Tractor question

[Erin80]

For our layers, our outdoor run has an actual bottom built into it (and covered with dirt, grass, pine needles etc)....so that no predator can dig under and get in that way. I see a lot of tractors on here just being built with a wooden structure and then something over top....but no base.

Our house is up on a hill - we have a large fenced in yard up here (which is where our layers live - our coop is actually half our huge shed, and we attached a super secure outdoor run for them onto that....and once they are older they will free range as well when we are outside or home). Our meat birds will be living in our lower yard - which is an acre and a half and backs onto a river. We are building them a solid secure coop down there, but wanted to make a tractor to attach to that coop (the coop will be on wheels and the tractor will be easy enough to just slide around). How do you make sure your tractor is secure without a base? Do you worry about predators digging under? Do any of you have your chickens just in the tractor at night without using an actual coop?

Our birds will only be out during the day - I will coop them at night down there.

 

[PD-Riverman]

For our layers, our outdoor run has an actual bottom built into it (and covered with dirt, grass, pine needles etc)....so that no predator can dig under and get in that way. I see a lot of tractors on here just being built with a wooden structure and then something over top....but no base.

Our house is up on a hill - we have a large fenced in yard up here (which is where our layers live - our coop is actually half our huge shed, and we attached a super secure outdoor run for them onto that....and once they are older they will free range as well when we are outside or home). Our meat birds will be living in our lower yard - which is an acre and a half and backs onto a river. We are building them a solid secure coop down there, but wanted to make a tractor to attach to that coop (the coop will be on wheels and the tractor will be easy enough to just slide around). How do you make sure your tractor is secure without a base? Do you worry about predators digging under? Do any of you have your chickens just in the tractor at night without using an actual coop?

Our birds will only be out during the day - I will coop them at night down there.

Most of my tractors have no wire on the bottom, but I do and did have some. Some I cut the 2x4" wire off because I did not like it. I did not feel I needed it because I am home most all the time----If you are going to be gone a lot you might feel better to use something like 1"x2" wire but it does make it tough to move. If you go to small of wire then they might have a problem eating the grass below. I wanted the tractors to be like they were free-ranging, scratching, dusting, etc. so most with wire bottoms were cut out.

 

[Erin80]

I stay at home with my kids - so we are here and I can watch. That's good to know, thanks! I figured the wire bottom would make it really hard for them to get at the grass, etc....just trying to get an idea of what everyone else has done

 

[PD-Riverman]

I stay at home with my kids - so we are here and I can watch. That's good to know, thanks! I figured the wire bottom would make it really hard for them to get at the grass, etc....just trying to get an idea of what everyone else has done

"Most" of the time if a dog is interested in your chickens---it will bark and dig. Some days I go and move my tractors 2 or 3 times a day---just according to where and what they are eating.

 

[Erin80]

Dogs aren't my concern as much.....more raccoons, foxes....though I don't know if they'd come out in brood daylight to dig under...