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The best portable chicken coop is the one whose floor area fits your hens and that you will actually move. If hens live in it full time, plan on 6.5 to 8.5 square feet per hen, which is Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 2.5 to 3.5 square feet inside plus 4 to 5 outside. A 30 square foot frame fits 4 to 5 hens, not the 12 one maker’s page also claims.
This page is part of the chicken coops hub. If you want a coop that stays put, read the chicken coop kits guide or the walk-in coop guide.
Prices are what each maker or retailer page showed on 2026-10-09. Where a page shows no price, I list none.
Quick picks
| Pick | Portable coop | Maker’s claim | Floor (sq ft) | Hens that live in it* | Price (checked 2026-10-09) | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best small tractor | Aivituvin AIR61 | 2 to 3 chickens | About 18.5 | 2 to 3 | Varies by retailer | Check price |
| Best brand-name coop on wheels | Omlet Eglu Cube | Up to 10, or 6 in the menu | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Check price |
| Best for 4 or 5 hens | Mobile Chicken House 5x6 | 5, or up to 12 | 30 | 4 to 5 | From $1,710 | Check price |
| Best for 6 to 8 hens | Happy Farmer 5x10 | 25 layers or 30 broilers | 50 | 6 to 8 | $2,780 | Check price |
| Best for a larger flock | Mobile Chicken House 10x12 | 40, or up to 60 | 120 | 14 to 18 | From $3,972 | Check price |
*Floor area divided by 6.5 to 8.5 square feet, Cornell’s inside and outside space added together. Sizes are as the makers list them; the Happy Farmer and 10x12 pages give no units, so I read them as feet.
How I chose
I picked portable coops and tractors from the makers and retailers that rank for the term, then compared each one’s published floor area with extension space rules. This page ranks on specs, extension guidance and owner reports. It makes no claims about build quality from use. The method is on how we research.
I left out commercial-scale pastured-poultry units, such as the 30 by 60 foot pasture coop on Hengear’s page, because the question here is a backyard flock.
Tractor vs coop on wheels
A chicken tractor is a light pen you move every day or two over fresh ground. A coop on wheels is a heavier house, paired with a run or free-range time, that you move less often. Both are “portable,” and the difference decides what size to buy.
Extension numbers for tractors come from meat birds. Penn State moves broiler tractors every 2 to 3 days in the first week on pasture, daily in weeks 5 and 6, and twice a day in weeks 7 and 8. Its rule for any tractor is to move it once half the pasture is used. Oregon State moved its orchard tractors every 2 to 3 days with 25 broilers in each.
Hens are different because they live in the pen for years, not weeks. I would size a hen tractor like a permanent coop with a run and use Penn State’s half-the-grass rule to decide when to move it.
The containment is the other difference. A tractor keeps the birds inside its own wire, which is why Raising Chickens For Dummies puts tractors in front and back yards. A mobile chicken coop relies on temporary perimeter fencing, such as electric poultry netting, and is used more on pasture.
Egg mobiles for bigger flocks
An egg mobile is a mobile chicken coop for laying hens, built on a wagon chassis or running gear and towed across pasture. From Scratch Farmstead describes its 8 by 12 foot egg mobile, built for 50 to 100 hens, with a hardware-cloth floor that lets droppings fall through. The hens range inside 48-inch poultry netting, and a solar automatic door closes the coop. The author puts the cost of building one at $1,500 to $6,000 and lists the downsides plainly: it needs a tractor to pull, fairly flat ground, and an open floor that is hard to keep warm in winter.
That is a farm tool, not a backyard one. For under 20 hens, a coop on wheels or a tractor from the picks below is the simpler buy.
Size per bird
Size the floor for how long the birds stay in it. Hens that live in the pen need Cornell’s 6.5 to 8.5 square feet each. Meat birds on a short grow-out in a daily-move pen need 1.5 to 2.
