Chicken Tractor Thread!!

[eggslplicity]

We used welded wire over chicken wire, because you know, predators.



The entire back panel is a door, hinged at the bottom to allow access to bottom and top nest area. Note there is plywood under the metal roofing.



Framing the fleet!

These are really nice... Thanks for the pics and tips. I am thinking of making my Tractor a permanent coop... It's just too heavy to keep moving every couple of days.

 

[ShanandGem]

These are really nice... Thanks for the pics and tips. I am thinking of making my Tractor a permanent coop... It's just too heavy to keep moving every couple of days.

I move mine twice a day in a far from flat yard. Once you get the 'spin and drag' maneuver down it's pretty easy. Unless you get hung up on a big bunch of bunchgrass.

 

[mountainrun]

How big of a tractor would I need for 13-15 red ranger birds?

I have heard it said that meat birds require less space than layers, presumably because they aren't full grown(?)

We have a dozen pullets in an 8x8 and it is comfort for them.

 

[chick-a- doodle]

This is my latest chicken tractor. I have made low hoop coops in the past, but, I this was a remodel from a previous run (and using materials I had on hand from previous projects.) Right now, it does not have a nesting box as the residents won't need them for a while. I have become an expert at adding nest boxes to tractors, after the fact!

 

[Birdy Buddy]

This is my new chicken tractor. The run is attached with hook and eye latches and disassembles in four panels that are easy to move but a little heavy. The coop has a food hopper on the side that adds about 50 pounds when full. I can move the coop myself and it takes about a half hour to re-assemble it. It is easy to pivot but pulling it takes a little more effort. I tried to make it as light as possible but with wood construction things just get heavy. So far I have moved it about once a week for the last two months. I'm weak and disabled but I can still manage to move it pretty easily. The wheel was made for a deer cart and is supposed to be good for 500 pounds. It has a solid tire and a 3/4" axle. I used a 3/4" machine bolt for the axle..


The wheel is centered on the coop and I use a small jack to level the coop so the panels for the run fit tight to the coop.

When the panel is tight to the coop I use a hook and eye latch to connect the edges.



This shows what it looks like after I parked it on fresh grass for a week. I tacked roofing fabric for shade on the lid and sides of the run panels. The roof of the coop is unbreakable polycarbonate.

 

[AntRob]

Here's my first attempt. Turned out quite a bit heavier than I'd imagined but all in all it works pretty well and keeps the ladies happy.

My future plans for wheels I borrowed from here.

 

[Birdy Buddy]

My future plans for wheels I borrowed from here.



Wow. That is a really cool idea. It allows a larger wheel to help roll over the rough stuff. I was once considering making 2x6 runners and screwing an old pair of worn out skis to the 2x6 edge. I was thinking with the skis it would be easier to drag or push around. It would only work for a small coop.

 

[ALY1313]

My mom had made this chicken tractor for my three bantam chickens !!!! It works well

 

[pdiddy]

so I thought having a chicken tractor would be GOOD for my lawn (fertilizer, aeration, etc). It's been TERRIBLE. Hardly any grass left (it wasn't great to begin with, to be fair).

I'm thinking my yard is just too small -- going back over the same area too frequently, not letting it recover.

I have 4 layers in a 8'x4' tractor. My yard is 50' wide by, maybe 25 feet deep. It's pretty irregular shape and not very even, i'm estimating the usable portion.

thoughts? Should I go with a stationary set up and just have one part of my yard be a mess? Or am I misdiagnosing the problem?

 

[aart]

so I thought having a chicken tractor would be GOOD for my lawn (fertilizer, aeration, etc). It's been TERRIBLE. Hardly any grass left (it wasn't great to begin with, to be fair).

I'm thinking my yard is just too small -- going back over the same area too frequently, not letting it recover.

I have 4 layers in a 8'x4' tractor. My yard is 50' wide by, maybe 25 feet deep. It's pretty irregular shape and not very even, i'm estimating the usable portion.

thoughts? Should I go with a stationary set up and just have one part of my yard be a mess? Or am I misdiagnosing the problem?

I do not think you are misdiagnosing the problem........chickens are hard on the ground/landscape.
All the scratching kills plant roots quickly, and the poops are very high in nitrogen which can kill plants and make the soil too 'hot' for propagation.

Stationary coop/run might be best for you.
This is best, IMO, for run 'bedding'.
Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992
Will take care of the poops, you can let your yard recover and maybe let them rage a bit on occasion.