Our Chicken Story: Beginnings

Having experienced the difference between eggs layed by pasture-fed chickens and store bought eggs, we knew we wanted to keep our own hens. At that time (several years ago) we moved around a lot, so having gigantic chicken coops and keeping chickens didn't really seem like an option. Then everyone warned us against the damage hens would do to our lawn. When we eventually moved to a farm and kept the chickens in a big fenced yard, the hens quickly eliminated every sign of plant life. It seemed we had a problem!

Free Range Destruction!

When they devoured all the grass in their yard we let them out to “free range” and the chickens loved it. Freedom was great for these former battery hens: they ranged right into the freshly planted garden and destroyed it in short order. Then the farm’s owner was worried about them ranging too far and getting into his hay as well. The fact that something existed as a cross between a stationary chicken coop and a paddock, had not occurred to us yet. Back into the yard they went.

More WORK

We tried to throw them as much green matter as possible even at the expense of the compost pile, but even so egg production dropped, and the chickens experienced various health problems. This was starting to turn into more work and trouble than we'd bargained for! That winter we moved them off to a relatives' farm where they were allowed to roam free in the afternoons and were shut in a big stationary coop at night. They got their feathers back and their egg quality improved but we'd lost our chickens and eggs! Not really the chicken coop solution we were looking for!

Solution: Chicken Tractor!

Well, we finally struck on the chicken tractor solution. Our first movable chicken coop (a.k.a. tractor) was a converted dog kennel! But it was quite heavy being all steel, and barely qualified as a 'portable coop.' Plus it was just...very, very ugly! We and our chickens now live in town and they forage within the confines of their new chicken tractor which we move as needed. We really enjoy watching our chickens' rituals, and it’s lovely to hear the chickens “purring” outside the window. And there is the satisfaction of gathering our eggs from the tractor, seeing our lawns turn green, and harvesting intact produce from our own back garden! And yes, sometimes we even let them roam out of their coops (we have two) and into the house...but only a little!