First-Ever Tractor

[19sarah90]

My two-week-old cornish crosses were just moved into their new home: my first-ever homemade chicken tractor! It's not perfect, but it works! I'm having a time teaching them to go up and down the ramp though.

 

[chicken_angler]

The ramp looks just a bit steep for them. maybe you could make the ramp kind of wrap around the side so it wont be quite as steep.

Good luck and nice job on your tractor.
Cody!!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

It is very nice. They are a bit young and the ramp a bit high for them to get used to it right now. About 2 weeks will see them using it. but then, they will outgrow everything. Chicks grow way too fast sometimes!

 

[19sarah90]

I doubt it is too steep for them right now, they can walk up and down fine when I put them on it. They just don't want to use it. They're lazy.

I agree with the outgrowing everything. I built it for my egg layers which I will be getting once these cornish are gone. They're gonna be squeezed in there so tight in a couple weeks. They may not even fit through the door at the top of the ramp.

Thanks for your comments!

 

[chicken_angler]

Are they going to be in this until they're fully grown?

 

[19sarah90]

Hopefully they will be. If so, they can either spend the night down below or else be hefted up into the coop every night. I have two brothers of ages 8 and 9 that would be glad to help.

 

[Elwar]

That's a very cool tractor. I have a run just like that but never considerd putting the coop on top.

Is it heavy?

If you're going to put wheels on it, check out the ones I used on my tractor...after some trial and error it's very easy to move around.

I found some metal 'L' pieces and grabbed some lawnmower wheels. It makes it so the run isn't dragging on the grass while moving it.

 

[19sarah90]

It's not too heavy. I can move it alone. But wheels would be nice so long as they didn't lift the pen too far off the ground. Love the pic!