My first try at a Tractor

[muddler6]

I am looking for honest critique on this one. I spent a long time putting it together, mostly because I only had a little time each week to work on it, but I think it came out O.K. I do have plans for adding a small access door to put the feed and water in a little easier. I borrowed a system for an automatic door opener by tying a string from the door to the corner of the coop and added a weight to the center of the string (a large hammer head), so that when the door is open it stays open so the chickens can move in and out of the coop as they please. I am going to add decorations to the outside of it, mostly miniatures of what may be found on the outside of the average barn. Overall, it is a little heavier than I had planned, but rolls easily on the large wheels.

 

[seminolewind]

Wow! That's really nice! I may borrow some of your design ideas. Mine just looks like a box, it needs some personality like yours.

 

[muddler6]

Feel free to borrow what you want. I did not start with any formal plans, but did think about each step for a while before putting it together. I started from the ground up, a solid frame around the bottom and just let it develop.

 

[Wildsky]

Thats really nice!!
You should put a handle on the run side so you can lift it easier...

 

[muddler6]

Quote:
There is actually a lip between the door and the door frame, about 2 inches of clearence that I can pick it up with. That was a "happy accident" that worked in my favor. I just noticed that my coop matches the door on the garage, and the house door is red too, another happy accident.

 

[coffeelady3]

It could just mean that you like red!

 

[go-veggie]

Love it! It's great that the hutch part opens from the back on top instead of how mine opens from the front of it, and I kind of have to lean over the "run" part of ours to open the top. I do see one potential problem however, and my husband, who built ours noticed the same thing...it looks like you used plastic chicken fencing. You might want to go over the top of all of it with wire or something, because it doesn't seem predator proof enough. Right now, we have one layer of chicken wire on ours, but we may double it up for extra security. Predators are more of a problem than they should be! Someone wrote something on here somewhere that really stood out to me recently. They said we need to build these tractors and coops to keep predators out, not just to keep our chickens in. So smart...so true... A few months ago, I lost a turtle and had another get very seriously injured by a raccoon that we later poisoned. Last night, I saw a possum walking around about 20 feet from my chickens, and tonight, I saw another raccoon in our driveway...it was far from our chickens, but I am pretty sure the thing knows where they are! I just ordered the NightGuard product Ideal sells...I've seen it elsewhere too, like Northern Tool, but it's a blinking red led light that is supposed to help greatly with keeping predators away. We'll see. I wish you the best! Great job by the way!

 

[muddler6]

Quote:
Well the house and garage doors came that way when we bought the house, and I was going for the barn look with the color choices on the coop, but I don't hate the color red, unless it is on a car, I prefer blue.

 

[muddler6]

Quote:
Thanks, I thought about that too with the wire. I did have a opposum (or however you spell that) problem recently that cut down my cochin flock from 8 to just 2 remaining. Haven't seen any raccoons yet, but sure enough they will come around some time.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

That looks great! I would definitely switch to a wire instead of the plastic. I know I feel better about my Delightful Dozen knowing they are behind a strong wire mesh.

that reminds me, we just got back from a family wedding and I need to go close the pop door! LOL