Posted: 10/2/2012 5:11:56 PM EDT
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We recently moved outside town and I thought it would be a good idea to raise some livestock. We started with chickens. I started the coop several weeks ago. Because I scan Craigslist everyday, I caught chicken fever. I couldn't wait to get started so I quickly threw together a tractor. Since the coop wasn't ready, I got chickens about a month away from laying.
The guy I got the chickens from, pretty much was living my dream. He had a couple of steers, goats, pigs, turkeys and chickens. Anyway, here are a few pictures: This is my coop. I incorporated the tractor in the pen design. You can move it around the outside of the pen, so hopefully they will continue to have grass. 
This is where the eggs come out. A door for the run and and opposite is a door to connect the tractor. I plan to install a couple more of these. 
Probably would have been best if the door for the chicken was on the side opposite of the nest boxes. Maybe I'll put another door there. 
Here they are eating a couple of tomatoes. 
Saturday, one of the reds laid her first egg. 
It was a little smaller than a fancy store bought Large egg. 
She has laid 3 more and I had them for dinner tonight. Should have had a dinner pic. 
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Quoted: Chicken keep away Looks nice. I started with a chicken tractor then I got tired of moving it. I just trained the dog not to bother them and I let them free range now. Its fun to throw some bread out and watch them try to run/fly to get it first.   Nice looking pen and coop OP |
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Do you guys with midget sized coops and runs ever need to go inside the enclosure? How do you recover an egg that is laid in the wrong spot? A dead hen?
If you are dragging these things around, how do you brace these lightly built structure to deal with being drug around by a truck or tractor? I want to build something that I can put out in my pasture next summer, but, I can't seem to find any way to build a lightweight, portable and large coop. TRG |
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My coop is 4' x 4' so I can see and reach anywhere in it.
I drug it with my garden tractor from the white building in the background of one of the pics to where it is now. I jacked up the front a little and used a couple of wagon wheels (Radio Flyer not westward expansion) to make it easy. Quoted:
Do you guys with midget sized coops and runs ever need to go inside the enclosure? How do you recover an egg that is laid in the wrong spot? A dead hen? If you are dragging these things around, how do you brace these lightly built structure to deal with being drug around by a truck or tractor? I want to build something that I can put out in my pasture next summer, but, I can't seem to find any way to build a lightweight, portable and large coop. TRG |
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Quoted:
Do you guys with midget sized coops and runs ever need to go inside the enclosure? How do you recover an egg that is laid in the wrong spot? A dead hen? If you are dragging these things around, how do you brace these lightly built structure to deal with being drug around by a truck or tractor? I want to build something that I can put out in my pasture next summer, but, I can't seem to find any way to build a lightweight, portable and large coop. TRG I'm kicking off a build this weekend of a tractor based on this design: 
He covers some of his build steps on his page: http://www.raincreekpottery.com/Pages/HoopCoopChickenTractor.aspx The arch is comprised of two 16' cattle pens covered in wire and tarped as desired. With an 8' span, it creates enough arch to move around in comfortably. eta: and if you are just dealing with meat birds, the "Joel Salatin" style tractor is hard to beat. Google will give you a ton of examples or pick up his book, but a modified version is shown in this clip (and is easy on the eyes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcgazHBArVs&feature=related |
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That's pretty neat. Yeah, i liked the design - looked like it would work well for my less that level acreage. Got about 3/4 of the way done this weekend, with the "help" of my mini-me. http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa441/556public23/FCF9D61F-D66A-49D8-AA87-A68CC74D1241-155-0000000C15A7A0D8.jpg Be aware predators can easily get through hog panels. I would really reccomend hardware cloth overlay. |
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Quoted:
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That's pretty neat. Yeah, i liked the design - looked like it would work well for my less that level acreage. Got about 3/4 of the way done this weekend, with the "help" of my mini-me. http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa441/556public23/FCF9D61F-D66A-49D8-AA87-A68CC74D1241-155-0000000C15A7A0D8.jpg Be aware predators can easily get through hog panels. I would really reccomend hardware cloth overlay. Yep, the panels are just for support, it will be wrapped in HW cloth. I will probably also add a 1-2' "skirt" around the perimeter to discourage diggers. |
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They are going to dig the shit out of that yard....literary.
