Nest Boxes in Chicken Tractor?

[TomRussell]

Hi. I’ve built a tractor and I’ve been dragging that tractor around with my tractor! (Sorry. I couldn’t help myself)

The flock has a hen house that’s stationary. But I’m wanting them to graze without getting eaten by hawks, coyotes, etc. So I put together a tractor that I pull with our lawn tractor.

Brilliant. Right?

The question is what do I do now that they are laying? Build nesting boxes for the tractor?

 

[KarynVA]

I think they lay in the mornings. So maybe leave them in their hen house until late morning or afternoon and then take them for a 'tractor' ride (sans nesting boxes).

 

[NatJ]

The question is what do I do now that they are laying? Build nesting boxes for the tractor?

Yes.
You can just sit nestboxes on the ground in the tractor.
Or you can mount them off the ground, near the top of the tractor, so you don't have to move them separately when you move the tractor.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I think it would depend on what you have for a tractor. Does your tractor have a coop or is it just a movable run?

 

[Ridgerunner]

What does the tractor look like? Do they sleep in the tractor or do you take them back to the coop at night? How many chickens do you have? Basically, what are you working with?

When I had a tractor they were in it 24/7. It had a shelter from the weather where they slept. It had built in nests. That suited what I wanted to do. I have no idea what you are working with or what would best suit you. The more you can tell us about how you manage them and what you are working with the more likely we ca tailor a response to your conditions.

 

[RojoMarz]

I think they lay in the mornings. So maybe leave them in their hen house until late morning or afternoon and then take them for a 'tractor' ride (sans nesting boxes).

Mine lay in the afternoon

 

[Mamatomany123]

I think they lay in the mornings. So maybe leave them in their hen house until late morning or afternoon and then take them for a 'tractor' ride (sans nesting boxes).

Mine lay all day. Some in the morning, some in the afternoon, and some in the evening.

 

[TomRussell]

I think they lay in the mornings. So maybe leave them in their hen house until late morning or afternoon and then take them for a 'tractor' ride (sans nesting boxes).

I’ve read that hens are on a 25 hour cycle. In other words, if a hen lays an egg at 8:00AM today, it will lay at 9:00AM the next and so on.

Can anyone confirm or reject this?

 

[KarynVA]

Well, good thing I said, "I think ...." and didn't state it as a fact. ☺

 

[TomRussell]

What does the tractor look like? Do they sleep in the tractor or do you take them back to the coop at night? How many chickens do you have? Basically, what are you working with?

When I had a tractor they were in it 24/7. It had a shelter from the weather where they slept. It had built in nests. That suited what I wanted to do. I have no idea what you are working with or what would best suit you. The more you can tell us about how you manage them and what you are working with the more likely we ca tailor a response to your conditions.

The tractor is made of PVC pipe 10’ x 20’. Half of it has a shed roof to keep them from baking in the Florida sun or drowning in the Florida rain.

The idea is to have them in the tractor during the day. They have a hen house with nesting box to sleep in at night.

The flock is 7 hens and 3 roosters. All Orpington's.

I also have 2 Rhode Island Reds who live in a separate area for now. I hope to introduce them to the larger group in the future.

I got all into building stuff and completely forgot to consider how chickens behave.

Silly me.