FLORIDA ANYONE?? Please sign on map!

[Deleon98]

Haha id love to get more but right now im slightly unprepared...i was only expecting two or three and ended up with six so now i have to plan a second coop and a tractor or fenced in area

 

[sprucie]

I built a couple of tractors, and I like them (except when they seem extra heavy on the cold mornings, lol). They have been great for keeping them safe from predators while allowing them to "free range", and allows me to make them concentrate on working the soil in certain areas, which they happily do!

 

[Deleon98]

Can i see what yours look like? Are they simple? I suck at building but i need ideas XD

 

[sprucie]

Please keep in mind I am NOT a carpenter, and I know they could have been done better, but the 1 level tractor is 8x8 for the run area, and 2x8 for their "bedroom". The 2 level one is 4x8 for the run, and about 4x3.5 for their "bedroom". I have not moved the 2 level tractor yet, so I can't say if it is clumsy, etc, to move. The 1 level isn't too bad, but would benefit from some small tires to help move it. The 1 level is about 2' high, and the 2 level is about 3.5'+ high. I used 2x2 lumber, and metal roof panels. There is 1" chicken wire around the runs, annd hardware cloth on the bedrooms

I have the five isa brown pullets in the 1 level, and the breeding pair of mottled orpingtons in the 2 level tractor

 

[Deleon98]

I really like the second one but they both look good and well made to me. How much did it cost to make them?

 

[sprucie]

I bought everything at lowes, and I want to say it was probably about $125 each. If you have some scrap lumber, screws, nails, chicken wire and/or hardware cloth, etc, it would bring the price down.

 

[Deleon98]

Ok yeah cause i have to large pieces of wood panels or something but theyre pretty heavy for a tractor

 

[sprucie]

I didn't really use much plywood because it is heavy, and went with the metal roofing instead. I'm a woman, and lighter is better for me. The front and bottom of the "bedrooms" are done in hardware cloth, and I put a small piece of some leftover cement board in the 2 level tractor to give the mottled orpington pair something solid to stand on while they get used to their new surroundings/me, etc.

 

[Deleon98]

So how often do you move them around or plan on moving them?

 

[sprucie]

I move them once per day. I also pull up some weeds and feed it to them too.