I LOVE the chicken tractor idea. When I was on my "get some goats" dream I was planning something like that. I'm not giving up on the idea. Fuckers, can't believe they did that shit!!Doesn't seem like much work to me after you're set up for it, though it can be a good bit of work getting yourself to that point.
Need a coop though it doesn't have to be large. And a fenced in place to run, including the top because Hawks, owls, etc. And down into the ground for things that dig if you want to keep them completely protected.
You can just let them roam free and they'll come back to the coop or wherever they roost at night but you will lose some to predators, neighbors dogs, etc.
Once everything is established they take care of themselves pretty well, not much fuss at all.
Some tips.....
- don't use chicken wire for chickens, use 1/2" pattern "hardware cloth" or other small pattern wire. Raccoons can reach through the holes in chicken wire and grab them.
-. When/if you add new birds to the flock, have a place to quarantine and monitor them for 30 days first so you don't inadvertently bring in some disease/infection and spread it to all of them.
-. If you only have a few birds, look up what a "chicken tractor" is, see if that interests you. Can move them around the yard so they have fresh ground to peck at. And it's not a "permanent structure" if there's some building code thing that applies.
-. Go to www.backyardchickens.com and start reading. Everything you'll ever need to know there.
I hear you on the hawks and the digging fucks.