Chicken tractor questions

[skennedy]

Quote:
I am in South Louisiana and my birds live year round in there chicken tractors. I use a tarp, tie wrapped to the top of the tractor for shade. Most of my back yard, also about an acre, has no shade either and as long as you keep up with their water all will be okay. In fact the bugs will be drawn to the shade helping to feed the chickens some fresh insects.

Hope this helps!

 

[Jayare's Chicks]

I moved up a previous thread on my tractor for you to see if you want to get some ideas or whatnot. My birds live in it permanetly and it has been in the high 90's here in Alabama and I haven't had any problems with them getting too hot. There is gaps for ventalation at the top where the corigated roofing fits on and all those wood slats on the sides have a little gap in them too but it dosn't show up well in the pics.

I moved it out from under that tree a couple months ago and I had 3 broody Phoenix hens setting on about 16 eggs and 6 of them hatched out yesterday so the rest should be hatching soon also. I moved 1 of the Momma's out of there this evening and the 6 babies and put them in a hutch right beside the tractor since I have other birds of various sizes in there also and didn't want them hurting the little ones. (3 turkey poults, 6 guinneas and other chicks)

Jayare

 

[go-veggie]

We built a really awesome tractor...12 feet long, 3 feet wide...they are in it all the time. In very cold weather, we will be sure to either pull them inside somewhere or use several tarps, heat lamps and water bowl heaters. I use a tarp every day to shade them and I use it at night to cover them up...just one more layer for predators to have to get through. I always put them up in the attached coop at night too...well, they go in there to roost and sleep and I just close and secure their door.

In the heat, it's all about fresh, cool water, shade and air flow...in my opinion anyway. Good luck with it! I love being able to move the birds aound in the yard and always have fresh grass for them!

It has been really hot here this week!