moving chicken tractor

[54smokepole]

I have a question on chicken tractors. When you move the tractor, how do you get the chickens to move along with them? My layers are in a coop with a run and this isn't a problem. I decided to venture into meat chickens and got a small batch to try until I know what I am doing. I haven't built a tractor yet, but I have the meat chicks in a large 4 sided container (3 foot by 8 foot) in the garage. I attempted to pull this outside in the yard for the chicks to be outside for a while. They would not move when I slid the box and one got a toe pinched under the side of the container. How do you teach the chickens to move with the box so they don't get run over?

 

[ncgnance]

My chicken tractor is built such that you can close them up inside the coop while it is being moved. But if you move it slowly enough, they will walk with it. Just don't run over them if they don't move. I ran over my rooster, but it didn't hurt him. Have someone watch while you're moving it.

 

[Chirpy]

I never thought of leaving the chickens in the tractor while moving it!

I always took mine out, one at a time, and put them in a holding cage while we moved the tractor and then put them back into the tractor. I realize that would be labor intensive if you have a lot of chickens.

 

[carugoman]

I use a "super-soaker" water gun, if those yard birds don't move when the tractor moves. In fact, a blast of water is a great way to get a chicken to move in the direction you want it to go...say over by the killing cones and scalder/plucker!

 

[mudhen]

luv a sick sense of humor...

My plan is to herd them into the tractor then out into the yard each day. So I'll be moving mine with the tractor too. I was planning to go slow and hopefully not run over anyone...

I'll post pics as soon as I finish it next week, but I'm thinking the girls will be in there for most of the day, then I'll roll them back and herd them into their run.

 

[patandchickens]

The first time I moved my tractor (with of course the chickens inside it), they did not quite know what was going on. They needed a certain amount of Encouragement from my husband -- loud clapping of hands and saying "yahhhh", and the occasional pine twig poked thru the mesh and waved in their direction -- to keep them from getting snowplowed by the back wall of the tractor. They did walk along with it, it just wasn't spontaneous or pretty.

However apparently they learned all they needed to know about Moving Tractors from that one experience, because ever since then they have been completely with the program and strolled happily along in the middle part of the tractor all on their own.

Chickens. Sometimes stupid. Sometimes not

Pat

 

[Jessiehughes86]

If I let my chickens free range for a few minutes while I move the tractor, how do I keep them from going too far? Our yard isn't fenced in