the guy that made it was very nice but we have three outside cats that will make
lunch of peeps or silky that I have 4 of ours is jut like 5 wide 8 long 3 regular hens or the 4 silky
Chicken tractors and portable coops!
- Thread starter Countrypunk92
- Start date
the guy that made it was very nice but we have three outside cats that will make
lunch of peeps or silky that I have 4 of ours is jut like 5 wide 8 long 3 regular hens or the 4 silky
- Thread starter
- #12
Silkies look like big cat toys that move around 
My tractor is 8x16, and I went back and forth on how to keep something from digging into the tractor.
I thought about half inch hardware cloth as the floor like y'all, but I felt it really destroyed the concept of being an open bottomed tractor. I can't imagine a chicken trying to graze grass through half inch wire, and really, I think a tractor needs to be moved at least once a week, if it's really functioning as a tractor, not to mention there can be problems with chickens standing on wire all the time.
And here's something to ponder, with half inch hardware cloth as the floor, poop is going to be an absolute nightmare. Sticking in the cloth, trying to shovel it off the wire, I don't even want to think about it.
The best solution I could find, is anti-dig mats around the outside of the tractor. That completely restores the true function of the tractor, fresh grass every week, and leaving the poop behind as fertilizer.
Now I'll admit, I might have over done it a little bit. Everyone seems surprised by the size of my mats (50 inches wide), probably 24 inches would have been enough, but that's not the way I think apparently.
Because of my field orientation, and the need to keep the tractor always facing south, I usually pull it sideways, but I only need to go eight feet to get completely new grass. Because I put shackles on all four corners, it can be pulled in any direction, just as easily, by simply moving the chain to different shackles.
The mats don't have to be lifted either, so moving it once a week only takes about 5 minutes.
This is a pretty big tractor, with a very strong rigid frame. I'm not sorry I used the big mats because they completely solve the problem of gaps under the skids. Trust me, with a tractor this big, there will be significant gaps sometimes. This week I had a gap big enough to get my shoe under the skid, it was a small tire rut.
See the sunshine coming under the skid in front of the rooster.
Here's the thing, the mat at 50 inches wide (its a cheap cattle panel from tractor supply with half inch hardware cloth zip tied on top of it), is wide enough and heavy enough, that no predator has ever breeched it, even when there's a significant gap under the skid. The mat covers all that up.
The mat also has a natural curl to it, so you don't have to lift it to pull the tractor (saves time and work). I put two cinder blocks on each corner to keep the mat tight on the ground during the week.
For whatever it's worth, even if you go with a more narrow mat, use the cattle panel (cutting it in half perhaps) with the half inch hardware cloth on top.
Don't waste your time and money on the 2 inch by 4 inch wire. You will have gaps, and that's going to leave too big a hole, for a small predator to come in.
I'm not endorsing a 24 inch mat, because I've never used one, but I know for a fact 50 inches has worked perfectly for six months with no predator entry.
Here's an inside shot.
And here's the north end.
Finally a shot of it being moved by a roll back wrecker.
View attachment 1256009
He's balancing the whole weight of the tractor on one point, and there's still no deflection in the frame.
By the way, Home Depot sells 25 feet of half inch hardware cloth for about $58. AgriSupply.com has 50 feet for $56. TWICE THE WIRE, AND $2 CHEAPER.
When you're doing something like this you can really go through wire. I was lucky, there's an AgriSupply store near me, so I just picked it up, I don't know how bad shipping would hit you if there's no store near you. But regardless, I'd shop around when it comes to wire.
Not to mention, I like avoiding joints in wire, and I was using a lot of 16 foot lengths of wire, which works poorly with a 25 foot roll, compared to great with a 50 foot roll.
I thought about half inch hardware cloth as the floor like y'all, but I felt it really destroyed the concept of being an open bottomed tractor. I can't imagine a chicken trying to graze grass through half inch wire, and really, I think a tractor needs to be moved at least once a week, if it's really functioning as a tractor, not to mention there can be problems with chickens standing on wire all the time.
And here's something to ponder, with half inch hardware cloth as the floor, poop is going to be an absolute nightmare. Sticking in the cloth, trying to shovel it off the wire, I don't even want to think about it.
The best solution I could find, is anti-dig mats around the outside of the tractor. That completely restores the true function of the tractor, fresh grass every week, and leaving the poop behind as fertilizer.
Now I'll admit, I might have over done it a little bit. Everyone seems surprised by the size of my mats (50 inches wide), probably 24 inches would have been enough, but that's not the way I think apparently.
Because of my field orientation, and the need to keep the tractor always facing south, I usually pull it sideways, but I only need to go eight feet to get completely new grass. Because I put shackles on all four corners, it can be pulled in any direction, just as easily, by simply moving the chain to different shackles.
