Chicken Tractor Question

[jvp0719]

I am thinking of building a chicken tractor. I was considering putting fencing on the floor. This way when I want to move it, I can pick it up with the chickens inside. Good idea or bad idea? This is my first time and my 6 day olds don't arrive until 8/21. I know I have plenty of time before I really have to worry about this but, honestly, I am kind of excited.

I was told by some that the fence on the floor is a good idea. Was told by others it is a terrible idea because it will hurt their feet. I turn to all of you for the final opinion.

Thanks
Jim

 

[RedStarLady1207]

The idea of the open bottom tractor is to be able to move it around so the chickens can scratch at whatever you put the tractor over. With a wire floor they will be able to eat anything that manages to poke through the wire but they will not be able to scratch effectively and IMO might rough up their feet.

Right now my tractor coop/run combo (movable, but with no bottom), is stationary because I have to keep it in full shade due to the heat so I am using litter on top the dirt 'floor' as the forage is long gone with the tractor in one place, but then I let my chickens out for supervised foraging in a 30 by 50 fenced in area that is a chicken playground with lawn, weeds, piles of leaves, driftwood perches, shrubs, and a dust bath area.

If you want a wire floor I would go with very small diameter hardware cloth so they can walk on it without toes slipping through and would afford good predator protection (from digging predators) but small diameter hardware cloth won't let much plant life poke through. Kind of a catch 22. Why do you want a tractor as opposed to a stationary coop?

Do you plan to lock your chickens up each night in the coop? If so, you can move the coop to a new location before you let them loose and won't have a need to have them moving along on a wire floor, nor running them over with the structure.

Have you considered a stationary coop with multiple pastures so you can rotate them on the pastures? Do you have land size limitations?

One thing I suggest, if you build a tractor, have a roof overhang for shade and rain. When I had my run made I wish I had done that. Also, a hinged roof to be able to access the entire unit is good, with exterior access to the egg boxes.

 

[jvp0719]

That was the thought of some people that I spoke with around here. The fencing on the bottom would impede the scratching. We really want to free range our chickens but due to a plethora of Hawks in our area, NO tree cover at all, and a small yard (just over 1 acre) this will not be possible. We would like for them to be able to get out of the coop and be as free as we can let them be. My thought was a 10 x 20 or 8 x 16 covered tractor. Moveable with wheels so we can move them around the yard each day or two. I was going to make 1 end with a shade cover and a Roosting pole for them. We do plan to put them in the coop each night. I have a HenSpa that I just picked up from a VERY generous freecycler. I did not want to have a permanent run since I have been told, and is evident by your post, that it will be dirt before too long. Not that I am opposed to that, but I just thought it would be more "Free Range Like" if I moved them around the yard.