Large, movable tractor?

[NMbirds]

I am thinking of using a trailer frame and building coop on low (approx 6x16) trailer. Then it could be towed easily to various sites around 6 acres.
It would also be off the ground, predator proofed and the door for chickens could open to the ramp to the ground. The run would be moved separately and attached each time to fittings on the coop and trailer frame which would basically be the foundation of the coop. Kind of like a large house trailer for chickens? Hey, what about just converting a mobile home and making it a mobile chicken home? Someone must have done that. What are pros and cons?

 

[Chickenaddict]

I really thought about a mobile chicken home, someone on craigslist had a mobile home they were giving away for free but to have it towed here would cost a small fortune i imagine. I think your idea is great. It doesn't take long for the chickens to kill the grass so as long as your up for moving it every few days id say go for it but to me it sounds like it would be a pain in the butt to move it that often and have to move the run as well.

 

[patandchickens]

Something like that is included in that Chicken Coops book, am having a brain fart and can't remember author's name but someone here could surely supply it.

Their big comment was that it was tippy in high winds unless seriously propped. You'd want to consider that -- either make yours low-profile, or plan how you will stabilize it.

If you google something like "moveable range shelters poultry" you might find some other ideas.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ROC4K]

This one isn't mobile that I know off....but there is plenty of room for the hens.

 

[digitS']

I built a coop that could fit in the back of a pickup. A pickup bed is often converted into a trailer, the same design would work. You can see a couple pictures by clicking my BYC page below. After leaving it in exactly the same place for over 10 years, I'm wondering about the wisdom of making it so that it could slide into the pickup

.

Chicken Coops: 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock by Judy Pangman may be the book Pat is thinking about. I seem to remember it has Joel Salatin's portable henhouse in it. What I don't like about Pangman's book is that it really does not have plans in it - photo's, a few drawings and maybe some outside measurements. But, my complaint has more to do with the misleading title and is neither here nor there

.

Steve

 

[patandchickens]

digitS' :

Chicken Coops: 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock by Judy Pangman may be the book Pat is thinking about.

Yes! Thank you, Steve!

I don't actually like the book all that much either (it is a good enough read if you checked it out from the library, but I sure wouldn't pay money for it) but if you can borrow it, e.g. interlibrary loan, it has a moveable coop on a trailer bed.

Pat​

 

[NMbirds]

This one isn't mobile that I know off....but there is plenty of room for the hens.

Das Leben ist wie ein Huhner Leiter...

Roc, that video is terrific along with others on the page, complete with sound, worth a look. Thanks!
PS = How do you get the quote into those boxes?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Easiest way is, instead of hitting 'reply' at the bottom of the page, instead hit 'quote' at the bottom right corner of the person's post you wanna quote.

To do it manually, you just have to type the word quote inside square brackets (you know, [ and ], with no space between them and the word quote) before the quote you're pasting in, and the word /quote inside square brackets after it.

(edited because the first way I tried of showing it backfired

)


Pat

 

[cowboy]

I am interested in the rolling hen house, and am thinking of converting an old tag along camper approx. 12 ft. long. I am new to egg production, but I was wondering if I could install roll out laying boxes with the hens inside the camper and the eggs rolling to the outside for outside gathering, of course the hens could come and go as they wish. any input appreciated.. Cowboy

 

[pdpatch]

We do our chicken tractors in two parts. A mobile coop, and a seperate tractor

PS = How do you get the quote into those boxes?

As far as getting the eggs from a chicken tractor. You mount the nesting boxes out side of the tractor and put a hatch on it. The one in the picture runs the full width of the nesting boxes.

Although this year I was going to build a mobile coop on a trailer House frame. I really didn't have time.

As far as mobile coops we now have three.

The chevy van

The Hay wagon type: Note this pic does not have the chicken ramp in front of it yet

Two wheel trailer type:
I never did get any pictures of it finished. it's a little over 4 foot wide and 10 foot long.

We do have an old Mobile home we got about a year and a half ago for the purpose. It was about 14 foot wide and about 80 feet long. The first problem was that is was about 4 foot off the ground.

The next was it was not very stable in high wind, so we would have had to put block under it and anchor it. Which would have made it not mobile.
Once we would have done that we would have had to get a permit which we didn't want to do.

The next problem is Our poultry grow faster then I could build, So our larger mobile coops got put on hold till next spring.

Many Mobile home parks own older ones that they have to get ride of every so often. That is how we got ours, they moved it here for no charge just to get ride of it. The person who did all of the arrangements want the aluminum siding to scrap and we got ever thing else.

So we ended up with a frame, lots of wood, insullation, Lots of wiring. paneling to put inside the coop, and large pieces of Sheet metal for a roof, Roof joist. The flooring was chip board that had gotten wet so that was runied.

Since we planned on a 12 by 14 coop the frame will have to be cut down. The only thing I should have to purchase is flooring and the outside covering. It is time consuming to take the mobile home apart for the materials, But I have lots of time.​