Will I need a bigger coop? And when can I move them into it?

[TKDmom]

I just got a chicken tractor for my little flock today.



You can see their rubbermaid box brooder in the background, so for now, this is a nice, roomy improvement where they can scratch around outside during the day. It has a footprint of 4' x 4', not including the nesting box. Here, you can see that it has a single roosting bar (just under 4' long)



My concern is, I have 6 black australorps. This is my first time with chickens, and I've read that they can get fairly large. How much space does each one need at night? They will probably be free range for much of the day once they mature. They are only 3.5 weeks right now. Will I need to build a bigger coop to accommodate 6 hens? Would building a second roosting bar be a viable solution if this one is too small for all of them?


Here's a couple of pictures of my little girls.



All piled into a heap and enjoying the sunshine.



My second question is...when can I move them into this tractor full-time? The temps are high enough that I could do it now (lows are in the upper 60s to low 70s). But there is nothing to keep predators from digging under the side of the tractor, the chicks peep constantly, and they are still too small to hop up to the roosting bar. I'm afraid they would be a dinner invitation to every passing raccoon and possum in the neighborhood.

 

[Keltara]

Do you plan to use this as your permanent coop for your chickens??

 

[TKDmom]

Do you plan to use this as your permanent coop for your chickens??

I'm trying to figure out whether or not I can. Just moving it around the yard when they need a fresh spot of grass. I live in central FL, so cold weather isn't an issue. We get maybe 3 light frosts a year. I imagine I could move them to a sheltered location (like by the pineapples) when it gets chilly.

 

[TKDmom]

Oh, and I imagine we will want to add to our flock in the future. So it won't break my heart to build a second, bigger permanent coop and let this be a halfway house for hens who need it. But do I need to get started on that bigger coop now, or can I wait?

 

[bigT88]

i believe six is too many for that

 

[randys]

to small for 6

 

[TKDmom]

Thanks for the input so far. Once I saw it in person, I was afraid I shouldn't be trying to stuff more than 3 or 4 full-sized birds in there. But hope springs eternal.

I will go ahead with plans to build a more permanent coop this summer.

Any thoughts on when I could move chicks outside in this full time? Should I just wait until I see them hopping up on the roost during the day? Or maybe attach some hardware cloth on the bottom? I'm reluctant to have the chicks scratching around on wire...

 

[my sunwolf]

If they only slept in it and were free ranged during the day, then 6 might be okay in it. However, the recommended inside space for each chicken is 4 sq ft, and the recommended ranging space to go along with that is 10 sq ft per chicken... so if you ever didn't want them free ranging, they would be too cramped.

 

[Keltara]

Also, you are right about your fears of predators digging. A raccoon would make very short time of digging under that. I doesn't matter that the youngsters peep a lot. Even if a chicken is quite, the predators will find them and they will continually try to get them (especially at night). You need fort knox for bedtime or you will lose your girls.