Chicken tractors and portable coops!

[lazy gardener]

True that.

 

[MartinsPoultry]

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.

View attachment 1255996
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. View attachment 1256002
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.
View attachment 1256007

And here's the north end.
View attachment 1256008

Finally a shot of it being moved by a roll back wrecker.
View attachment 1256009

View attachment 1256019
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 love this tractor it would work nicely for a band of ducks or even guinea fowl. DO you happen to have a how to thread for it id love to see the progress on this build.

 

[ladyearth]

Bless you owners that let your chickens free range at least a little. or at least move their tractor lots...Several. people I know well three or four even that sells eggs have their chickens In a stationary crap holes Mud pits with all this rain it makes me so sad and furious. I take them weeds, veggies scraps.. Theysp love the weed. The weeds right outside their pitiful dusty crappy insecure "Run" I weeds. They can't reach their selfs. I wanna cry. I don't care if they are just chickens They are still Gods creatures
Mine are in a new home not the best but at least they aren't caged up
we go b once or twice a week to feed them "treats" and make sure all is okay. We furnish the same organic pellets. Cause otherwise they may not get fed.we give the two young boys that while doing the goat chores, a dollar each time we visit. the family is Mennonite .
and we just drive there to the barn area and not bother them .and the children there esp little girl is angelic.
now I keep nicely mentioning that they may need to work on training their dog not to scare the chickens, rather the few Banties they already had. Or the three hens someone gave them right after they took in ours....
Our Barr Rockers are mean to the three newer hens... I observed such today.
Also they got a young tom Turkey last week or so.
. and I feed him thru the "goat panel": I called Him "Mr. Tom Turkey". Ha Ha. Our Barr ROO Man kept pawing the ground to Tom Turkey thru the "Goat panel" section... I danced him away several times, while singing to him "BIG stuff who do you think you are?" MR BIG STUFF". while I was visiting today>
I told Our 'RooRoo Man 'that he Is a lot smaller than Mr TOM TURKEY." LOL
" If we could just get them( the 6 yr old and 8 yr old boys).. to keep the cats away and feed their cats ,the big 40 lbs foo feed bag would last longer than 2 weeks...Also be sides the cats eating their feed, prob rats or mice etc are stealing their feed.too.
Oh after almost six years I found a local family that free ranges their group. I knew when I pulled down their "lane" and saw quite a few chicken girls and guy srunning around I knew I was in the right place. It was a site to behold and what should be "natural" a site to behold.......took my breath away. I told them the family "God Bless y'all" I tipped them nicely too...$2 or $2.50 Is a lot cheaper than driving 30 miles to get "pasture raised". $6 a dozen...at BIG box Grocery
thanks for listening y'all

 

[Skipper81]

How much land do you have? Agreed with Sour, that checking with your zoning laws would be the first step. Just something to keep in mind: If you make a tractor, it will need to be moved every day in order to keep your birds from destroying the lawn under it. Tractors that are truly mobile are also difficult to make predator proof. Even in the city, you will have possums, coons, rats, snakes, and even weasels. And if you ever intend to use any chemical insecticides/herbicides you won't want your tractor on a treated lawn.

I would opt for a small flock in a well designed stationary coop/run. I would avoid the prefabs, and design a coop that compliments the style of my house. It would be a walk in, with attached walk in run. You could soften the visual impact by putting a flower bed or a hedge of sorts around it. And, you might consider making a shed, with the coop being part of the shed. Every home owner needs storage for outside equipment. If your home has a garage, you could add on to one side or end of the garage.

Keep the following needs in mind: 4 s.f. in coop, 10 s.f. in run per bird. 1 l.f. of perch per bird, with perch being above nest boxes, at least 2' off floor, 12 - 15" from back wall, and minimum of 18" between perch and ceiling. 1 s.f. of ventilation per bird, or ventilation = to 10% of floor space.

Awesome info I'm taking notes

 

[SW31]

Have a look at the Omlet Cube.
https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/chicken_keeping/eglu_cube/

When we put ours together it was easy to move with the wheels. Plus you can attach it to a larger run if required.
https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/chicken_keeping/walk_in_chicken_run/

Not the cheapest option, I know, but it’s very easy to clean, doesn’t need any structural maintenance work and very secure with its attached skirt.
I shelled out for it as I plan on keeping chickens for many years. On a depreciation basis, cost per year is quite low. I think they now export to USA.

 

[cavemanrich]

Have a look at the Omlet Cube.
https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/chicken_keeping/eglu_cube/

When we put ours together it was easy to move with the wheels. Plus you can attach it to a larger run if required.
https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/chicken_keeping/walk_in_chicken_run/

Not the cheapest option, I know, but it’s very easy to clean, doesn’t need any structural maintenance work and very secure with its attached skirt.
I shelled out for it as I plan on keeping chickens for many years. On a depreciation basis, cost per year is quite low. I think they now export to USA.

Very nice. Yes it is pricey, but unless you make something yourself, and shop around for discount materials, everything costs cash.
Here in the USA, we would have to modify slightly. You do not have a pet we often encounter here. Would need to install a 2 foot high at ground level, 1/2 inch , (13mm for those in the rest of the metric world) hardware cloth.
Here is my pet in question.

 

[Mom3timz]

So how often do you move your tractor? I have a large backyard (about 1/2 acre so plenty of room) and they'll get some free range time each day hopefully. I'm looking ahead to a trip in April and thinking for 10 days it could possibly be in the same spot. Person chicken sitting probably will not be able to move it alone. (It's a pretty heavy one!) Getting the girls tomorrow so much trying to make my plans....

 

[cavemanrich]

Reason to move the tractor is to provide fresh greens, and to keep the grass from being wiped out . If you are going away for 10 days, no harm should occur. I assume you have small flock as well.

So how often do you move your tractor? I have a large backyard (about 1/2 acre so plenty of room) and they'll get some free range time each day hopefully. I'm looking ahead to a trip in April and thinking for 10 days it could possibly be in the same spot. Person chicken sitting probably will not be able to move it alone. (It's a pretty heavy one!) Getting the girls tomorrow so much trying to make my plans....

Edit to say WELCOME,,,,,

 

[Mom3timz]

It's a total of 6 hens. I'll make sure they are on fresh grass the day we leave and we'll move them the day we return -- hopefully won't be too bad! They'll have someone watering and feeding them, of course!

 

[ChickenyChickeny]

Since you are in KY, I thought this one may be just in tune. Also movable.
View attachment 1252111
Welcome back,,,,,,,,, WISHING YOU BEST.

Don't threaten chickens with being eaten.