Illinois...

[Molpet]

Old chicken coop is completely torn down and 3 bin compost setup is built. I still need to move the 2 raised beds, spread compost and till. Yhis is going to run into the weekend I think. So much for trying to due it all yesterday evening...

Rain tonight and tomorrow

 

[BReeder!]

Rain tonight and tomorrow

I know... tilling is going to have to wait. I want to put seeds in soon, but need to get the soil and beds in order first. The rain would help after the seeds are in, but I cannot till mud. I wish the rain would just stay away for 3 consecutive days. I need a day for the ground to dry (or at least not be drenched and muddy) and 2 days to get the work done.

 

[Molpet]

I know... tilling is going to have to wait. I want to put seeds in soon, but need to get the soil and beds in order first. The rain would help after the seeds are in, but I cannot till mud. I wish the rain would just stay away for 3 consecutive days. I need a day for the ground to dry (or at least not be drenched and muddy) and 2 days to get the work done.

I gave up tilling years ago.. I put grass clippings around the plants.. also I have a four ft wide roll of heavy paper I plant some plants through.
Tilling seems to bring up weed seeds

 

[BReeder!]

I gave up tilling years ago.. I put grass clippings around the plants.. also I have a four ft wide roll of heavy paper I plant some plants through.
Tilling seems to bring up weed seeds

My soil is dense with a fairly high amount of clay. I am filling to airate and mix compost. I would like to try using a cover crop over the garden. It is supposed to do wonders for the soil without tilling and outcompete weeds. Perhaps we plant austrian pea as a cover this fall. I am sure the chickens would enjoy some of whatever the cover crop is when it comes time to cut it back in the spring for planting.

 

[Molpet]

My soil is dense with a fairly high amount of clay. I am filling to airate and mix compost. I would like to try using a cover crop over the garden. It is supposed to do wonders for the soil without tilling and outcompete weeds. Perhaps we plant austrian pea as a cover this fall. I am sure the chickens would enjoy some of whatever the cover crop is when it comes time to cut it back in the spring for planting.

Yep I have clay too. Cover crop is a good idea

 

[BReeder!]

Since I have a conversation started about gardening, I'm considering allowing the chickens controlled access to the garden to help control weeds and pests. I have large walkways (4' wide) between the raised beds as well as down the center of the garden. i'm thinking about building a 3' wide chicken tractor that I could move throughout the garden. Any thoughts or favorite design concepts for tractors?
Here's an image to scale (each square is 1'x1') of the garden design. It's still a work in progress as mentioned the other day but almost done. Sections 1, 5 and 2 are raised beds. The rest of the plants will be sowed into rows right on ground. The blue lines are the gates to the garden. The red is the area I could move the chicken tractor around in.

 

[Molpet]

Since I have a conversation started about gardening, I'm considering allowing the chickens controlled access to the garden to help control weeds and pests. I have large walkways (4' wide) between the raised beds as well as down the center of the garden. i'm thinking about building a 3' wide chicken tractor that I could move throughout the garden. Any thoughts or favorite design concepts for tractors?
Here's an image to scale (each square is 1'x1') of the garden design. It's still a work in progress as mentioned the other day but almost done. Sections 1, 5 and 2 are raised beds. The rest of the plants will be sowed into rows right on ground. The blue lines are the gates to the garden. The red is the area I could move the chicken tractor around in.

View attachment 1742769

chunnels ... tunnels covered in hardware cloth so the hawks don't reach through.. I don't have any but like the concept
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/build-a-chunnel.915854/
I have been thinking about this one too
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-tractor-build-3.1298893/

 

[BReeder!]

chunnels ... tunnels covered in hardware cloth so the hawks don't reach through.. I don't have any but like the concept
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/build-a-chunnel.915854/
I have been thinking about this one too
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-tractor-build-3.1298893/

I thought about "chunnels". I just like to have the space to bring a wheel barrow through the garden when needed. The chunnels are too permanent and would take up too much real estate. If I could find a very cheap way to construct some I would consider putting them between the rows of the plants on the right side of the garden to eat bugs and drop "fertilizer". That would be a lot of wire though...
I like the idea of a small tractor because I can move it around and out of the way when needed. That tractor you provided a link to is HUGE! Haha! I was thing of something low profile and just a grazing area for the hens. I still want them to sleep and lay in the shed coop. Now that I think about it, this sounds like a lot of work walking chickens to and from the tractor and making sure they've already laid their eggs before moving them and then having to move them back into the shed at night... If only I was as clever as @Faraday40 and could train the chickens to go from coop to tractor and vice versa on their own.

 

[Faraday40]

Since your birds already follow you, it may only take you a couple days to train them to go into the tractor on their own. OR You could just carry them out in the morning. Open the tractor door near sundown & they'll go back home to their coop all by themselves. If you want the bee-line effect, just shake the treat can to get them to run. (Hint: We placed treats at their destination, so they learned to LOVE entering the tractor/coop. After just 2-3 days, hens understand the pattern. They'll enjoy having the fresh ground.

I think this may be my video you were thinking of:

I'm all about easy, so I'm thinking about something like this. (Easy to build & move)

 

[homeschoolin momma]

I think this may be my video you were thinking

I LOVE this video!!!

I'm all about easy, so I'm thinking about something like this.

I like the pvc pipe one. If you could figure out how to add a door tonone end, that would be icing in the cake! But after last years hawk attack, im leary of chicken wire. I'd have to use hardware cloth on the side and then maybe chicken wire on top. Hawks not going to be able to reach that far down to grab. I'd probably add my tarp i got for the old one that was destroyed to the top for shade.