Extension housing rules come in two layers. Penn State asks for 1.5 square feet inside and 8 in the run per laying hen, 2 and 10 for large chickens. Penn State’s pastured broiler guide uses 1.5 square feet per bird for tractors and Oregon State uses 1.5 to 2. Penn State’s Salatin-style tractor is about 10 feet wide by 12 feet long by 2 feet high and holds about 80 birds. Its A-frame is about 5.5 by 10 feet and holds about 36.
| Floor area | Hens that live in it (6.5 to 8.5 sq ft) | Meat birds on a daily move (1.5 to 2 sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| 18.5 sq ft (Aivituvin AIR61) | 2 to 3 | 9 to 12 |
| 30 sq ft (5 by 6 ft) | 4 to 5 | 15 to 20 |
| 50 sq ft (5 by 10 ft) | 6 to 8 | 25 to 33 |
| 120 sq ft (10 by 12 ft) | 14 to 18 | 60 to 80 |
The picks
Each card gives the maker’s claim, the floor area the page supports and the capacity the math supports. Gaps in the spec lists are gaps on the maker’s page.
Aivituvin AIR61 Mobile Chicken Tractor
2 or 3 hens on a small lawn, moved by hand
- Maker's capacity
- 2 to 3 chickens
- Inner space
- About 18.5 sq ft (retailer listings say 18.47)
- Moved by
- Two wheels and a handle, per retailer descriptions
- Nest box
- Two-section nest box
- Price
- Varies by retailer; not listed here
- The capacity claim matches the floor math: 18.5 square feet fits 2 to 3 hens that live in it
- Wheels and a handle for moving
- Retailer listings put it far below the other units here
- Only for 2 or 3 hens
- Retailer listings disagree on the width
- Price and stock differ between retailers
What owners report
Reviewers on Chewy include one who says the roof was already peeling and one who found it well made but smaller than expected. The maker's own AIR61 video shows the unit, but it is marketing, so weigh it that way.
Omlet Eglu Cube
a small flock that wants a ready-made coop with an optional attached run
- Maker's capacity
- Up to 10 chickens on the listing, 6 in the site menu
- Moved by
- Integrated handles and wheels, per the maker
- Run
- Optional, with or without
- Size, weight and price
- Not stated on the category page
- Sold with or without a run
- Maker says it moves on built-in handles and wheels
- The maker's own capacity figures disagree, 10 against 6
- No size, weight or price on the category page, so the floor math cannot be checked
- Ask for the interior floor area before you order
Mobile Chicken House Coop for 5 Chickens (5x6)
4 or 5 hens on a lawn or pasture you can roll the frame across
- Maker's capacity
- 5 chickens in the title; 'up to 12 birds' in the description
- Frame
- 5 ft x 6 ft, about 30 sq ft
- Material
- Aluminum frame, Shelter Rite vinyl cover
- Netting
- 1 in x 1 in, 14-gauge galvanized, welded after weaving
- Moved by
- Adjustable wheel system
- Floor
- Not stated
- Delivery
- Kit; assembly required
- The 1-inch netting is inside Colorado State's '1-by-2-inch or smaller' line
- Aluminum frame and a wheel system built for moving
- Title capacity of 5 is close to the floor math
- The page claims both 5 and up to 12 birds; 12 is under 3 square feet each
- Floor type is not stated
- Kit assembly adds time
Happy Farmer 5x10 Mobile Coop
6 to 8 hens that live in the pen, or 25 to 30 birds on a short grow-out
- Maker's capacity
- 25 layers or 30 broilers; the description says 20 to 30 chickens
- Size
- 5 x 10 (no units on the page; about 50 sq ft if feet)
- Moved by
- Wheel details not stated for this model; the category page says 'easy-to-use wheels'
- Floor
- Not stated
- The maker separates layers from broilers
- 30 broilers is about 1.7 square feet each, close to extension's 1.5 to 2 for meat birds
- Priced below the 10 by 12 foot units
- 25 layers is 2 square feet each, a day-pen number rather than a living space
- Wheel details and floor type are not stated
- The page lists dimensions without units
Mobile Chicken House Coop for 40 Chickens (10x12)
a larger flock that rotates over pasture, 14 to 18 hens living in it or more birds on a short grow-out
- Maker's capacity
- Up to 40 chickens in the description; the features list says up to 60
- Frame
- 10 x 12 (no units on the page; about 120 sq ft if feet)
- Material
- Aluminum frame, Shelter Rite vinyl cover, 1 in x 1 in 14-gauge galvanized netting
- Moved by
- Adjustable wheel system
- Add-ons
- Rollaway nest box and roosting system, $584
- Delivery
- Kit; assembly required
- Large floor area for rotational grazing
- Same 1-inch welded netting as the smaller unit
- Optional nest box and roosting system
- The page claims 40 and 60 birds, which is 3 and 2 square feet each
- Nest box and roosting system cost extra
- Floor type is not stated
Floor: open bottom, wire or solid
The floor decides how a portable coop works on grass. An open bottom lets hens graze the ground under the frame, a wire floor drops manure through and keeps diggers out, and a solid floor keeps the house warm and dry but has to be cleaned like a fixed coop.
