Hybrid coop: tractor with deep Deep litter,

[Katonk]

Hey all, so I've been unsuccessful in finding a whole lot of discussion besides just disjointed musings on someone combining a tractor with deep litter. Important points and needs:
I like the chicksaw 2.0 design by Justin Rhodes but it's pretty easily torn up by all the fun wildlife out here without an electrified poultry net.
I can't afford the electrified net until next year.
I need deep litter for winter temp regulation and composting.
I need my girls for both eggs and meat.
I need to rotate them around my land to preserve it's integrity, lucky me I'm playing with 2 acres.
No matter where I put my coop if it's stationary it will get wet, which equals death in deep litter.
Raising land to accommodate a coop is beyond my budget when you take into consideration my particular homestead and how the water naturally drains around here.
I'll have 15-20 chickens.

Here's what I'm thinking. After searching online I found coops premade for deep litter that basically seal the floor and the wall up to a foot so your deep litter is more easily controlled. Since I need my girls to be mobile and I need them to continually live in deep litter for it to work I thought well heck went not just put wheels on that?
The chicksaw 2.0 addresses transport of a heavy coop without help- it's a one man show. So I've got my basic design there.
But does it work.
Alright you crazy chicken people that's the question. What have you tried and how has it worked?
GO GO GADGET FORUMS!!!!

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

i would build a chickshaw, but the 2.0 is too small. you should replace the hardware clothe with wood and do a 6 inch strip of cloth around the top

 

[Katonk]

i would build a chickshaw, but the 2.0 is too small. you should replace the hardware clothe with wood and do a 6 inch strip of cloth around the top

I was totally thinking this, but I've read a problem with deep litter is that it eats up wood over time. Its an issue that shows up 5ish years in, and it was suggested an easy fix is just raising your coop footings cement footings to encase the lumber up a foot above ground and use metal on that level of the coop liner.
To go mobile I was thinking on using a garden pond liner on a wood frame that tilts like the chicksaw and building up from there.
I'm wondering if anyone has been able to pull it off and what problems they ran into.
Anyhoo I'll be posting my experience to fill the lack of experience on it. Huggles and ty for the response!

 

[Alaskan]

Have you thought of building a larger coop on a trailer frame? Do you have a 4 wheeler to pull it?

 

[Katonk]

Have you thought of building a larger coop on a trailer frame? Do you have a 4 wheeler to pull it?

I've totally thought about it, that would be perfect... But I don't own a trailer and can't buy one. No 4 wheeler either.
If I'm using the modified chicksaw design the fulcrum can handle 300lbs. If I beef up the axle I can push that to 500lbs.
It's the wheels I'm worried about. The original design had some pretty thin no flat 26inch wheels. That might not work with the increased weight of deep litter. I figure I can use ag pond sheet liner to give me the sealed interior but if I'm doing a solid bottom and sides that's going to bump the weight up beyond what one person can move on soft ground. I can cut the weight by using metal roof paneling, which might be better when thinking about possums and dogs trying to tear in to get at my girls.
Framing should be metal though, I can see where you're going with the trailer idea as it would have a reinforced frame already made and wheeled up.

What kind of wheel specs do you think could work if I can't utilize a trailer?

 

[Alaskan]

What kind of wheel specs do you think could work if I can't utilize a trailer?

I am not sure.


Hummm

 

[Katonk]

I am not sure.


Hummm

Omg ikr!
Lol- but I think I got the bottom figured out. Pot hydroponics is huge right now in Oklahoma, I can snag a damaged (minor cracks) 4x8 flood table for pretty cheap. Since it's made to hold crazy heavy water and junk it would be pretty durable for what I'm looking at it for. Lightweight but not without support. I'd just need to clean it REALLY WELL... My girls will be happy because of their gloriously well balanced coop and from NOTHING ELSE. I'm mom aka killer of fun, can't allow any shenanigans to go down when they aught to be sleeping.
Hey and I got a response from an associate professor of poultry science!! Well I got a solid maybe on a future phone date- can you believe he actually answered some punk off the streets? I'm like right on man whoo hoo!!

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

If you are going to build it to be 4x8 it will only be able too hold 8 chickens max

 

[Katonk]

If you are going to build it to be 4x8 it will only be able too hold 8 chickens max

NO. Dude see this is why I'm here. So I was under the impression a 4'x8' foot coop with multiple roosting tiers (like three) and a ranging space of about 20' x 20' would be enough.
So does that mean two coops on either side of the run?
Obiwan, you're my only hope!

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

Let me just say, I do not agree with the space Justin Rhodes gives his hens. A full grown hen needs a minimum of 4 sq feet of coop space. So for 20 chickens the coop would have to be as small as 10x8 feet