Lockdown

Well our chickens are going to be confined to their palacial coop for the next good while. I let 32 chickens out the other day to wander about, munch on grass and bugs, and enjoy the sun and breeze. That night only 22 came home to roost. The next day two more showed up but I'm still down to 24 chickens from 32. We have no idea what could have taken so many chickens in one day.

Then this morning I chased a raccoon out of the chicken coop! Chickens sleep quite soundly. They just kind of melt over the roost and they're GONE. A raccoon can take their buddy from right beside them and they won't wake up. Needless to say, I'll be setting traps. That poor old coop is anything BUT predator-proof, but it's as good as it can be. It's old and cobbled and falling apart.

We're making a large chicken "tractor". This is a portable coop/yard combo that we can move weekly or daily as needed. It should give the chickens protection from predators and a chance to enjoy sunshine, breeze, greens, bugs, and dirt. We figure each one should house about 8 hens and a roo. It's not to be manually dragged around; we'll use an ATV or maybe the tractor.

We're using a trailer for our building table. Corrugated red roofing is in the foreground, and fencing that we'll use for the walls and "ceiling" of the run. The vertical pieces will support walls and a sloping roof. The roof will be hinged for egg collection, and access to food and water dishes. They don't eat much food when they are allowed to free range, but I always have it available to them anyway.