New tractor design questions

[possumqueen]

Quote:
The only part I'm really concerned about is getting a picture of patandchickens' face when she realized what she was typing in.

 

[jrossetti]

Got it!!

This is a 35 watt halogen, the lamp base is connected to the inside panel that's in place to cover most of the henhouse wall, so when the wall comes down in spring, so does the lamp! Sorry for the crappy picture quality, it's like 22F outside and snowing and my hands were frozen. Anyways, at this 22F ouside temp, the air around the nipple is about 40F with the lamp shining on it, so this should keep it from freezing up. Since it's outside, it won't keep the birds awake at night. This isn't a very elegant solution, but it works, and only uses 35 watts.

The girls are 10 weeks old this thursday. I'm gonna put them out in the tractor this week or next, when I'm done with all the little finishing touches.

 

[jrossetti]

Well, the halogen heating the nipple works fantastically. Tonight I installed the rest of the water system, worked out the little problems and put the tractor out for a 6F forecasted low tonight, to test. I have updated my page if anyone is interested: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=42841-rossetti-tractor

 

[astrohen]

Hi,

I really like your chicken tractor and the detailed build progress. Could you post an update on how it is working for you (and the hens) and anything you would do differently?

Thanks!

 

[jrossetti]

Quote:
Thanks for the feedback!

I'll post some pictures in the next couple of days. So far, it's working great. I would say, however, that the endless argument of how much space to give your chickens still bothers me, and I'd easily say that a tractor this size is the SMALLEST I'd go for 4-5 chickens: remember this is a 3' x 7'. I can't really go much bigger with this design without adding too much weight and making it too difficult to move; to counter this, I plan to "add on" an extra run-type area that will connect to the lower swing down door, when the tractor is in a spot where it'll stay for a few days, to add more room for the birds and let them really stretch out their wings.

Right now, the two chickens love it, they have plenty of room and get a lot of attention. It's currently near the house under the carport where it will stay for another 3-4 weeks until I get the backyard prepared for my big garden this year. It's stayed where it is now all winter so I could keep a closer eye on how it all works and more quickly react to any problems with the design that might come up. So far, it's worked perfectly.

The only changes I've made to it are as follows:
- The water nipple inside the henhouse has been replaced with a watering cup, it keeps the floor dry. The nipple was a bad idea, but it's all I had at the time and worked ok temporarily.
- I added an infrared 150 watt ceramic heater (made for lizards) in a ceramic base, just below the tee in the water line, inside the henhouse. This keep the water line from freezing and adds a little warmth on those super cold nights. Ambient inside temperatures with both my chickens are around 33F with that heater, which is ok by me. This heater is controlled by a thermostat made for roof heater cords that I picked up at home depot for $20.
- I added a temporary light that's on a timer that sits above the pop door. It's on a timer and turns on around 5:20am (10 minutes before I get out of bed), and turns off at 7pm (right now that's about 10-15 minutes after dark). It's mostly so I feel better about the girls settling in at night, and usually when I head out there to close the pop door, they're already up on the roost ready to sleep.

The only major change I'd make at this point would be to remove the little 7" lawnmower wheels, brace the back and put in really big wheels with spokes and sleeved axles. I also plan to add a big eye-bolt to the front on the base, and build a big levered-wheeled arm to lift up the tractor and move it around easier.

Other than that, I'm pretty happy with the design. I'll post more updated pics and update my chick page (I've got two more, they're 6 days old- a silver laced wyandotte and a gold laced wyandotte) in the next couple of days. I've just been too busy lately to keep on top of things.

OH WAIT. There's som pretty recent photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrossetti/sets/72157622557643038/

 

[1 Florida chick]

Thanks for the update! I didn't know the about the nipple waterer had problems with leaking/dripping. I was considering using it in my coop. BTW, my tractor build is coming along nicely. It is modeled after yours and patandchickens coops. I'm so excited to get it completed! I promised myself not to get any chicks until after it's done so I'm anxious to finish it!

 

[jrossetti]

Nipple waterers just leak because the chickens are messy and throw water everywhere. It'll happen with any type of waterer, and I still have the nipple out in the run and it works well out there. I just don't want them getting water everywhere inside the henhouse area. The cup waterer just keeps it contained much better, but it's also 3x the price (I think mine cost about $4-5 each, compared to the $1-something for the nipples from TekSupply)

You know... :-D ...you can always just get some peeps as you finish the tractor. They're gonna spend a few weeks in the brooder until they head out into the tractor anyways, it's just fun to have them around and watch them grow. I've got two new peeps - A week old today - and I keep the brooder inside the house until they're about 4 weeks old and then move it out into the workshop, and they'll stay out there until they're old enough to go outside with the others. They seem to enjoy the company of my parakeets and other pets well, and I don't have to worry so much about temperature variations.

 

[1 Florida chick]

Well, I think I decided to hatch out some EE eggs so I'll start them on Monday so they'll hatch out after I get back from a week long business trip in Mid-March

The feed store should have their second shipment of chicks by then so hopefully it will coordinate nicely and the chicks will all be the same age! Plan is to have 1 EE hen (the other chicks will go to a friend's farm), 1 or 2 RIR, 1 Black sex-linked, 1 Barred rock, and some wiggle room for another random variety they might order.

That should give me plenty of time to finish. It is already warm here in Florida (except for the next few days!) and they will definately be outside ASAP!

I may try the nipple waterer outside and I'll see what happens for inside!

 

[jrossetti]

I haven't updated my tractor or hen pages in ages, but I had time today between tilling the garden and planting some seeds to throw together the rig I built to move the tractor pretty easily. Here's some pics:

This is the whole rig. Basically, a big lever with wheels and a hook. I think it's a bit on the pathetic side, it creaks and bows a little when I lift the tractor, but it's held so far, and was super easy to build so no complaints until I have to rebuild it.

This is a close-up of the working end. I drilled the hole for the eye-bolt a tiny bit narrower than it needed to be, then threaded it in and turned it by hand. It's very secure, but if later I need to reinforce it, I drilled its hole at the right spot to just pull the bolt out and throw in a piece of angle bracket that loops around the bottom and which I'll screw down.

Here it is lifted up. Yep, enough leverage that I can lift it with one hand and take a pic with the other. If I had used a 2x4 instead of a 2x2 there'd be a ton more strength and stability, but I didn't think it'd be needed. Anyways, this is enough that my tiny little wife is now able to move around the tractor when I'm not around, and that's the important part.

 

[janetgaddy]

My coup is 9x4 and has a fair amount of vents for air. Its a tractor and i believe is plenty big enough for the 3 ladies im getting. I can give you sizes if you want more clarification.