need ideas for larger chicken tractor

[elmo]

I'm puzzling over a similar problem with my new tractor for my small flock of bantams. My last tractor had a wire apron extending out around it, but this didn't work very well. The wire crumpled up in places and was always getting caught and folded under when I moved the tractor.

This time, I'm thinking of adding some kind of hinged panels, maybe made of wood, maybe made of wire, I haven't figured this out yet. The idea would be to fold the panels up before moving the tractor. Then, when the tractor is in its new position, the panels would fold back down again and be fastened to the ground in a couple of places, maybe by landscaping spikes, maybe just by weighting down the ends with bricks or rocks. I don't have much in the way of predators during daylight in my fenced back yard, but I do want to assure that none of my bantams can squeeze out under the edge due to some low spot in the yard.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Here's a shot showing the type of hoop house tractors that I'm using now.

Usable space inside is about 8'x8' for 64sq ft. I like to keep a 5sq ft per bird minimum so there's room for 10-12 birds inside. If you won't be moving it daily then decrease the number of birds. That's the nest box you see on the back, roosts go down one side of the interior, waterers and feeders hang from the overhead. The apron wire on the ground keeps digging predators out. My oldest tractor has been in continuous use for going on four years now and I've never had a predator get inside.

The one drawback to tractors this size is that they can be heavy if you are not very careful to keep everything as light weight as possible. Adding wheels would help things considerably.

.....Alan.