Chickens, and things related

[tony123]

I've got the frame built for the chicken tractor. The coop section is 4'x4'x4'. The run section is 4'x4'x7.5'.



A few questions. I was going to use 1/4" PT plywood for the coop walls, but after hearing of toro's free metal, I wonder if using some metal roofing material might be a better option? It's lighter, and less expensive. Any thoughts?

I'm planning on using a hardware cloth for the coop flooring. It's lighter, and I've got nothing to clean. Any cons to that?

I want to build 3 nesting boxes that will "protrude" off the back wall of the coop. What are the dimensions I should use?

 

[Tororider]

I am going to put some insulation and interior wall bc of the cold winters here, but with your winters not sure you would need that so I don't see why you couldn't.

What size hardware cloth are you going to use? I would think on the floor the bigger the better so they can get their beaks through it so they can scratch and get the weeds, bugs, etc.

How many chicks do you have again? I have heard/was told that you need one nest box for every four chickens. With regards to dimensions I have heard/was told that approximately 14" square. Others with more experience can let you know if that sounds right.

Sounds like you are moving right along with everything.

 

[tony123]

I agree, I don't think my winters will call for insulation. Probably 5-10 nights of the year I can pull the tractor into the garage and give them a light bulb.

The hardware cloth is only going to be on the floor of the coop section. The run will not have a floor. Therefore, I was thinking of a smaller (.5" x .5") mesh to be comfortable on their feet.

I have six birds, so 2 boxes will do the trick. That's good too, as my 48" dimension will work about right. I wouldn't mind having a third box though... Seems like a box per four chickens would slow down egg production? no?

 

[Tororider]

The only thing I can think of with mesh flooring in the coop is that all the poop probably won't fit through the mesh. If I were you, for cleaning purposes, I would make one whole side a door and make sure you have a door that you can close from the coop to the run. That way you can confine the birds in the run, open the door and just rake out all the pine shavings. If you feed them DE it shouldn't even smell.

I don't think it messes with egg production, just think they "take turns", ie they all aren't ready to lay at once.

 

[dooleysm]

My cousin has about 10 hens in a 10x10 coop. He says they all use the same box. On the rare occassion that one is ready to lay while another is in the preferred box, she will just lay on the ground rather than use another box.

I made my next boxes out of 8'x16" sections of osb I had leftover from another project. I forget how many I have, maybe 6? I used 1 piece as the floor, 1 piece I cut into 16" squares, then made one side of the square angle down to 12". I used those for the walls of the next boxes with the slope going from 16" in the back to 12" in the front. To the top of those walls I nailed another 8'x16" piece of scrap. Each box is about 12"-14" wide. There's a 2x4 running along the front of each box, so the opening is 9 1/2" high.

I recommend a metal roof over any other option. Very easy to install on a small coop, and should last as long as you want the coop around.

I'm in southern Indiana and didn't insulate my coop. My cousin is about an hour south of me and didn't insulate his either. I'll tell you in a year if I would recommend insualtion

I have a dirt floor in mine that I've covered with wood chips and sawdust. I have a free supply of sawdust from my inlaw's truss building business and I can easily clean out my 6x9 coop and use the soiled dust in my gardens.

I can't wait to get home and see if my newly acquired auction chickens have laid any more eggs.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Getting a little confused here.

I use the tractor for the meat birds only, so no insulation. Lighter is better when moving. Fasten the chains or whatever well to the lower part of the house. Used a wire floor for a while but it has gone out for a couple years now and noone has burrowed under it to get at the guys. (we have skunks coyotes, etc, etc). Train the chickens to come out of the house and into the run by feeding them on the ground in the run putting the feed closest to the house and then pulling the house up to where they are feeding. They get the idea pretty fast. My favorite waterers are the ones that hang and are self regulating. But i do not have them so the roof comes up while the guys are feeding and can reach in and get the waterer for replenishment. So make sure you can reach all the way inside the house or plan on fishing for a deceased chicken or waterer pushed to the front.

Can put perches in the house as well, just dowels running from wall to wall, nothing special.

 

[ihookem]

Speaking of meat birds, I ordered 100 and bought 100 lbs of 24% protein feed. It came to 22 dollars. I was wondering how well meat birds grow if you feed them less and let them walk around and get bugs. Last year I let them out all the time and they ate a little here and there but they seem to like the feed much more than getting their own food. I guess my question is do any of you do anything to reduce your feed cost? The cost has really gotten high.Thanks in advance. Later, ihookem.

 

[Tororider]

From what I have been told, meat chickens will sit at the feeder and not move. So it may be hard to save on feed costs for meat birds. I guess the good news is that they reach butcher age by 8-9 weeks. With laying chickens I think you can help defray a bit by using table scraps, yard clippings, bugs, etc.

 

[Soundguy]

I've seen that behavior on meat birds as well.. they will eat you out of house and home if not carefull.. especially turkey..

soundguy

 

[dooleysm]

The chickens I bought at the auction and my 4 and a half week old chicks will eat anything I throw in their run. I'll be finishing up my second bag of chick starter probably early next week and then I'm going to let them eat the layer crumbles I'm feeding the older chickens. I'm really hoping I can let them out in the evenings to scavange around for ticks. We've been finding them on our son every evening already.

I had an exciting day yesterday as another of my auction hens has started laying. It was a tiny little brown egg, but it's a start!