Building a chicken Tractor

[Rich Marshall]

Does any one have an opinion about putting chicken wire on the floor of my chicken tractor run?
Thanks...All design inputs are very welcome.

 

[Stephanie739]

I wouldn't. That would be just extra material to clean. I think tractors should be portable, moveable to new grass. New clean ground is all that you need, not wire.

 

[Rich Marshall]

What about preditors digging up and under?...I should worry? and how often shout I move the tractor to stop my grass getting ruined? Thanks for your help.

 

[Stephanie739]

Look here Rich for some ideas. http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/tractors.html I don't have a tractor, but I am planning on making a more portable coop. I'd like to be able to move it so the chicks can always munch on fresh grass, and not just walk in the dirt.

 

[Stephanie739]

Some of those examples do seem to have wire on the bottom. Personally I wouldn't it, but thats just my opinion!

 

[NovaAman]

I used regular chicken wire on the bottom, and hardware cloth on the sides. Its not that much harder to clean... But then again, My coop that sits on top I can take off, and then roll the base over and knock the stuck on stuff off. The grass just grows thru it... But that was on my dog coop conversion. I just built a frame big enough to hold the dog house, and then covered it with the wire. I never really attached the dog house, cuz.. Well, I didn't. LOL

 

[ladyride]

I wouldn't we left to bottom open put a skirt of hardware mesh around the outside to prevent digging normally use landscaping timbers on the edges to sort of hold down the preds have left alone when they found out they couldn't dig in. we move the tractor every couple days to fresh grass. They kinda bend it down ,scratch it up but put fertilizer back down it comes back lusher.

 

[The Old Whittler]

When I built my tractor I had planned on putting 2x4 welded wire on the bottom. After putting more thought in it I decided to not to do it and decided to make it to where I could close 'em up inside their house at night. Normally you don't have a problem with anything trying to dig under in the daytime. I just didn't like the idea of putting my chickens on wire.

 

[00BlasterResto]

Here is a picture of my setup, I have not been dissapointed.
I just use a garden hoe and scrape it out, then whatever falls through gets raked up and tossed out if I am not moveing the coop. because of the size of my run I only move every month or 2.

 

[suzyQlou]

Quote:
Just thought I'd chime in about how often you might want to move the tractor. The answer is going to depend on a lot of things. How many chickens? How big is the tractor? What is the condition of your lawn? What is the season? Has it been rainy? What is your tolerance for messiness? I'm probably missing a bunch of other factors, too. You'll figure out a good formula with a little experience.

if you're interested, I have some photos of what four chickens have done to my own grass: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=82401-tractor-vs-lawn . I move my tractor every day. I don't think my hens have ruined the lawn, but it sure is bumpier than it used to be

.