Reply #48: Chicken Tractors

[Cherchez la Femme]

Ever heard of them?

As a vegetable gardener (I just wrote a post on the horrible state of organic gardening in the N.E.)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=532087&mesg_id=532154
there's a real cool 'portable' chicken coop which also acts as a perfect soil conditioner/preparer when you're about to start planting.

It's a chain-link fence dog kennel, with a top,on little rollers. The coop is built up on top near the 'roof' (can be chain-link or anything, really). You position where you want it for the day & let the chickens go to work getting all the bugs, scratching up the weeds, etc. If you leave it long enough it's as if a tractor was there including natural fertilization.
When the plot it's on is taken care of to your taste &/or needs, you just roll it to another area.

I'll check around and see if I can find a link to this certain type of coop.

I've known about this for a couple years, but right now zoning is preventing chickens in my suburb.
I'm also concerned about the chickens survival in winter. All these Chicken Tractors I've seen are totally built of metal, and I'm sure that's not good for keeping chickens warm & alive during NE winters, hoisted up in the air. (They're designed to be up in the air like that because of raccoons & other predators upon them, so there IS a good reason.)

I'm hoping zoning will change (maybe if cocks aren't allowed?) so if anyone can tell me or direct me to good sites regarding the warmth, care & considerations of chickens in winter could you please send me your advice or links via email as I don't come here too often anymore? Thanks in advance!



edit:

Here's one, but built out of wood. The dog kennel type keeps the bars very low so predators can't get in, although I'm sure better carpenters than I can get all 4 rails level:



Here's another, but not the one I was focused on. The one I like was a full 6-7 foot tall dog run with the coop made from metal, anti-predator. I guess I'm so focused on predators is that WAY back I lived on a tiny farm and made part of a small tack stall into a coop for some rolling & tumbling pigeons & raccoons or some type of predator got in and the result was horrible!
...and just a few days before they escaped a huge aggressive hawk due to their incredible aerial maneuvers! So sad.