If the coop is boxed, you can pick everything up, move it and then let them out – simple. Usually, it only takes a couple of moves before they get the hang of it, but it is easy to catch some ‘slow toes’ under the structure. They have to understand that they need to move with the coop. When moving an open bottom tractor, if the hens are standing on the dirt, they have to get to know the moving routine. The second reason is it makes it a bit easier to move the girls while they are confined. Should a bear or raccoon tip over the coop, they may shake the girls, but they will still be safely locked up, whereas if the bottom was open, they would be dinner. A solid ‘box’ that you can lock your girls into at night is more reassuring to me than an open-plan box. Many people, myself included, prefer a solid base to the coop for a couple of reasons (the most important being security). Since chickens poop the major portion of their waste at night, the poop is deposited straight onto the ground, which means you really don’t have much to clean up! The floor of the coop, in many cases, is non-existent. Yes, you can jam more birds in, but it will encourage anti-social behaviors that will be hard to break and may lead to the injury of one or more of your girls. This is where it is important to remember how much space your ladies require: large fowl need 4sq.ft/bird, and bantams require 2sq.ft/bird. The coop itself is essentially a square box with sufficient space to house your hens. It is also known as a chicken ark in the UK. You can break down the basic structure into two separate components: the coop and the run. If you want your grass to stay in reasonable condition, you will probably have to move the tractor at least every other day or end up with bald spots and a dust bath crater. In fact, they pay you in eggs – what could be better?
#Mindful chicken portable
The best reason for having a portable coop is free lawn services! The hens will nibble off the tips of the grass and weeds and remove any insects and fertilize, all for free! The hens can graze in total safety from aerial predators such as hawks and owls. A good sturdy tractor will deter most predators with the possible exceptions of the bear, raccoon, and coyote. The second benefit of the tractor is safety for your hens. The neighbors won’t be thrilled either when they have found your hens have re-located the mulch, eaten the veggies, and left little presents behind to say thank you.
#Mindful chicken Patch
It just so happens that the tractor is mobile, so you can move them along to the next patch of grass before they destroy the area where they are parked.Īnyone who has had chicken rampage through their flower beds will tell you it is very disheartening to have all your work destroyed in less than 10 minutes, not to mention the little poop patties all over the place. The idea of the tractor is to keep them penned to avoid damage to the rest of your yard or the neighbors’ property.