for those, people usually use a vehicle to move it). Not everything is equally possible, the laws of physics do have some say in things

Pat

 

[MamaChic21]

One of the reason I was thinking to go portable is that they can be closer to the house during the winter, in which they can't have a pond because it will be an ice. And during the summer, I can put it when I already have a inground pond for them. I agree, kiddy pool for ducks isn't a way for the duckies. The spot I want for them is good during the summer, because they'll get some what of a sun light but not enough for the winter. There is another spot for them that's closer to the side of the house where they can have winter sun in the morning and afternoon, but 1 problem for that not to be a permanet home is, it's about 100ft to the neighbors bedroom. His a detective, I don't want to piss him off with my 4 roo's

and 3rd place is where the pond is right now is a small hill, gets direct sun winter and summer, somewhat closer to home and not far from their current place, but the only trees I got in our backyard is in our way

.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/73058_dsc02623.jpg this is one of two and they are atleast 16-17 ft high. I'm terribly sorry to give you guys a headache, but this has been an issue for us for like 3-4 months and I can't eat, sleep or function normally. I just want to resolve this matter as quickly as I can so I can return to somewhat a "normal life" for my kids, chickens and ducks

 

[Judy]

The coop you like is 4x8, smaller than any of the dimensions you gave. It says it houses 15-20 chickens. In a mild climate I might put 7 or 8 in there, if I had my feed stored elsewhere and ripped out about half the next boxes for space. In your climate I'd put 3 or 4 at most, and remove all the nest boxes but one.

It is much more expensive to build several small coops than one large one, even if they don't need axles and wheels and tires, and even if you want interior walls to separate them into 3 groups of birds.

If you do this, you'll be building another large building very soon, I predict, and a stationary one at that. Or perhaps putting much of your flock in the freezer.

 

[MamaChic21]

Thank you Pat, I will search for those you've mentioned right away. You're absolutely right about the the law of physics

4 years ago, I had about 20 chickens and they I'll let them out during the day, but I have hawks, vultures, possums, fox and etc and they were killed 1 by 1. Now I do have a golden Retriever, 2 Anatolian Shepards but 1 anatolian shepard likes to eat the chics and ducks himself

. He's still a puppy, we are all trying to teach him otherwise