Best wheels for chicken tractor? Where to look?

[JellyBeanCee]

I've seen reasonably priced wheels in Harbor Freight. If you don't have one near you, I believe you can order online as well. Although I have seen others suggest just looking on Craigslist for lawnmower wheels, sometimes the parts are free as someone is giving away an old broken mower and you can salvage the wheels and the little mechanism that raises and lowers the wheels.

 

[Abirdbrain]

I have run the 2x4 frame flat on the ground. My runs are 4x4x8, with a small house above. A piece of poly rope on each end is tossed on the ball and drawbar of my lawn tractor, and it lifts the structure and slides it without the aid of wheels. The Girls know that new ground is INTERESTING, and always come to the towed end of the coup.

I suppose, if you move the coup by hand, wheels are necessary. For me and my aches and pains, a tractor tuggin the chooks around is the answer.

 

[notiones]

A day late, but here is how the wheels of my chicken tractor are installed. Pretty simple and quite common way to do it, I think.

Wheels not engaged and frame on the ground

Wheels engaged and frame off of the ground

 

[Beekissed]

That is one great tractor design!!!

 

[oldiabird]

Quote:
I started with 2X4 frames and steel roofs and all that great stuff, only problem, have to have a tractor or lawn mower to move, scrapped that idea! I now build frames 3 X 8, for sides, 4 X 8 for top, and 3 X 4 for ends, so that the frames can be taken apart and stacked for winter. I rip 2X4's to three pcs., cut to size, and screw them together to make frames, cover with chickenwire, add 10 inches of smaller plastic or wire mesh on the bottom of the side and end frames to keep animals from getting ahold of and beheading young birds, cover the top with a blue tarp, add a small "hut" to one end, an access door to the opposite end and poly rope, and slide every day, light enough to move by hand, just don't try to cover ends or sides very far down with the tarp, as a strong wind will flip them over, I usually just cover top and down the back to the top of the Hut. I use my " portable pens" for grow out pens and also have been used for broodys (ducks or hens) and babies. I hope I haven't confused too many people, just don't overthink it, we're not trying to keep elephants in , just chickens, ducks and geese. Happy Hobbying and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!! Art

 

[crickettoo]

Can you explain how you do the wheels so they lift up and down for travel? That is really useful, but, I don't have the building knowledge to figure that out. Thanks.
cindy

 

[bigoledude]

There is a product that you can add to your tires that seals small punctures, slow leaks and seals the rim to the tire. It's called "Slime". Just about every hardware store and auto parts store carries this.

http://www.harborfreight.com/16-oz-slime-tire-sealant-34115.html

You can also buy inner-tubes that have a "Slime-like" substance already in them. My intention is to use the wheels of a 26-inch mountain bike with these tubes for my tractor coop & run.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bell-Bicycle-Self-Sealing-Tube-26/17619583

There are several "flat-free" tires available at Harbor Freight stores or online.

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-inch-x-2-1-2-half-inch-solid-rubber-tire-35459.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/13-5-32-inch-x-3-7-16-inch-flatfree-tire-67469.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-inch-flatfree-handtruck-tire-zig-zag-tread-94313.html

Here is a page with a bunch of tires to choose from.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=tires

 

[notiones]

Essentially, the wheel is attached to an arm which pivots on a pin. When you move the arm one direction (towards the front) it is free to rotate far enough that the wheels are off the ground. When you move the arm towards the back there is a bolt that prevents the wheel assembly from moving too far and so it kind of locks the wheels in a raised position.

I PM'd you a link to the plans.

 

[Avonshire]

Oh Oh can I have a link to the wheel plans too? We went to tsc tonight to look at tires. Found them--very expensive! But then we realized we did not know what we were going to do with the tires--how we were going to attach them to the tractor. Thanks for your help!!

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Are the plans for the wheel system on a link that can be posted to this forum?