?? Moving a meat bird Tractor ??

[al6517]

I want to hear from those of you who use Tractors for raising your meat birds, I understand how to use them but I need to hear the pro's and con's about the actual moving of the tractor. I am drawing up plans now and would like to know what problems if any you have with moving them. My big problem is I may have to move my Tractors several hundred yards at a time as my coop is a little ways from the good pasture and I don't want creep and crawl the tractor that long distance.

AL

 

[andisgarden]

Al- I am a small woman and we made my tractor with 1/2 inch plywood with 1x1 frame and cut a door in the back for access. Half of the tractor is covered with roof angled slightly for run off and the walls are solid except for the back where the door is. The other half is covered with wire top and sides with a hinged door on the other end at the top for easy access to food and water. I used redfeathers design and it is working great. I can drag it easily by myself 10-12 feet at a time. I don't think I could drag it long distances though it would be too heavy. Now for the cons see my issue posted in this forum earlier this morning and you will see a downfall to a tractor. You live in OK and understand our weather delima that we have had this week so this will make sense to you.

Andrea

 

[andisgarden]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/16513_meaties_002.jpg here is the pic we used as a template.

 

[Buster52]

Hi, Al.

I have three tractors, and my newest one I have a door on and wheels on the back for easier moving. I know what you have in mind from the Okies thread and you might want to repost it here for more input so folks know what you are talking about. I have no thoughts on that since it is out of my league, but I can tell you how I use my tractor, and how I plan to next season.

I personally use my tractor as a mini-coop, so it doesn't matter where my coop is in relation to it. Before Spring chicken season I plan to get some electric netting for added predator control and work as a free range area for my birds. I will start them in the brooder and after they are feathered out they will go into the tractor. They will stay in it 24/7, with the netting around it, until I am confident they can't slip through the netting. I will move it the same way I did this year, by slowly pulling it forward. Since it is only 8 feet long that only takes a few seconds. When they are big enough and used to the tractor as "home" I will open the door and let them free range inside the netting. I will still move the tractor, although not sure how often, and move the entire setup once a week.

Since the perimeter of my property is now surrounded by electric fencing, I will run my netting off of that. Don't have all the logistics down for that, but a lot of folks use the 12 volt battery type energizer, although that's not an issue for me.

I know you have a predator problem out where you are. For that I have my four dogs and electric fencing, running at 3 joules and 15,000 volts. Accitentally touched it and my fence the other day and it about knocked me on my rear.

My meat birds will have the added protection of the electric poultry netting.

 

[Buster52]

Oh, and to add, the point of my above post was...

I think electric netting and a couple of good LGDs would probably be enough so wouldn't need to move your tractor all the way back to the coop every night, even if you use the tractor in the traditional way.

 

[pixie74943]

you could design the tractor to have a wire mesh bottom and wheels, that way moving it wouldnt be a great stress on you and the meaties wouldnt get dragged under the edges. I'm not sure the best wire to use underfoot, but it would make your tractor more predator safe, as well as protecting the grass while allowing the birds to graze

 

[al6517]

My problem is envisioning the way you move the tractor with birds in it, I keep having these visions of picking it up and creeping along, the whole while trying to keep the birds moving along without constantly getting their legs & feet caught up on the low end. This seems to me to be a big hassle and waste of time, especialy if you have to do it several times a day. I am always trying to think and develop better ways to do things, and it seems like this could be an easy fix, so why don't other people do it, or do you just live with moving the tractor inches at a time.

AL

 

[CARS]

I tried a wood tractor a couple years ago. It was too heavy and the wire bottom I put on it rusted fast from all the poo. I was hoping that the wire bottom would keep the birds from getting run over by the back of the tractor, but instead, their toes got caught.

I have read recently that alot of people feed them at the front of the tractor and while they are eating, move the tractor. The birds are now at the back of the tractor and you have fresh pasture through out most of the tractor.

 

[quercus21]

I have been using a PVC tractor for a few years now. It's light weight and easy to move. I do not have wire on the bottom of the tractor as some people do. You can see the tractor on my BYC site. I am starting to use poultry netting with the tractor. I'll keep the birds in the tractor from approximately 3 - 5 weeks, then it is used as a "coop" so the birds can roam with in the confinement of the poultry netting.
From what I have noticed with the birds, they'll follow their food bin where ever. When you are going to move the tractor, put their food bin where you want to stop. Move the tractor towards their food bin, they'll show you the way.

 

[becky3086]

I have often wondered how these tractors were moved without hurting the birds. I would like to build a small one for myself.