I started my new chicken tractor for my meat birds

[bigredfeather]

If you're worried about predators digging under the PVC tractor, you might try this around the bottom:

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It has worked great for me. I live right next to a huge woods w/ coyotes, foxes, ect, and have never lost any birds to them. I would have to think it would be tough for any animal to figure out how to dig under.

Just a suggestion. It's great piece of mind for $30 worth of hardwire.

 

[accio! chickens]

Oh wow bigredfeather! I'm saving your photo for reference for my tractors!!

 

[barrybro]

What is the approximate cost of the materials? PVC version.

 

[spud1035]

I have two moveable shelters and one is 8 by 8 and the other is 8 by 12. My 8 x8 was used for a dozen corish X's this summer and it worked well. It's made of 1X3's, no 2 bys anywhere. I have a friend who had some scrap metal barn siding and I covered about half with that. It didn't need moved daily when smaller but did at the last couple weeks for em.

I see all these concerns for predators and I have not had one problem with predators with either of mine. I've read that if moved on periodic basis, animals don't seem to bother em. I'm lucky, I don't have many coons in the area but a few possums which have been easily trapped out with conibear 220 trap baited with apple. I'll post a few pic's in the future, thou mine looks like many others that I have seen.

Don't know if pvc would work for me, kinda windy where I'm at not crazy about any extra work anchoring em.

My 8x8 will likely house geese next summer.

 

[Byrdj]

I like the idea of pvc pipe. Great information posted on this thread! I'm going to build one this spring. Just curious though, why not use wire poultry netting instead of hardware cloth?

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Chicken wire keeps chickens IN, but doesn't keep anything else OUT. I'm not too concerned, so I use hardware cloth on the sides, and chicken wire on the top.

 

[robot rooster]

Does anyone have plans for this type of tractor? I would love to Try this for my meat birds I'll be raising in March. I just want to know how many lengths, price, ect. Thanks

 

[Buster52]

Jaku posted it above...

http://www.pvcplans.com

 

[anthonyjames]

BigRed,

Very nice. I was just thing along the same lines for the wire. As I have some issues with coons, foxes and coyotes. I was planning the pvc version then started thinking more and more and what you have is exactly what I had in mind.

Is your made with 2 x 2's? did you you use PT lumber?

And your dimensions are they the same? 10 x 10?

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
Thank you.

Is your made with 2 x 2's? did you you use PT lumber?

Yes they are PT 2x2's

And your dimensions are they the same? 10 x 10?

No, it is 6'x10'. I just built another one that is 5'x9'. I have put up to 40 in the 6'x10' and 25 in the smaller one. If I processed at 6 weeks I could probably fit a few more in each, but I process at 8 weeks and I think it would get too crowded with a higher quantity, especially the last two weeks.​