how many chickens, reaching eggs, etc

[Karen]

I have several questions about the chicken tractors. I'm just about to start making my first one, although its intent is going to be for a rabbit tractor (no perch!) b/c a friend is giving me her rabbits soon. then I"ll do the chicken tractor for later.

Anyway, I have Patti's dvd with the full videos and I noticed after she was done, she put week old chicks into the tractor. First, it seems most people I know keep their young chicks in a brooder with a heat lamp etc for several weeks, assuming they get them early spring when it's still cold. Were these later in the season and so can they tolerate the varying temps well at that age?

also, it looked like at least 25 chicks in that box, maybe more. I think she mentioned they were meat birds. My first chicks will be layers so I'm planning on only 4 (standard 4x8 tractor). Can you really crowd 25 meat birds in that space since they are only going to be there 8 weeks or so? I'd love to do meat birds eventually too and being able to do that many at one time would make it much more feasible for me.

and lastly, with just 2 doors on the tractor, how do you reach any eggs laid if they aren't using a nest box? I can see reaching into the ends but it seems like there would be several spots not very easily accessible without lifting up the tractor.

Thanks!
Karen

[gardengirl72]

The Meat birds were raised in the summer. The temperature was fine for them. When I have 25 meat birds I raised them all together til about 4weeks old then I split them up into two or more tractors. 6 week old birds are perfect. By 8 weeks they can be about 8lbs. The chickens will lay in hard to reach places. You can put a door on each end and one on the side, that way you can reach in easily. In earlier proto types the roof had a hinge and It could be lifted up and easily reach down. Thanks for your support!

[Karen]

Thanks, that makes sense. I wondered if you had split them up later when they were bigger. I don't think I'm going to have room for enough tractors to do meat birds for a few years yet (dh still very attached to a large green lawn, and also thinking of the neighbors)

Looks like adding a few more doors will be a good idea.

thanks,
karen