The mats don't have to be lifted either, so moving it once a week only takes about 5 minutes.
This is a pretty big tractor, with a very strong rigid frame. I'm not sorry I used the big mats because they completely solve the problem of gaps under the skids. Trust me, with a tractor this big, there will be significant gaps sometimes. This week I had a gap big enough to get my shoe under the skid, it was a small tire rut.
See the sunshine coming under the skid in front of the rooster.
Here's the thing, the mat at 50 inches wide (its a cheap cattle panel from tractor supply with half inch hardware cloth zip tied on top of it), is wide enough and heavy enough, that no predator has ever breeched it, even when there's a significant gap under the skid. The mat covers all that up.
The mat also has a natural curl to it, so you don't have to lift it to pull the tractor (saves time and work). I put two cinder blocks on each corner to keep the mat tight on the ground during the week.
For whatever it's worth, even if you go with a more narrow mat, use the cattle panel (cutting it in half perhaps) with the half inch hardware cloth on top.
Don't waste your time and money on the 2 inch by 4 inch wire. You will have gaps, and that's going to leave too big a hole, for a small predator to come in.
I'm not endorsing a 24 inch mat, because I've never used one, but I know for a fact 50 inches has worked perfectly for six months with no predator entry.
Here's an inside shot.
And here's the north end.
Finally a shot of it being moved by a roll back wrecker.
View attachment 1256009
He's balancing the whole weight of the tractor on one point, and there's still no deflection in the frame.
By the way, Home Depot sells 25 feet of half inch hardware cloth for about $58. AgriSupply.com has 50 feet for $56. TWICE THE WIRE, AND $2 CHEAPER.
When you're doing something like this you can really go through wire. I was lucky, there's an AgriSupply store near me, so I just picked it up, I don't know how bad shipping would hit you if there's no store near you. But regardless, I'd shop around when it comes to wire.
Not to mention, I like avoiding joints in wire, and I was using a lot of 16 foot lengths of wire, which works poorly with a 25 foot roll, compared to great with a 50 foot roll.
Last edited:
Mom3timz
In the Brooder
So I'm about to be a new Chicken momma. Getting this on Saturday. Guy in our little town builds these --- I cannot afford one new but found one for sale used along with his 1.5 year old EE hens. I'm technically in the county but right next to a neighborhood in city limits and wanted to have something that would look nice etc. This fit the bill for me. I work from home and I'll let them free range in afternoon when possible.
Is this the actual one you will be getting??? Looks good. How will you get it home? WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,, and
Mom3timz
In the Brooder
Well, it's that same model made by same guy -- so, looks like that one - but a bit more weathered. It's getting a power washing before I pick it up. 
We have a trailer we'll put it on. Between my husband and the teen boys we will muscle it up on there. I'll put the girls in a dog kennel in the truck bed and tightly wrap with a blanket for the 40 minute drive across the bay. I am SOOOO excited.
We have a trailer we'll put it on. Between my husband and the teen boys we will muscle it up on there. I'll put the girls in a dog kennel in the truck bed and tightly wrap with a blanket for the 40 minute drive across the bay. I am SOOOO excited.
That's a good looking unit, what fun y'all are going to have. It's always very hard to tell how big something is in photos.
If it's big, and you have any trouble moving it, this device might help. You'd have to modify your frame or handle to add the hitch, as low as possible, to give as much lift as possible.
I have one, and it's useful, but my tractor had a terrible case of "mission creep", and ended up weighing over 2,000 pounds, rendering this useless.
Here's one at Northern Tools.
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...MI9PqtoNql2QIVS01-Ch3Gig5cEAQYASABEgKvW_D_BwE
If it's big, and you have any trouble moving it, this device might help. You'd have to modify your frame or handle to add the hitch, as low as possible, to give as much lift as possible.
I have one, and it's useful, but my tractor had a terrible case of "mission creep", and ended up weighing over 2,000 pounds, rendering this useless.
Here's one at Northern Tools.
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...MI9PqtoNql2QIVS01-Ch3Gig5cEAQYASABEgKvW_D_BwE
Last edited:
Mom3timz
In the Brooder
It's about 8 feet long and 5 feet tall at highest point I seem to recall from the one I saw before. Guy said it's heavy, but movable. My husband had already mentioned getting me one of those if he could get a hitch on there. If not -- we'll have "muscle mom's chicken tractor a few feet Mondays" soon ---
Sounds like you've got plenty of men around to handle it, you'll probably be fine. If it's ever an issue, you already know there's a simple solution, you're all set!
Good advice from lazy gardener, but I'd change one thing. There is no single number for how many days between moves. Mostly depends on the number/size of chickens and the size the of run area. I move mine every other day and that seems to be the right balance. The grass and clover recover very nicely and even grow better with the soil scratched up and fresh fertilizer. Experiment with your setup to get a feel for how often to move.
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