Portable Chicken Coop AKA Chicken Tractor, www.FredsFineFowl.com
Posted on May 6, 2010
Portable chicken coops are practical for the small scale poultry/chicken enthusiast. Learn all about incubating, brooding, rearing, feeding, housing and caring for chickens by viewing the DVD titled Regarding Chickens, available online through the nation’s top hatcheries.
Tags: Chicken, Coop, Portable, Tractor, www.FredsFineFowl.com
May 6, 2010
@HTCSWEOD
thanks i’ll keep this in mind
May 6, 2010
Hi, I would not use a hose to spray things out… with plenty of litter (pine shavings here) the chicken droppings dry out quickly and you may use the droppings/shavings mixture as a mulch on your garden. Keeping things dry is key to reducing ammonia and bad bacteria from developing. If you can’t keep up, there are too many birds in the coop.
May 6, 2010
if the chickens poop in the nesting area, can i use a hose to spray it towards the bottom level of the coop or would i have to add some water resistant things ?
May 6, 2010
There are air openings at the top of the roosting box facing the interior of the penned area. Depending on the climate in which they are kept, more ventilation holes can be put in. Always remember to use hardware cloth to prevent the entry of rodents and other undesirables… thanks for your comment!!
May 6, 2010
What type of ventilation do the chickens have once they are in for the night? I have been enjoying your videos….keep them coming!
May 6, 2010
If you will be keeping chickens inside for extended periods, then the general rule is 4 square feet of floor space per large standard bird… 3 square feet per bantam…. the coop shown here is not intended as a year round structure in northern climates, but rather for spring, summer and autumn ranging…
May 6, 2010
How many square feet do you need per chicken?
May 6, 2010
wonderful ideas . I grew up in the country but am living in a small town and dearly am trying to be self sufficient.
May 6, 2010
What do you do in the winter?
May 6, 2010
Chickens kept under good conditions don’t smell. This enclosure will keep them safe from cats. Rats (if you have them) should be dealt with by removing all their nesting areas. A rat certainly could get under this coop. Deal with the rats first.
May 6, 2010
Are chicken coops safe from cats and rats? plus does one chicken smell, if you clean it everyday?
May 6, 2010
crazy
May 6, 2010
This was great information and demonstration. Could you tell me where you got your predator guard lights? I have never seen those before.
May 6, 2010
nice video, thanks for sharing . heres a 3D plan view of our latest mobile chicken coop as close to free range as you can get,,, see our channel for plans,,,,many thanks
May 6, 2010
As a general rule when constructing a stationary chicken coop… 4 sq ft per large standard bird and 3 sq. ft. per bantam chicken…
So, 8 x 8 ft coop could house 16 large standard chickens without too much population density.
May 7, 2010
how much room do free range bantams need in a chicken coop. how much room do road island reds need in a chicken coop. the coop is just a place for them to sleep at night, then there out in the morning btw. thnx
May 7, 2010
Hi and thank you for your comment. There is nothing beneath the coop to allow free access to till and turf. We also have an abundance of Red and Gray Fox here and they have not been able to take a hen from this portable system. The hens of course are locked up in the roost at night. The A-Frame design is not one that I’m a big fan of, as it is very small at the top/roost and combs often rub the slanted chicken wire sides. The design was to keep goats from hopping on top. We have no goats..
May 7, 2010
Hi! Great video and great design! However i notice you didn’t say anything in the video about something fitted to the bottom of the chicken coop to stop foxes! We live on the Northwest of Ireland and we have had quite a few of our hens carried off by a fox! Have you seen the other “A”shaped chicken coop on here? its good also, but a trash video! you could do it and explain it better!
May 7, 2010
Thanks!
May 7, 2010
very clever design
May 7, 2010
Thanks, I’m glad you found it helpful! Happy Building!!
May 7, 2010
Excellent ideas of which I will incorporate many on the next tractor.
May 7, 2010
That’s true.. Green…
You may hang a rabbit drinker on the side with the wire yolk that comes with them. Another reason why cage wire works better than chicken wire, it can support drinker with no problem… thanks for posting your comment!
May 7, 2010
The single best improvement for these is to use a chicken nipple waterer. It take chicken about 10 min to learn to use them. Then there’s no more changing nasty water; just fill external reservoir.
May 7, 2010
I did put out drawings/plans for those who are interested, just go to the Fred’s Fine Fowl website it’s on the page marked coop plans.