Raising Chickens For Dummies says tractors can be bottomless or have welded wire bottoms, and both let the birds forage the patch they sit on. The egg mobile above uses 1 by 1 inch hardware cloth as its floor because droppings pass through it, with a plank down the middle to walk on. None of the five picks below states its floor type, so ask before you order.
My rule: open bottom for a day-pen you move often, wire floor if rats or diggers are a problem where you live, and a solid floor in the sleeping box of any coop on wheels that hens live in through winter. Owners in the rat wire on a tractor bottom thread debate the same trade.
What a portable coop needs inside
A portable coop that hens sleep in needs the same fittings as a fixed one, scaled down. Penn State Extension asks for 6 inches of roost per standard bird, set 18 to 24 inches off the floor, and nest boxes at least 12 by 12 inches: two for the first four hens and one more per four after that. It also says to keep about 2 inches of clean, dry material in the nests and to use building materials that are easy to clean.
For a 4-hen tractor, that is 24 inches of roost and two nests. Weight matters more here than in a fixed coop, so check that the nest box and roost are fixed solidly enough to survive being dragged over bumps. Vents still need wire over them; Colorado State asks for 1-by-2-inch mesh or smaller.
Pros and cons of going portable
A portable coop gives hens fresh ground and costs you the effort of moving it. That trade is worth it on grass you want fertilized and not worth it on a flock you will not move.
What portable does well
- Fresh grass and bugs for the hens
- Manure spreads across the lawn instead of piling up under a fixed run
- Penn State says a tractor shades birds, keeps them dry and breaks the wind
- A tractor works as a day-pen for a flock that sleeps in a fixed coop
What to weigh
- Moving it is work, and a heavy unit stops getting moved
- Predator access under the frame and through the wire
- Small floor area compared with a fixed coop and run
- Weak in deep cold or heavy snow
Owners say the same. A Facebook group thread on portable tractor pros and cons for 6 hens lists fresh grass and bugs as the pros and difficulty moving and predator access as the cons. Another member asks for an aluminum tractor to move 10 hens from a full-time coop to different free-range areas. That is the use I think suits a tractor best: a day-pen on grass, with a fixed coop for nights and winter.
Predator gaps under the frame
The predator weak points on a portable coop are the gap between frame and ground, the wire mesh and the lid. Close all three, or the wheels do not matter.
Colorado State Extension says you will lose fewer birds with 1-by-2-inch mesh or smaller welded wire. It adds hawk cover over a run, whether welded wire, chicken wire or game-bird netting, and says to shut hens in at night. Penn State says a tractor protects birds from predators, and in high-predator areas it surrounds the field with electric net fencing to stop animals from digging under, reaching through or tearing the wire.
Fencing alone does not close the ground gap. In Oregon State’s orchard trial, layers sat inside 48-inch electric netting with a low coop, and the predation rate on layers approached 37% by March. The article says the electric fence did not prevent the loss of layers to ground-based predators. Hawks, foxes and raccoons were the main predators.
Owners ask about the same gap. Two r/BackYardChickens threads, Chicken Tractor and Rodent Problem? and Rat wire on the bottom of a chicken tractor?, are worth reading before you pick a floor.
My checklist for any portable coop:
- Keep the frame on level ground so rocking on a slope does not leave a gap underneath.
- Hardware cloth where a hand can reach. The hardware cloth guide covers gauge and mesh.
- Train the hens to go in at dusk, then lock the door once they are inside.
- Add a skirt or floor to protect against digging predators. The predator-proofing guide explains skirts and where to bury wire on a fixed run.
Weight, wheels and moving
Weight is the spec makers publish least, and it decides whether you move the coop at all. None of the pages above state a weight for these portable units, so ask before you buy.
Oregon State’s broiler tractor measured 10 feet by 4 feet by 2 feet. It used lightweight PVC framing and chicken wire, and the article notes PVC is lighter than wood but needs more structural support. Penn State’s A-frame is tall enough to walk into, which makes feeding easier. A tall frame also catches wind, so stake it down.
