Meat Tractor Pictures

[sarahs31]

Does anyone have picture of their meat chicken tractors. We've got a male/female miscommunication going here. My friend and I are trying to describe to our husbands what we need for tractors for our 50 Cornish and 50 Black Bros. Tractor #1 was erected today and I have the heart to hurt anyone's feelings but it's not quite what we girls want the boys to make. I just can get the idea across. Pictures might be the way to go and everything in the tractor section of the coop design are is more for laying hens.

The above mentioned tractor could withstand a nuclear attack, How do I gently tell the guys that much of it is overkill?

 

[Omniskies]

You can't when you're dealing with most guys. And if _anything_ goes wrong with the chickens or the pen once you change the design they'll go on and on about how it would never have happened in their version of Fort Knox

I have a bad arm, so I had to build my pens with help. There was more arguing than building since I knew what I wanted and what I needed, and he knew what I wanted and what I needed. Since I knew more about poultry I partially won (he doesn't do birds at all). The roof is still a complete disaster because he was convinced it wasn't a problem to bend over. So half the pen has a 5' roof and the other half a 7'. I really wish I had been less polite and told him we were building it exactly as I asked unless he _suggested_ something better. Also he decided a support beam needed to be built two feet off the ground and would be fine for me to step over. So you have to step over a support beam and duck your head at the same time to get to the other side.

Catching chickens in that pen is a lot of fun.

If you don't want to hurt their feelings can you work with them on an idea for a chicken tractor that can double as something else, like a brooding pen or a place to store children who misbehave?

 

[Peruvian]

There are a lot of different designs for tractors depending on what you want, your need to protect birds from predators, etc.

I wanted to be able to walk into mine and we have a lot of different predators that would love a chicken dinner.

I built a very strong 'hoop coop' as a result. I can move it with some effort, but my wife has a harder time with it. It could be made much lighter without all the hardware cloth but I wouldn't trust raccoons, etc. against the poultry netting alone. I have the feeder and waterer hung from chains which makes sure the birds have to stand up and reach for their food and water, it gives them more excersize and gets them off the grass.

Our birds really like it. I'd suggest 2 2x8' cross beams and 2 2x10' along the length. I used some lag bolts and attached old lawnmower wheels at the end away from the rope handle to allow me to roll it when lifted.

 

[sarahs31]

we are the original farmstead in the middle of a subdivision on five acres. We have barn and outbuildings and a small grove of pine trees....so we don't have a huge predator problem. I have an occasional raccoon and a couple of deer but they will be fairly close to the house under the pines....I wishing for more of a portable one as I want to be able to move it everyday or so. I'm not adverse to 2-3 tractors total. Hoops are nice Peruvian! How many are you housing in there?

 

[willheveland]

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

WOW, Sweet Tractors...

 

[cackle]

Willheveland,

Is the tractor totally enclosed with wire or is the bottom open? I want to put my meat chickens in the pasture and I am afraid of predators. I am guessing if I have the wire on the bottom it would just protect them and they can still get to the grass.


BTW I showed these to my husband and hopefully he will start on a couple for me this week. I am hoping to get my meat chickens in August.

What are the dimensions and how many chckens do you house in each tractor?

Susan

 

[UncleHoot]

It's made out of PVC. Very lightweight and moveable. I use 2 small aluminum tent stakes and that has kept it from blowing away in 60 mph winds.

plans are here, if you're interested: http://www.pvcplans.com/pvc-pastured-poultry-pen.htm

I created a modified design this year (10x12 instead of 10x10) and it seems to be working great! About $200-250 to construct.

 

[willheveland]

Quote:
Susan,there is no wire on the bottom.If there was you wouldn't be able to move it unless you took the birds out, and that would be time consuming. I move this each day to fresh ground.
The larger one is 8x8 and can hold no more than 20-25.The smaller one is like 6x8 and can hold no more than 10-15.
The tarps you can move around for shade,rain,wind ect...depending where the weather is coming from.They work great for me.I wouldn't do it any other way.With moving it each day you keep the smell and mess down.
Keep it strong but lite. Will

 

[DouglasPeeps]

Quote:
I have a question for you. I understand that you move them each day to help with smell, fresh grass, etc. But, do you have to worry about predators at night? My concern would be predators digging under and getting them. I love the tractor thing, but have been concerned about this piece. What do you do?