Coop vs large OverEZ w/wheels vs Chicken Tractor

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farmland1

In the Brooder
Sep 3, 2023
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central NJ
New to chickens.
Live on a large farm in NJ. We do get some snow in the winter.
Known predators in area: Fox, hawk, coyote, racoon, skunk, ground hog, rats, owls, possum.
Fox and hawk are the biggest problems.

Need to buy coop for 5 Wyandotte chickens (8 weeks old) and possibly 8 guinea (if they will get along together) asap!

Would you recommend an in place larger coop (12x5) and large OverEZ coop or a chicken tractor.

I'd love to let them free range but I hear the hawks will be a problem.

If we buy an OverEZ coop then we would buy the wheels too. But I'm not sure of what portable fencing I would get for a run.

Is there a chicken tractor you recommend? Someone recommended Egg Cart n' Classic and putting a portable electric fence around it. Would it be warm enough for winter? https://eggcartn.com/the-chalet/

If we do an in place coop, I'd love to try the deep litter method.
 
My preference is and always will be a walk-in style coop. Have you considered converting an old shed into a coop? It reduces a lot of the work.
I fenced off about a 1/3 acre of property with electrified poultry netting. There is a lot of good cover from aerial predators in the pen and I've only lost one bird in over 5.5 years.
 
Go bigger and walk in.

farmland1 said:
in NJ
Click to expand...
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

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DobieLover said:
My preference is and always will be a walk-in style coop. Have you considered converting an old shed into a coop? It reduces a lot of the work.
I fenced off about a 1/3 acre of property with electrified poultry netting. There is a lot of good cover from aerial predators in the pen and I've only lost one bird in over 5.5 years.
Click to expand...
We don't have any only shed to use and I haven't found one used for sale. I did find this chicken coop today. Its a walk-in and 12x5. Think that is big enough? Maybe some extra ventilation should be added at the top? This is the best I have found for the price.

What electrified poultry netting do you use? What is the good cover you have from aerial predators?
 

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Pretty!

Could be functional, but I would want updates.

1 - I don't see enough ventilation - summer or winter

There are several articles about ventilation here - 3KillerBS.

How cold for how long does it get? How much snow? Alaskan has a great article about that.

2 - base. It looks like that may have been built as a tractor? Needed to be moved w/ a tractor. It could have permanent home but not deep enough under it. Would put it up on probably cinder block. Leave a side partially open & build a framed wire door. That will allow you to get eggs laid under the coop or deal w/ a sick bird that crawls under it.

3 - a human door on the far side into the run. That will allow cleaning the coop & tossing the bedding into the run for DLM.

When you need or are ready to add to your run - you will have a lot of options!
 

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