The wheel details differ by maker. The Mobile Chicken House units have an adjustable wheel system. Aivituvin’s AIR61 has two wheels and a handle. Happy Farmer’s 5 by 10 does not state its wheels, though the category page says the coops have easy-to-use wheels. Omlet says its coops move on integrated handles and wheels.
One r/homestead thread, Overbuilt my mobile chicken coop - build a separate lightweight summer coop?, is the standard warning: a coop that is hard to move does not get moved.
Build your own tractor
A DIY tractor costs less than most of the units above, and the extension designs are public. Penn State describes two: a Salatin-style low pen of about 10 by 12 feet and a walk-in A-frame of about 5.5 by 10 feet. Oregon State used a 10 by 4 by 2 foot PVC tractor with a three-sided shelter end. The Joel Salatin broiler shelter video walks through the classic design.
Use the floor-area table above to size it. If hens will live in it, cover the vents and any gap a paw can reach with hardware cloth, and do not skimp on the lid.
When a portable coop is the wrong choice
A portable coop is the wrong choice for hens that need a warm, ventilated house through a hard winter. None of the spec lists above shows a snow-load or insulation rating, so for cold climates a fixed coop with a fenced run is the safer buy. The coop kits guide covers fixed options, and the winter ventilation guide covers what a cold-weather coop needs.
Questions people ask
How often do you move a chicken tractor?
For meat birds, Penn State Extension moves the tractor every 2 to 3 days in the first week on pasture, daily in weeks 5 and 6, and twice a day in weeks 7 and 8. It also says to move once half the pasture is used. Oregon State moved its orchard tractors every 2 to 3 days. For hens that live in the pen, I would use Penn State's half-the-grass rule and move before the ground shows.
How many chickens fit in a portable coop?
Hens that live in the pen need about 6.5 to 8.5 square feet each, which is Cornell's 2.5 to 3.5 inside plus 4 to 5 outside. A tractor with 18 square feet fits 2 to 3 hens. Extension numbers for meat birds on a daily move are 1.5 to 2 square feet, so the same 18 square feet holds 9 to 12 broilers for a few weeks.
Do I need a run with a portable coop?
If it is a tractor, the pen is the run, so size the whole floor for the hens. If it is a coop on wheels that only shelters hens at night, add a run. Penn State asks for 8 square feet of run per laying hen and 10 for large breeds. The run planning guide covers the details.
Are portable chicken coops safe from predators?
Only if the wire, the lid and the ground gap are closed. Colorado State Extension says you lose fewer birds with 1-by-2-inch mesh or smaller. A tractor sits on bare ground, so a gap under the frame is the weak point. The predator-proofing guide covers skirts and latches.
What is the difference between a chicken tractor and a mobile chicken coop?
A tractor is a pen that keeps the birds inside its own wire and is moved over fresh ground; a mobile coop is a house on wheels that relies on separate fencing, per Raising Chickens For Dummies. Tractors suit yards and small flocks. Mobile coops suit pasture and bigger flocks.
Can chickens live in a chicken tractor full time?
Yes, if the floor area is big enough and the tractor has a dry, wired sleeping box. Hens that live in it need about 6.5 to 8.5 square feet each by Cornell's numbers. In deep cold or heavy snow, I would move them to a fixed coop.
Sources
- Penn State Extension: Small-scale poultry housing
- Raising Chickens For Dummies: How to use mobile chicken tractors
- From Scratch Farmstead: DIY movable chicken coop (egg mobile build)
- Cornell Cooperative Extension Warren County: Backyard chickens
- Penn State Extension: A quick guide to raising pastured broilers
- Oregon State University Extension: Chicken tractors (EM 9320)
- Colorado State University Extension: Chickens and predators
- Mobile Chicken House: Chicken Coop for 5 Chickens
- Mobile Chicken House: Chicken Coop for 40 Chickens
- Happy Farmer: Mobile coops
- Omlet: Portable chicken coops
- Home Depot: Aivituvin AIR61 mobile chicken tractor listing
Written by Kyle
Kyle has kept backyard chickens on his own small farm for five years. He reads the extension research, the spec sheets and the owner complaints, then tells you what he would buy and what he would skip.
