Chicken Tractor and the yard.....

[Mark & Nique]

Quote:
Howdy --

Our tractor is a simple A-frame, and the chickens sleep above.

To envision: draw a capital letter A. The bottom, or open, part of the A is where they spend the day. The top part of the A (forming a triangle) is where they sleep.

The tractor can be as long as you need it to be. We move our twice a week (but should move it three times) as the grass is destroyed pretty quickly. If you have an overgrown area of grass, the chickens will take care of it -- no need for goats!

 

[mstricer]

I have my 35 in an 8 x 8 tractor with only low perches and put fresh straw in corner for them to sleep.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I just posted this on another thread but thought I would share here as well . . . hope no one cares

this tractor is 10x10, held 25 meaties, no roost as CX don't need them, moved DAILY (any longer and the grass gets burned) with the poopy grass squirted down after the move. Didn't need to fertilize the lawn this year = priceless!

now it's my isolation coop until I need it for meaties again.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

p.s. my husband thinks I should point out that all the white stuff is NOT feathers lol, it's from the cottonwoods.

 

[Jared77]

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Thank goodness thats exactly what I was thinking...OMG I have that much fluff to clean up besides poop??

what did I get myslef into? LOL Tell DH we said thanks

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

lol!!!

 

[ourflockof4]

Quote:
Some people on here have tried this, but I don't think it worked very good fro them. From what I remember they were taking the wire back off after trying it for one batch. I think that there may have been some health issues with the wire floor cutting their feet, and then getting poo in the cuts. You may be able to do it if your carefull when you built it though, and use a tighter hardware cloth, but I wouldn't. You also need to remember that when those birds get big you will have a lot of weight there to support.

To answer another question, most don't provide housing for there meaties. As long as you have part of the roof and sides covered they will just curl up there and sleep. Some do provide a low perch (about 6" off the ground) that they will sometimes use.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Some people on here have tried this, but I don't think it worked very good fro them. From what I remember they were taking the wire back off after trying it for one batch. I think that there may have been some health issues with the wire floor cutting their feet, and then getting poo in the cuts. You may be able to do it if your carefull when you built it though, and use a tighter hardware cloth, but I wouldn't. You also need to remember that when those birds get big you will have a lot of weight there to support.

To answer another question, most don't provide housing for there meaties. As long as you have part of the roof and sides covered they will just curl up there and sleep. Some do provide a low perch (about 6" off the ground) that they will sometimes use.

I have predetors and dont have a choice:-( If I have to pick those suckers up every night to put them in a safe coop I will

 

[cjdmashley]

does anyone know if it is safe to meaties apple cider vinegar in their water? I've been giving some (about 1tbs per gallon) to the layers but not sure about the meat birds.