Chicken Tractor is Finally Done! (well mostly)

[Chellester]

It is sad that the media has overblown the sued-over-pretty-much-nothing cases to the point that people think they can get sued for anything AND the people doing the suing will win. Yes, you can get sued over just about anything, but what the media doesn't tell you is 99.9% of ridiculous lawsuits get thrown out of court. Whatever is left over the media does not tell the whole story about the case, so it looks like someone is winning a lawsuit over nothing when there was a legitimate reason to seek compensation.

Also, the chance of buying an egg in a store that has samonella is 1 in 20,000. You can thank the media for all the hype on the samonella thing too. As long as the seller takes good care of their backyard flock and makes sure to collect eggs daily, I'd say the chance of anyone getting sick from an egg coming from a backyard flock is signifigantly less than that, which makes it pretty much next to nil.

I don't know about you, but I will take my chances with the backyard flock eggs.

 

[Chellester]

Quote:
It's also nice to know that if anyone did get sick from your eggs, they work at a hospital so they will be able to get help very quickly.

 

[PAChickenChick]

NorTracNY....I think it's absolutely perfect.

It is so close to what I wanted to build for my own chickens it's scary!

My plans have been slightly modified by the fact that DH said if I want to do this I have to do it will 99% free stuff. The only thing I'm allowed to buy is welded wire for the run. It's ok though, I'm determined...hahahaha

But once again I think you did a brilliant job!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[NorTracNY]

PAChickenChick,
So it can be done. You just need to be patient. I had to buy most of the hardware cloth and chicken wire. I had some plywood left over from other projects. I also had a lot of 2X4 pieces, but I actually accumulated more while building the project than what I used. I ripped several 2X4's also to make 2X~2's. Just watch for people tossing it out. You're building a chicken tractor, so can use some lumber that is even in pretty bad shape. The plexiglass that I used actually came from work. They were just throwing it out. The size just happened to be perfect.

As for the suing, I understand too well. I would not be concerned with the lawsuit, I'd be solely concerned with my homeowners insurance being canceled. Chickens are not worth having to pay several hundred extra dollars a year.

 

[Buster]

Up to this point, I have only sold eating eggs for my extended family to eat, so I guess if they wanted to sue me they would be really stupid.

How did the insurance company find out that the guy who lost his coverage had chickens?

 

[seminolewind]

I don't know of anyone who's had their homeowner's insurance cancelled over pet birds. And I don't know why they would waste time investigating it. If someone told me that, I would laugh at the joke.
Selling at a hospital is a cool idea, Chellester. I've been doing that too. I just charge people for the egg carton, the eggs are free

 

[NorTracNY]

seminolewind,
I also do something similar. I sell my time to fill up compost on people's trucks and trailers. The compost is free. Well I let this thread stray. Hope people like the tractor. I just moved it for the first time since the chicks have been using it. I put on small handles and it moved easy. So far I'm happy with it.

 

[NorTracNY]

OK, each of the last 4 mornings I've put the chicks (~5wks) into the coop with the door open to the run. None of them have ever walked out the door. I have to go back later and toss them out. They have no trouble climbing up the ramp. Several that I toss out will just climb back in. Do I need to do something special to get them to leave the coop?

 

[Buster]

My chickens did this for a couple weeks after I started letting them out. They would just go to the door and peek out. Just give them time. They will get used to the idea.

Chickens are two things: scared and curious. Curious always wins.

 

[NorTracNY]

Thanks Buster. They were at least smart enough to go under the coop today during a hard hail storm.