ideas !! moveable pen,, "tractor"

[partimer]

Here I go a thinkin" need some rules or most practical ideas for what you folks call a tractor, ( I take it moveable pen ) This new egg will want to make one for its practability. Sounds like it would be a good idea.
and thanx

 

[patandchickens]

My only advice: a) if you're not using someone else's Known Design, make sure you sit down and CALCULATE the total weight of what you'r proposing before you build it. Weight adds up REAL fast. And b) make sure you understand the disadvantages as well as advantages of a tractor before you commit to doing that as opposed to a fixed coop.

Take a look at the tractors on the coop design page; also if you are looking for something 'practical' rather than fancy-looking, and predatorproofing and wintertime are not as much of an issue, check out the threads in the Meat Birds Etc section of byc, as there are some very effective lightweight tractors being used for raising broilers.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[chookchick]

IMO tractors as a day and night living situation sound great in theory, but don't work out so well in reality. They also only seem to work okay for 2-3 hens. I have seen many people start with tractors, then give up on them and build a real coop and run.

Now if you have, or want to have, a permanent coop/run, and add a day tractor to that equation, that could work out well for a small number of chickens. The uses of it--to take advantage of pasture that you have, weed out garden beds, raising broilers, as Pat said. Make sure it is predator-proof!