I found this web site awhile back and thought those of you building chicken tractors might like to look at this. I'm building a modified version of it for some young ducks to prtect them from ferral cats. It is easy to build and you can make changes simply by using shorter lenths of pvc. Mine will be 30 ft. in diameter by 3 ft. tall. It's light, and easy to move, and cheap to build. Just go to www.utm.edu/departments/ed/cece/idea/mopens.shtml

-- Tim (goathillfarm50@aol.com), March 10, 2002

Answers

Hey, I read a fascinating article in Mother Earth News that shows how to make a moveable, wooden, chicken coop that has the pen incorporated in the design. It's an A frame structure with pole handles on both ends. It would take two people to move it, similar to the way that folks would move a medical / emergency stretcher. The coop is elevated and the pen area is underneath it. It's really nifty, and I hope to have a similar one someday. I was thinking that the bottonm area could have sled like runners attached. That way, it could be pulled by one person with a strong back, or even by a car, small tractor or by a large critter.

Sorry I can't tell you which issue it was in. I'm pretty certain it was in Mother Earth News within the last 3 years, but it could have been in Countryside or some similar publication. My archives are all packed away, so I can't look it up for you.

I would much rather have a wooden pen than a plastic one. (I will save my very strong opinions about plastics for a different thread.)

Jenny

-- Jenny (jnjonline@earthlink.net), March 10, 2002.

I build ones for chickens about 32"w 32"h and 5' long of UV-resistant PVC with two lengthwise 2x4's for perches 10" from the sides. It opens on one end to a double nest box, and the other end is open across the lower half, which is fastened to a 5'x3'x3' cage. The sides of the house are galvanized barn siding, and totally raccoon proof; the cage is made of hog panels - one folded for end and sides, and another half one for the top with a hinged part at the end to get to hanging water and feed. 1" poultry netting is wrapped around the top and sides and wired in place. The bottoms can be 2x4" welded wire fence optionally. We use no heat, but stake a yard-light on a timer near them in the winter so we get eggs. We park them over areas we want to weed or compost. DON'T use the bottom mesh if you have minimal predator problems though, as it makes them hard to move because bedding and stuff weld them to the ground. We have drag chains on the nest-box end that double as "locks" by snapping over the swing-down door, and usually move them by pulling them with a lawn tractor, although they aren't that hard to move by hand.

BTW - steer panels (the taller version of hog panels - 16'x50" 1/4" semi-rigid galvanized fencing panels) make the best tomato and pea trellis' ever - they don't bend when you rip the vines off, you can flex them in a circle and link the ends together for a compost container or giant potato-growing bin, opening them at season end and using them elsewhere. Bend them in "L" shapes or "C" shapes so they are free-standing, stake them upright on "T" posts, or lean two together as an "A" frame which you can plant tomatos just inside the sides of and cover with plastic early in season. A circled one also makes a great mobile pen for the sick goat baby you need to isolate, a couple dozen chickens while you clean their other quarters, or a 2- year-old and some lincoln logs in the shade while you till the garden.

-- Andrew (jstones@scican.net), March 10, 2002.

Tim,I built one of these last year,mine is 20'in diameter.You may want to consider making it taller than 3'.I made mine 4'tall and once the top netting is on it is a pain getting in to fill feeders and waterers.The other problem I have is once the cover netting is on it gets to be a pain to move by yourself,and the shape goes from round to egg shape and I imagine a 30' will be even tricker unless you have someone to help move it each time(there heavier than they look)If I make another one some day I am going to try a 8'x15'square shaped one,it may not contour to the ground as well as the round but I have a pretty smooth and flat area to run it on.Have fun with it.Dave (central WI)

-- Dave (duckthis1@mybogusemail.com), March 11, 2002.