The Challenge with Traditional Chicken Tractors
Traditionally, chicken tractors are moved manually, and often just once or twice a day. This limitation is mostly due to the labor involved in moving them.
While this setup provides some access to fresh forage, it doesn't maximize the potential benefits of pasture-raised livestock due to the infrequent relocations.
Consequently, the chickens' diet relies more heavily on commercial feed, and the land's natural resources are under utilized, leading to missed opportunities for soil enhancement and pest control that more frequent moves could provide.
This can impact the overall health and productivity of the flock and increase operational costs for farmers.
Note: While mobile coops can reduce feed consumption, it's vital to monitor your flock's growth and health, ensuring their diet is balanced. Pastured chickens can get about 20-30% of their diet from grazing, depending on the pasture quality. However, not all pastures provide complete nutrition, and you may need to supplement their diet with additional feed to cover any nutritional gaps. Remember, a healthy flock requires a balanced diet, so adjust their feed as necessary to ensure they get all the nutrients they need.
How Frequent Moves Reduce Feed Consumption
The ability of a mobile chicken coop to move frequently throughout the day is a game-changer for reducing feed consumption.
Let’s explore how this innovative approach benefits your flock and your budget:
Access to Fresh Forage
By moving its location more often, chickens in a mobile coop have access to fresh grass, bugs, and soil. This natural diet reduces the amount of commercial feed they consume.
Diverse Diet
By accessing different foraging grounds, chickens can receive a more varied diet, which helps naturally balance their nutritional intake.
Improved Foraging Efficiency
Chickens are natural foragers. When placed in a new area, they quickly get to work, finding the most nutritious parts of the ground cover. Frequent moves ensure they always have the best pickings.
Healthier Chickens, Less Feed
Healthier chickens are more efficient in converting feed into body weight and eggs.
By providing a more natural and stimulating environment for your flock, mobile coops like the ROVA|BARN can encourage behaviours that lead to better health and, consequently, more efficient feed use.
Real-World Success
Many farmers who have switched to the ROVA|BARN or other mobile chicken coops have seen a noticeable decrease in their feed bills.
With a coop that moves automatically throughout the day, chickens are consistently introduced to new areas rich in natural food sources. This saves money on feed and promotes a more sustainable farming practice by utilizing the land's resources.
Cori and Casey of Napa Pasture Protein recently added a ROVA|BARN 400 to their operation to help alleviate the many hours they were spending dragging heavy chicken tractors across their fields at their Napa Valley farm.
The transformation was remarkable—within just a short span, Cori and Casey witnessed a substantial reduction in their feed expenses, slashing costs by an impressive 35-40%.
Considerations Before Making the Switch
While the benefits of mobile chicken tractors are clear, it's important to consider your specific situation before investing in one.
Think about the size of your flock, the type of land you have, and your goals for poultry farming when deciding if a mobile chicken coop is right for you.
The robotic pasture barns in the ROVA|BARN series come in various sizes and configurations to suit different needs, whether you're raising broiler chickens or laying hens.
Why Choose a ROVA|BARN?
Beyond reduced feed consumption, the ROVA|BARN offers numerous other benefits for your livestock, from automatic feeding and watering systems to predator-proofing features.
Its solar-powered operation and real-time data tracking through a mobile app make it a high-tech solution that can simplify your farming operations and improve the welfare of your animals.
