Feeding/watering in a tractor

[PotterWatch]

As my husband and I continue to do research to start our meat bird business, we are trying to decide how to do feeding and watering. We have seen the 5gal bucket of water on top of the tractor and like that idea to keep the water from going dry. Do you use something else? Do you hang your feeders and waterers or have them sitting on the ground. How do you work it when you move the tractor? Do you just take everything out of the tractor, move it, and put it all back in? What do you use to feed? My husband thinks we should look at long troughs that run the length of the tractor but I think they wouldn't hold enough feed. At this point, I think we will be making our tractors about 10x12 with around 50-70birds in them. Thanks for any advice!

 

[TigerLilly]

Attatching troughs to the tractors would sound like a good idea, but I would think it would have to be easy enough to undo for cleaning. I have seen feeders hanging in tractors as well. Seems like it would be a pain to take all the stuff out, move the tractor & put it back in--especially if you've got 50-70 birds in it. That would mean multiple feeders & waterers, wouldn't it?

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
I use a bell waterer that is hooked to 2 or 3 five gallon buckets. My tractors are 10'x12' with 70-80 birds and some days it takes over 10 gallons of water. As you can see, the buckets are linked together with a "T" fitting. You can hook up as many as you need.

As for feeders. I made several of them using some PVC pipe I had laying around. At first I figured they wouldn't hold enough feed, but to my surprise, you can get more in them than I thought. I originally made them to hang so I wouldn't have to remove when I moved the tractor(you can see the eye hooks and chains on the far one), but it was very cumbersome trying to fill the feeder in the tractor while hanging, so I now just sit them on the ground and remove.

There is one more in the tractor that you can't see, but between the 3 of them, they hold about 35 pounds, which is just about the max i feed in a single day.

 

[anthonyjames]

Bigred,

When cutting the pvc what did you use?

Did you cut completely in half? I tried that and it got bound in saw. Then I couldn't attach end caps because if closed in on itself.
Do you use end caps to attach to the wood ends?

Nice birds..

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
I used a jig saw to cut and no it is more than half the pipe. On the first one I did, I stopped about 2" short of the ends to prevent it from collapsing(you can just barely see it in the top pic). I also cut a circle out of 3/4" wood the same size as the ID of the pipe, then used some short nails to hold it in place, then attached the pieces of wood that act as a stand to the wood circles on the inside of the pipe.

 

[EGGTASKTIC]

I first started out with the 10 x 12 tractor, but built it way to heavy= 2x 6 and 2 x4 lumber, full roof. After reading Salatin's book I see the advantage of a light structure.

So I cut the original tractor in half, so I have 2 6 x 10 footer and I built 2 more 8x8 tractors. Also built a brooder for outside w/ a removable floor, built in heat lamps, nipple waters and built in feed bin. The brooder is 4x 8 feet and is also sectioned off into 2 4x4 sections. So I get 100 st run chicks from the local hatchery. I keep them in the basement for 3 to 5 days in a lager rubbermade tote. They are feed 22 % fast grow from the local farm store. Then out side to the brooder they go ( keeps the wife happy), they get a 4x4 section to start , they go to a feed ration of 18% from the local mill. Depending on the out side temps and such i will pull the divider from day 10 to 15.
At about day 21 I move them to the 2 6 x 10 tractors, 50 in each. They stay on the same 18 % ration to slaughter. At week 5 to 6 I split them up again and bring the 2 8x8 tractor in the rotation. Now it gets a wee bit complicated. The cockerels stay in the 6x 10 tractors, hens in the 8x8. At 8 weeks the cockerels get butchered and the 6x10 tractors get a new batch of 21 day olds. The hens get a extra week or so then get butchered and the cycle repeats. I do a couple hundred bird this way and shoot to be done by end of July.

I found it is better for me to run the garden hose to the tractors w/ a stock tank valve ( tsc 10 bucks) and what ever pan or tub is around.
I dump them before I move the tractor and they are full when done with the move. Feeders are built into the side of the tractor , bin style, with a troughs from scrap spouting. I make them about 3 to 4 feet long and big enough to hold 2 five gallon buckets of feed.

If you go with 50 birds and a 10 x 12 tractor you will be at 2.4 sq ft per bird, that is out of the optimal range according to Salatin.
He says 1.4 to 1.8 sq feet per bird is best. I think he is on to something , but I will simply say the bigger the bird the more room it needs.

Good Luck.