??? From Chicken Yard to Chicken Tractor ???

[Aunt Bea]

Newbie here, and I know this sounds dumb, but I’m planning our permanent chicken coop, yard and tractor set up for meaties.

If the chicken house and yard are permanent, how do I transfer my 50 chickens from the chicken yard to the movable tractor yard so they can eat bugs, etc., during the daytime? Do I pick them up and carry them or shoo them into the tractor and pull it slowly so they can run along inside??

I will return them to the permanent coop/yard at night because we have lots of possible night time predators and they will need a really sturdy place at night. I can see that moving biddies won't be a problem, but I'm wondering how on earth to do it when they get bigger....

Thanks for your help and please forgive the ignorance of an old woman who has never used a tractor before but wants to.

Aunt Bea

 

[teach1rusl]

Have they learned what the treat can is yet??? If not, teach them quickly. Fill a container halfway up with scratch. Shake it and call to them, them sprinkle a little bit right at your feet. Within a matter of days, if you do that every day, they should come running (or for meaties maybe waddling) every time you shake that cannister and call them. That way each morning, after you've moved the tractor, you should be able to lure them to it. You sprinkle scratch inside for them and hopefully they will run inside for the scratch. Do the same thing each evening when you lure them back to the run/coop. Wow! With 50 chickens you must have a BIG tractor!!

 

[Aunt Bea]

Well, now, that seems sensible. Never thought about luring them with feed..... We plan on using more than one tractor on different spots; they won't all be in one.

Thank you, teach1rusl.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Why move them between the two at all? It is perfectly possible to build a predator proof chicken tractor.

I have seven myself and have yet to lose a bird to a predator inside of their tractors. I have to let them out for that!

 

[flgardengirl]

Yep the scratch can trains them really quickly. Works good if they escape and go wandering too. All ya got to do is shake that can, if they can hear it, they come running.

 

[Neilette]

Quote:

Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but are you talking about pulling the tractor around your yard? 'Cause I've been just setting mine on the nearest patch of fresh grass every day, but maybe I'm doing it wrong!

 

[Aunt Bea]

Quote:

Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but are you talking about pulling the tractor around your yard? 'Cause I've been just setting mine on the nearest patch of fresh grass every day, but maybe I'm doing it wrong!

No, not pulling it around the yard.

Just putting it in a new place every day over our 50 acres. The first place will be the new garden area to prepare for planting.

 

[Aunt Bea]

A.T. Hagan :

Why move them between the two at all? It is perfectly possible to build a predator proof chicken tractor.

I have seven myself and have yet to lose a bird to a predator inside of their tractors. I have to let them out for that!

That's another possibility. Thanks.​