Been raising 3 tractors full of birds for years. They have their own part of the pasture and their own sand pile so we can fill in holes. We did run them in electric netting close to the house a few times...my yard in that area still beats the shit out of me when I mow. |
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They are going to dig the shit out of that yard....literary. Been raising 3 tractors full of birds for years. They have their own part of the pasture and their own sand pile so we can fill in holes. We did run them in electric netting close to the house a few times...my yard in that area still beats the shit out of me when I mow. Looks like OP has some nice grass to be concerned about... I've got 25 acres of pasture. |
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They are going to dig the shit out of that yard....literary. Been raising 3 tractors full of birds for years. They have their own part of the pasture and their own sand pile so we can fill in holes. We did run them in electric netting close to the house a few times...my yard in that area still beats the shit out of me when I mow. Looks like OP has some nice grass to be concerned about... I've got 25 acres of pasture. Trick photography. There are a lot of weeds, but as long as it's green I'm OK with it. |
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Quoted:
Do you guys with midget sized coops and runs ever need to go inside the enclosure? How do you recover an egg that is laid in the wrong spot? A dead hen? If you are dragging these things around, how do you brace these lightly built structure to deal with being drug around by a truck or tractor? I want to build something that I can put out in my pasture next summer, but, I can't seem to find any way to build a lightweight, portable and large coop. TRG Do a search for catawba chicken tractor. I didn't buy his plans, but was able to build one based on this design. It's strong and light enough for one person to move daily. To save weight I used old cedar decking and old cedar tongue and groove for the non-frame areas (side covers and ends) . I think its the best chicken tractor design I've come across. |
Nice set up OP. You will have fun with your new project. I used to keep mine confined also but now they run free around the barn lot. They come back to the coop each night and I shut the door to avoid night time shennigans ! One downside though is sometimes they will decide to find new spots to lay their eggs. Sort of like an easter egg hunt sometimes. Also lose a couple each season to coyotes but usually manage to keep the predators thinned out.
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We're still only getting about 5 eggs a week, so I installed some solar spot lights in the coop. Hopefully that will light a fire - figuratively, lot literally.
Our rooster was talking to the neighbor's rooster the whole time and we took a bucket of apples over to the same neighbor's hogs. I stopped at TSC and got them the block "Little Jerry Seinfeld" is standing on: 
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Quoted:
We're still only getting about 5 eggs a week, so I installed some solar spot lights in the coop. Hopefully that will light a fire - figuratively, lot literally. Our rooster was talking to the neighbor's rooster the whole time and we took a bucket of apples over to the same neighbor's hogs. I stopped at TSC and got them the block "Little Jerry Seinfeld" is standing on: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/benny429/A5D4CD2B-C5BE-48F8-AD3E-CC2255831B86-24948-000015036BA28C7E.jpg Just curious: Why do you keep a rooster? Are you looking for fertilized eggs? We were hoping one of our hens would get broody this summer but it never happened. I still like having the rooster around. It's amusing to watch him dote over the hens.
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That block is way over priced for what it provides. I bought one too when I first had my hens.
