The chicken tractor build has begun!!!

[Eggsoteric]

Due to the generosity of a good friend who also happens to be a master carpenter, we got a great deal done on the chicken tractor, aka "Poultry In Motion."

Before:




Framing going up:








First piece of T1-11 siding up:



One side done:



Done for the day. This side has the people door; two windows and 2 clean out hatches; the other side has 3 windows and will have the pop door holes cut and the auto pop doors installed as soon as they come in:



The wagon will be split into 2 coops on either end with storage in the center. Hoping to get a couple of good primer coats on the whole thing tomorrow. Suffice it to say that I'm tickled pink with the way this is turning out!

 

[N F C]

Impressive! Love the "Poultry in Motion" name

 

[Eggsoteric]

Despite being off to a great start before that nasty little 3-letter word, "job" got in the way, I wasn't able to accomplish much more on the new build this past weekend other than to put 2 coats of primer on most of the raw wood.

Tomorrow will be spent finishing up trim work; installing the auto pop doors; putting the subfloor in and more calking and priming. We're expecting rain on Sunday so I'll move indoors and start putting the hardware wire up on all the openings and, possibly putting the Black Jack down. New shingles on the roof will have to wait for another day.

 

[N F C]

Looking good!

 

[Eggsoteric]

More progress. Pop doors in, sub floor down and some more trim work done. I'll move inside today to put hardware wire up and, hopefully, get the Black Jack down.

 

[Eggsoteric]

Progress to date.

The rest of the trim has been added and some more painting:



New shingles:




People door and clean out hatches hung:



Black Jack is down on the floor but I have quite a bit more to go on the inside. I've been caulking until my hands feel like they're going to fall off. Hope to have this wrapped up and the chickens moved in by the end of next week.

 

[aart]

That is one NICE chicken tractor!!!

Put some new shingles on that puppy before it leaks on the new beauty just built!

Need some inside pics too.

 

[barkinghills]

What a great looking coop! Very deluxe. I would love to see the inside photos, too.

How many square feet is it inside, and how many chickens do you plan to house in it? Chicken math is taking over big time here and I am dreaming about a second large coop. Something like yours would be fabulous... When I mentioned it to my husband yesterday he had his jaw open and said "you've got to be kidding right??"

 

[Eggsoteric]

I think I was just a wee bit too ambitious in my thinking I could have everything done by the end of last week so, I've set a new goal of having the tractor done and ready for the chickens to move in by Labor Day weekend.

It finally has color! (the red eave boards slide back and forth (forward in warmer months and back in colder months)):



Right side. Spent part of the day hanging hardware inside and out (still more to hang):



Left side (spent the other part of the day giving the outdoor nesting boxes a couple new coats of paint). One of the windows needs adjusting before the hardware can be put in place:



Still have a long list of things to do. No pictures of the inside as yet. I hope to have the one side completed tomorrow (just needs the roosts added). I'm so happy that I only have to add hardware wire to one of the interior doors (all the other hardware is hung; my hands look like swiss cheese.

Each coop will hold approx. 15 chickens

 

[N F C]

The sliding eaves are nice. Good job!