The start of my chicken tractor

[chicken pickin]

So im new to building stuff but decided to try to build a tractor for our broilers that are coming in a week and a half. Here is the start of our progress from last night. Im heading out to do more work on it short bit. Its dimensions are 10ft x 5 1/2ft and about 3 1/2ft in the center height





Its a little crooked lol. But think itll do the trick?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Looking great! I like the handles on it.

Raccoons can get through chicken wire very easily, though (tearing it apart with their "hands." If you are wanting to be more secure, you can use 1/2 inch hardware cloth with an apron out at the bottom to prevent diggers from digging under.

Do a search on BYC for hardware cloth apron and predator-proof tractor if desired.

 

[Mosherd1]

How many broilers should that hold at a maximum?

 

[chicken pickin]

I believe 25 broilers should fit(i hope anyway cause thats how many are on there way). Its my first time getting broilers but ive read on here 2sqft per bird.

 

[chicken pickin]

Looking great! I like the handles on it.

Raccoons can get through chicken wire very easily, though (tearing it apart with their "hands." If you are wanting to be more secure, you can use 1/2 inch hardware cloth with an apron out at the bottom to prevent diggers from digging under.

Do a search on BYC for hardware cloth apron and predator-proof tractor if desired.

Thanks!

Ive read up on all that previously for when we were housing our chickens. We used hardware cloth on the lower 3ft of the run and a foot under ground. For this tractor I am building using scrap wood and the little bit of left over chicken wire we had. I still have to go purchase a few things and we will be picking up hardware cloth for the bottom portion and the apron. I hope it works. The tractor idea has always made me nervous because of predators. But I see so many people raise broilers this way so I thought I would give it a try. Any other suggestions are more than welcome as I am new to this and still have a lot to learn.

 

[chicken pickin]

Just thought Id update pics incase anyone was wondering how its turning out. My meat birds are 2weeks and 2days and im waiting for all our thunderstorms to stop to put them outside










We call it the "ugly shack" lol because its all pieced together and choppy. Not pretty to look at but all the wood and half the wire was free. So this cost $20 to put together. I still need to add a little more wire to the bottom for the apron. I know its not hardware cloth so lets keep our fingers

crossed that no predators get them. Ill take new pics once the meaties are in it.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Two suggestions, neither of which should add much cost to your very thrifty tractor. First, you might consider putting a little roost, or maybe even two a couple of inches off the ground, across the back end of the tractor under the cover. In my experience, even your little meat birds like to roost at night. Another benefit is that it keeps them off the ground at night, out of their own poop, as well as allowing them to get up off of the wet grass if you have a big rainstorm.

The second suggestion is purchasing a nice tarp. I don't know what kind of shade your yard gets, but my little Freedom Rangers huddled in the shade for most of the day until I put a tarp over most of the tractor. You don't want to cover the whole thing, because it can really heat up if there isn't air flow, but a tarp can be adjusted if necessary to block the major sunshine while allowing for breezes. It is also nice if you have regular rainstorms, because it means your birds don't have to spend half the day huddling in one small section of the tractor, as well as keeping your feed dry.

 

[chicken pickin]

Thanks for the suggestions. I decided against the roost only because Im affraid for them to injure their legs hopping up and down or getting breast blisters. And the tarp I am definitely going to go pick up. Not for the shade since my yard stays pretty shady but for the rain, thats a good idea I should pick up tent stakes also to hold it down. It is supposed to rain for like the next 10 days blagh, and the meaties are getting too big for the brooder in the garage.

 

[MonsterClucker]

Thats a nice lookin tractor! I think I'm gonna build one for later this year when the pasture gets green again. I'm anxious to see your meaties .is it still raining where you are?

 

[chicken pickin]

It has been raining but for the past few days only a little on and off and we are expecting scattered thunderstorms for the next few days. I actually just moved them out there this morn. They look much better outside than in the brooder. They are so HUGE at almost 3 weeks old. I will take some pics in a little bit.