Meat tractors, predator proof

[mcdaid36]

I would love to get our meat chicken out on the lawn in a tractor, but am worried about the coyotes and foxes we have visiting us every night. The PVC tractor looks like an awesome idea, but I don't trust a few 6x6 logs around the outside to keep everything out. Anyone have any ideas for a predator proof tractor? I have ideas, but none of them are light enough for frequent moving!

 

[steveo]

So far so good with our pvc tractor and we have everything here like fox, coyote, mink, weasel, coons and more. Last night when I was taking the food out of the tractor I could hear the coyotes howling out back.

 

[mcdaid36]

About every other night the coyotes pace around our current meat chicken pen trying to find a way to get in. The pen is about 15 feet from the house, and we can hear them yipping in the middle of the night right outside our window (next to the pen). They are so loud they wake us up.

I wonder if I just make a tractor with hardware cloth all around, even on the bottom, if that would work. Or is that very hard on their feet?

 

[xtremevermonter]

That sure is a toughy. Mobility and security do not often go together. What if the bottom of the tractor had some sort of wide fencing on it that allowed the chickens and grass to reach each other but did not allow any predators in?

 

[xtremevermonter]

lol!

 

[dadof4]

I use elecrtic wire around the bottom and then up around the top. We have a lot of coyotes here. It has kept out all preds so far.

 

[mcdaid36]

Electric wire is a good idea. How does that work as far as being portable? I mean, I know the wire is attached to the pen and therefor doesn't need tweaking every time you move the pen, but what about your hook up to the grounding rods and power box? We have a lot of rock here, and moving ground rods would not be an easy task.... what do you use to connect the pen to the other things if they have to stay stationary?

 

[brandywine]

I'm using electronet around a minimalist range shelter. It's a large fenced area, and I move the shelter within it every day to spread the manure buildup. The feed trough and waterers are under the canopy. I figure it will be trashed in about two weeks, and I'll shift the electronet.

I'm using existing ground rods, and just adding more cable out to the fence. Pounding ground rods is a drag, it's much easier to run more supply line out to the fence.

Last night we were awakened by screaming raccoons, but the chooks were still sleeping when I went out. Don't know if the screaming had anything to do with the electronet. The dogs escorted them away from the barnyard.

My only worry is owls, as the chickens don't grok going into the shelter at night, and sort of spill out.

Now, if you want a physically strong tractor-type pen, I've made one out of salvaged grid panels -- the heavy wire grids they use to make store displays and mall kiosks. I'm not really using it because I have too many birds right now -- it's good for maybe 20 birds, and I'm ranging 117 five-week-olds.

I just don't trust a physically strong movable pen to hold off bears, large dogs, coyotes, or raccoons. The latter will reach through to get birds.

I'll post pix of the grid-panel tractor later.

 

[dadof4]

I don't really have a problem with the soil. The tractor, I jsut move the box along with it and run a cord to it. They make bat. chargers and solar charges so you have some options. My electric poultry nettings' charger is mounted to an out building and has a long insulated hot wire. The charger I have also has an adaptor for a batt. I like it.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Man, I can't imagine having coyotes in my yard without me being excited just to go shoot them! I would be up all night just waiting to blast away. As for the hardware cloth on the bottom, it won't work. It's a good idea in theory, but think about it- 10lb birds, X say 50 birds, equals lifting 500lbs every time you move it.