Predator proof a Chicken Tractor??

Neebs

Chirping
6 Years
Aug 6, 2015
12
0
75
This was our first year with chickens and built our meaties a 12'x12' hoop tractor. Worked great, except it was too dang heavy to move!

We have a lot of predator pressure here, large hawks that keep an eye on our enclosed flocks, bears, wolves, coyote, fox, lynx, coons, skunks and weasels are all often seen on our property. For that reason, we had a hardware cloth bottom on the tractor to keep the diggers out. Is there another way to keep them safe from the bottom without the weight of the cloth? We are looking to reduce unnecessary weight as much as we can. The google machine is not providing me with any good ideas.

This year we raised 30 meaties (hence the large sized tractor) and next year I'd like to raise more. I think this means we'll have to have multiple smaller tractors to keep them at a reasonable weight.

Thanks for the advice!!!!
 
Sounds like you need a tractor to move your tractor! ;)

I'd get rid of the floor, and put a 1"X3" welded wire "skirt" on the outside, if your worried about diggers ... I'd basically extremes from the bottom of the tractor, and lays on the ground 18"-24" ... Put a couple of cement blocks on it to hold down ... Let's the chickens scratch more, and would be less wire ... Drive stakes in if your worked about a bear picking up the whole tractor ... It might slow them down!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom