Chicken Tractor Management for Layers

[Aambrus1]

I purchased 150 chickens from a neighbor this December and decided to run them in Salatin style chicken tractors. They are 8x8x2 ft with roosts and nesting boxes. I put about 20 hens in each tractor. It's pretty great using them to prepare the garden area. But unfortunately I have been dealing with loss lately. In winter I could prop the tractors up in the late afternoon to let them come out and play. But now with my garden getting started I confine the layers to the tractors. So I guess this is the crowding and boredom issues others have expressed. It stinks to go out there and find one dead every few days. They peck either the back or butt and once blood is drawn they are relentless. I invested a lot of money and time in building these tractors does anyone have any suggestions? I also mix my own grains and thought the behavior could be from not enough protein. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome!

 

[centrarchid]

You have a very serious problem. Immediately swap out current feed for something like a Flock Raiser / All Flock feed with a protein content in the range of 16 to 20%. Provide calcium on the side via free-choice access to crushed oyster shell or lime. Make certain the have access to grit as well.


Move pens more often so they have more greens to consume and distract them.

Can you post the formulation you are currently using?


I am comfortable formulating my own feeds when they are free-range or confined singly / low density. When densely penned, then using a well vetted feed made by commercial producers is generally better. This pattern followed even when I am trained in how to make nutritionally complete animal feeds. Sometimes, actually most of the time, commercially sourced complete feeds cost less. You have to be in your game when using incomplete feeds like I suspect you have been using, especially when birds are in production and not able to make up difference by accessing quality forage.

You might get a bit of a butt chewing over this.

 

[Aambrus1]

Thanks for your response. I'm using 1/3 ground corn, 1/3 milo, 1/3 sunflower seeds in the shell. I use clabbered milk to wet the grains before feeding they go crazy when I drizzle more clabbered milk on top of the grain. I'm trying to go soy free with the feed.

 

[Aambrus1]

 

[centrarchid]

Without doing calculations, protein levels appear too low as mix is not unlike the scratch mixes I use. The milk will bring protein it up a little, but likely not enough. Also, what are you doing to provide supplemental vitamins and minerals. Former you can get enough of if foraging a lot.

What other meals do you have access to as alternatives to soybean? Fish meal and porcine are the easiest for me to get. Corn gluten can bring protein levels up as well

 

[centrarchid]

After getting the birds on a complete feed for a few days to restore flock health, then you can revisit formulations that soybean free. You get more help with that in the feeds and feeding subforum. Look for formulations that include protein and amino acid profiles, not just mixes that are soybean free and said to "work". Also look for published formulations that from from land grant universities that are based on science.

 

[aart]

Any thoughts or suggestions welcome!

More tractors? Semi-serious solution.
Curious to see more of the tractor showing nests.
Don't think Salatin runs layers in tractors?
How old are these birds?

I'm using 1/3 ground corn, 1/3 milo, 1/3 sunflower seeds in the shell. I use clabbered milk to wet the grains before feeding they go crazy when I drizzle more clabbered milk on top of the grain. I'm trying to go soy free with the feed.

Are you adding a poultry 'premix' for the vitamins/minerals/amino acids needed?


Oh, and....Welcome to BYC! @Aambrus1
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Those seem like tight quarters. 8x8 feet is 64 square feet, divided by 20 birds is only a smidgen more than 3 square feet per bird. Not to mention low ceilings which likely makes the space feel even smaller for the birds