FWIW, I think you might want to add a visual barrier along the base of your coop to prevent varmints from seeing the hens inside. If they see the hens, they will decide to dig in to get them. If they don't see them, they are less likely to become fixated and try to get inside. TRG |
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We're still only getting about 5 eggs a week, so I installed some solar spot lights in the coop. Hopefully that will light a fire - figuratively, lot literally. Our rooster was talking to the neighbor's rooster the whole time and we took a bucket of apples over to the same neighbor's hogs. I stopped at TSC and got them the block "Little Jerry Seinfeld" is standing on: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/benny429/A5D4CD2B-C5BE-48F8-AD3E-CC2255831B86-24948-000015036BA28C7E.jpg Just curious: Why do you keep a rooster? Are you looking for fertilized eggs? We were hoping one of our hens would get broody this summer but it never happened. I still like having the rooster around. It's amusing to watch him dote over the hens. Good question. I'm not really looking for fertilized eggs - not now anyway. I do like to hear him crow, though. |
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Quoted:
That block is way over priced for what it provides. I bought one too when I first had my hens. FWIW, I think you might want to add a visual barrier along the base of your coop to prevent varmints from seeing the hens inside. If they see the hens, they will decide to dig in to get them. If they don't see them, they are less likely to become fixated and try to get inside. TRG I just got the block as a treat. I've thought about the barrier, 2' tall enough? Right now my neighbor's free range chickens serve as a barrier.
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Quoted:
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We're still only getting about 5 eggs a week, so I installed some solar spot lights in the coop. Hopefully that will light a fire - figuratively, lot literally. Our rooster was talking to the neighbor's rooster the whole time and we took a bucket of apples over to the same neighbor's hogs. I stopped at TSC and got them the block "Little Jerry Seinfeld" is standing on: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/benny429/A5D4CD2B-C5BE-48F8-AD3E-CC2255831B86-24948-000015036BA28C7E.jpg Just curious: Why do you keep a rooster? Are you looking for fertilized eggs? We were hoping one of our hens would get broody this summer but it never happened. I still like having the rooster around. It's amusing to watch him dote over the hens. Good question. I'm not really looking for fertilized eggs - not now anyway. I do like to hear him crow, though. Same here. We got 5 hens and a rooster in the spring that were all a year old an acquaintance was trying to get rid of. They layed great during the summer. My wife let them out and didn't watch over them like she usually does and a neighbor's dog killed 3 of them. Then the Brown Leghorn rooster went crazy and was attacking us. I would literally have to kick him in the head to try to show dominance and he could not be turned. As much as I wanted to kill him, we traded it for a Colombian Wyandotte that the acquaintance still had. He's been great. Much more docile but still a rooster. I plan on getting 25 chicks in the spring, 15 Colombian Wyandottes and 10 New Hampshire Reds.
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We had an odd development yesterday. One of our hens is a rooster. I was out working around their pen yesterday and he was trying to crow. I hadn't noticed but his comb and wattles have grown and become a deeper red recently.
Today, the rooster we knew was a rooster and the new rooster were the only chickens laying in the sun. It's like the older one is training the new one for the job. |
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Quoted:
We had an odd development yesterday. One of our hens is a rooster. I was out working around their pen yesterday and he was trying to crow. I hadn't noticed but his comb and wattles have grown and become a deeper red recently. Today, the rooster we knew was a rooster and the new rooster were the only chickens laying in the sun. It's like the older one is training the new one for the job. I've read that chickens can change sex. Fish do it regularly. Amphibians too. If you keep only hens for a while, one can change to a rooster. I'm not sure it's true, but it sounds like it by your account. Anyone confirm or deny this? Maybe it's breed dependent, or the age of the birds too, if young enough? I'm curious. |
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Quoted:
Do you guys with midget sized coops and runs ever need to go inside the enclosure? How do you recover an egg that is laid in the wrong spot? A dead hen? If you are dragging these things around, how do you brace these lightly built structure to deal with being drug around by a truck or tractor? I want to build something that I can put out in my pasture next summer, but, I can't seem to find any way to build a lightweight, portable and large coop. TRG A good friend of mine has a large chicken tractor. On each end of the a frame he has 2x4 extended out about a foot. Each has a hole large enough for a pipe to go through and he has small wagon wheels he attaches to the pipes. Allows him to pull it around with his ATV. |