Chicken Tractor Build #3

[Kris5902]

I’m going to give a detailed description of my mobile breeding pen/chicken tractor for my laying hens with plenty of pictures. This is my third build of this design, and I’ve been slowly improving it with each build. I live in southern BC Canada, so we have fairly mild weather year round, and the design is built for that. I’m working off of a modified version of a Suskovich Tractor, using all wood as that’s easier for me to get here than electrical conduit.

 

[Kris5902]

Tools and Hardware:

Drill/Driver (cordless)*
Circular (skill) Saw*
Angle Grinder with metal cut off blade*
Speed Square, Pencils, Tape Measure
Tin Snips, Hammer, Hack Saw (optional)
Staple Gun
*sure, U could use hand tools, but why?

3” deck screws, 1 1/4”screws, more screws, staples & small fencing staples
6x 2” L braces, 2 throw bolts, 1 hook & eye, 2 hasp lock thingies with hinges
5 hinges (I use plain door ones)

2 cup hooks, 2 snap lock things, nylon cord to hang feeders.

19” ready rod, 6 nuts, 2 nylock nuts, 8 washers... I use 5/8” and 2 of these Wheels from Princess Auto

I also used 1 1/2, 2”, 2 1/2”, & 4” screws in small quantities randomly based on what I’m attaching to what and I’ll add in a pic of some of the hardware bits later as well.

You’ll also want a ladder, gloves, eye protection, band aids and antibiotic ointment. Two people are a huge help. I can now put these together in about 8 hours total with my husband. So, 4-10 days for me, depending on other chores. If you focus, it could be done in one or two days, but the first one always takes longer!

 

[Kris5902]

Lumber and Plywood:

This might not be 100% all of it, I’m triple checking my material list on this build, because after we frame up the box, my Husband usually does the door and I do the roosting box, and that is where my material count usually stops. I’ll confirm if this is correct and edit it when we get this one done, but based on my calculations this is what we use... I’ll provide cut lists for the parts in sections according to build sections, because that’s how I tend to work!

All lumber is nominal and in 12’ lengths.

6 2X4’s, 13 2x2’s, 4 1x2’s
1 roll 4’ 1/2” or 3/4” hardware cloth = approx 3 tractors worth
7 feet of 4’ 1” hardware cloth (just get a roll if you also want to wire the roof... I’m trying this for the first time on this tractor, but hardware cloth is always handy to have!
1 sheet 1/4” plywood (you get 2 or 3 tractors worth per sheet)
1/2” or 3/4” plywood for the ramp... I use random scrap from other projects for this, but you could buy a half sheet or a full sheet and have lots of extra (also Always handy)

 

[Kris5902]

Base section comes first... the skis and walls:
2 2x4x12 “skis”, 1 2X4 cut into 6’ lengths for front and back, 2 2X4’s cut into 6 44”pieces

3 2x2’s with 4.5” cut off of them (keep one of the little off cuts to use as a spacer), 1 2x2 cut into 6’ lengths (reserve one for the roost box later),
1 2x2 cut into 3 44” pieces

Cut the skis and bore the 5/8” hole for the Ready Rod axel. Make sure the hole is drilled straight through and not on an angle

Cut the Ready Rod (threaded metal rod thingie) into 2 9 1/2” pieces, put the nylock nut on the end and pound it through the hole so the nut is on the inside and the length sticks out as an axel for the wheel. Make sure the skis are mirrored so the wheels will go on the outside of both sides (yeah, don’t ask!) - it is way easier to do this now and not trip on the axel than to try to get it on once the tractor is built...

 

[Ribh]

Thanks for the pictures. They make sense to me.

 

[aart]

I love a good build thread!

 

[Calabogie chicken lady]

I’m going to give a detailed description of my mobile breeding pen/chicken tractor for my laying hens with plenty of pictures. This is my third build of this design, and I’ve been slowly improving it with each build. I live in southern BC Canada, so we have fairly mild weather year round, and the design is built for that. I’m working off of a modified version of a Suskovich Tractor, using all wood as that’s easier for me to get here than electrical conduit.

Could you send me pictures as i would like to build one

 

[aart]

Could you send me pictures as i would like to build one

Just keep following along in this thread...and you'll see it all as it happens

 

[Kris5902]

Could you send me pictures as i would like to build one

It will be completed before the first week of April is through! I’ve got chicks coming that need the barn space currently occupied by the challenging cockerel this one is promised to. He doesn’t like the barn life or the “old ladies” he’s currently keeping company with, and his young ladies are also eager to meet their new BF and get on grass (my chicken abduction/rescue phase 2... relocate the healthy girls to better housing ). I’m Currently stuck in the city visiting family and getting new glasses, so I took advantage of the three ferry rides it took to get here to get started on this post!

I notice you’re in Ontario... so if you’re thinking of building something along these lines it would be suitable for breeding or summer pasturing in your climate. I totally freaked out when we got snow and below freezing weather this February, everyone made it through ok, but we only dipped down to -5 Celsius most nights! I really think chickens should get some “grass time” though, so it might be a good plan for spring and summer for you?

One of my biggest goals in this build was to have the poop fall through and onto the pasture/fields. There have been some grass management issues, and the “should we fertilize the hay fields?” Question came up after last year’s extremely poor hay harvest. This is my experiment in getting some nitrogen back into the land and diversifying and improving our farms products.

So far, with daily or every other day movements and 10 pullets and 1 cockerel to the pen they have not managed to completely destroy much grass, I’ll see how well it comes back up. I started them in one of our poorest hayfields. Fair warning: if you want to keep grass it does need to move basically a full length every day or those actively foraging layers will strip the soil bare!

And @Calabogie chicken lady , welcome to BYC!

 

[Kris5902]

Sorry for the delays... spring break and teenagers!

Now that the “ski” boards are complete you will want to lay out the base and wall uprights

Attach the front and back boards to make the bottom box, setting the front back 3” from the tip of the ski and raising it up so the bottom is flush with the angled front creating a little gap (helps if you have a rock in the way or can’t fully lift the front when you go to move it!)



I use the 4 “L” corner braces on the bottom for reinforcement. (Use 1 1/2” or 1 1/4” screws on the braces)