Archive for October, 2009
More and more people are starting to turn towards using mobile chicken coops rather than building larger ones that are stationed in one place. There are many benefits to using a mobile chicken coop, so going this route does become appealing to many individuals.
There are some things you need to know first though before going ahead with mobile chicken coops because if you don’t, you may find that this particular variation wasn’t exactly the best choice for you.
Here are some of the pros and cons to a mobile chicken coop.
Easier To Clean
One of the biggest benefits to a mobile chicken coop is the fact that they are easy to clean. Since you can just transport the coop closer to your house, this makes it an ideal situation for those who have limited cleaning facilities.
If you prefer, you can move the mobile chicken coop to the cement garage and then use a hose to wash it down if necessary.
Cheaper To Build
Another big benefit to a mobile chicken coop is the fact that it’s cheaper to build. As these coops are generally smaller you can often use materials that you already have around the house. If not, there’s a good chance that a neighbor will have some of the stuff you need, further making it easy to build a cheap chicken coop if necessary.
Decreased Feeding Time Commitment
Moving on, another nice thing about mobile chicken coops is they are much lower in terms of total time commitment to feeding. Again, since you can simply just move the coop closer to your house, this makes it ideal for feeding your chickens.
If you constantly have to walk out a ways to get to your coop to provide food, that will really become a chore day after day. Most people really appreciate this aspect of mobile chicken coops, so it’s definitely something to consider.
Limited Coop Size
One thing that is important to remember about mobile chicken coops is that you will be slightly limited when it comes to their total size. Mobile chicken coops are not going to be able to house all that many chickens, so if you’re attempting to keep six or more, you may want to consider a larger, more permanent coop.
You could always also build a mobile coop to use on occasion for a few of your chickens, just don’t expect to keep a large number in it for a longer period of time.
Durability Factors
In most cases, mobile chicken coops will be relatively durable due to the fact that they need to be in order to sustain the constant movement. When they are not constructed properly however, then you might run into problems with their durability and find that you are repairing them more frequently than normal.
Always be sure the mobile chicken coop plan you are using is well laid out so you don’t run into this problem.
So, keep these factors in mind when thinking about building a mobile chicken coop. Many people really enjoy them, so if you decide it’s right for you, don’t hesitate to begin the hunt for a plan to get going.
Here is more information on how you can build a chicken house on a budget.
will my chicks look bad or get sike or die. will they be disformed if two differet breeds of chickens breed and have chicks.
A chicken is a chicken.
It’s like if you mate 2 different breeds of dogs or cats — you still get a dog, or a cat.
Who knows — you might come up with a superior breed.
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We are planning to build a chicken coop and run and note that it is recommended to place a solid barrier below ground level to prevent foxes and other predators from digging their way in. How far below ground level should the solid fox barrier be? ie how deep might they dig? Should we also place a chicken wire roof over the run as well or is that not necessary?
I have chickens. I have a building with a 8 x 12 foot coop inside, with a small door(a piece of plywood on a rope than slides up and down to open and close it) to an outdoor run. The run is made from an old dog kennel(chain link fence). We have fox and coyote around here, and have never had anything try to dig under the fence. If you really are concerned about it, I would say two feet deep would be more than enough. The other option is just to be sure they are closed up inside each night. I do let the hens free range sometimes, and last summer I forgot to close them in at night, and they went out early the next morning and six were eaten by the coyotes!!
We had some pheasant netting so we did cover the outside coop with it, but I am not sure that was really necessary either. Most people dont put anything over the tops of their runs around here(Minnesota, USA). Good luck, chickens are fun!!
