The Portable Chicken Coop

Now that you have been looking into the different types of housing out there for your new chickens, you’ve probably come across the term “portable chicken coop”, “portable chicken ark”, or “portable chicken tractor.” Often in researching these things, words like these are left unexplained, assuming that everybody knows what they are and what advantages they offer. If you are one of those people who have no idea what they are, then you have come to the right place.

A portable chicken coop or tractor is basically a chicken coop that can be moved from one place to another with relative ease. They are often made with the same materials and insulations as permanent chicken housing, with the exception of flooring. While it might seem so at first glance, the reason people prefer the portable chicken coop over the permanent housing is not because they can’t make up their mind where they want to put it. No, actually there are many advantages to having a coop that can be moved from place to place.

Portable chicken coop units are made to rest directly on the ground so there is no floor as would be found in a permanent structure. The reason for this is to allow the chickens to have access to the natural ground so they can forage for bugs and weeds on their own as they would do naturally. When the chickens are able to forage on their own, it reduces the amount of feed that the owner must supply for them, so this becomes a very economical and natural solution to feed costs. It also allows the chickens to partake in regular activity which keeps them happy and even tempered.

Click Here for How to Build A Chicken Coop Blueprints!

One of the biggest reasons people probably choose to go with a portable chicken coop over a stationary one is because it virtually eliminates the necessity of clean up, while at the same time providing a natural fertilizer for the lawn. As the chickens deplete one area of its natural nutrients through their foraging, their droppings are left to fertilize that ground, making it a perfectly balanced system. So when the coop is moved to a new location, the previous one is ripe and ready to begin regenerating.

There are some disadvantages that you might want to know about the portable chicken coop. While they are very convenient for clean up and work well with keeping your lawn in good shape, they do not offer much protection from predators. Since the structure sits on the ground, it could be quite easy for a fox or some other predator to dig a hole or sneak in underneath to reach the birds. Another thing to consider is that with a portable chicken coop, there is really no way to connect it to any kind of automatic feeding and watering system as you can with a stationary chicken house. This means that the food and water need to be attended to on a daily basis, which may sometimes be a bit of a hassle.

If you’re ready to build a chicken coop check out this complete guide and design plans.