My grandson and his mother decided that Meme and Dada needed some chickens. I am currently in the process of reconfiguring the wooden playset into a chicken tractor. It will be heavy enough to resist bears! The worst it will have to resist is a pair of 40 to 50 pound dogs. It will also have to be mobile. Current plans are the coop will be 48 x 54 inch with a high side height of 5 feet. I am also going to build a storage/future brooder on one end. The storage area is 48 x 28 inches, full height. A run of 6x6 feet, covered will extend from the side. All will be covered with corrugated metal roofing. I am trying to reuse all wood from the playset, only purchasing the wire mesh. The build is my enjoyment, the chickens are for the rest of the family.
Tractor build overkill
- Thread starter Dada Joe
- Start date
CindyinSD
All will be well, and that will be well is well.
Usually tractors are meant to be mobile. Were you planning to move yours? It sounds like you may end up needing to pull it with a real tractor (or similar) if you are. If it’s to be stationary, then it sure sounds like a good place for chickens. 
In case you do want to move it regularly, have a look at the Suskovich tractors. There are plenty of YouTube reviews as well as Suskovich’s own channel. I’ve bought the materials and the plan book. (It was around $10 I think, for the Kindle version.) Now all I need is a warm day.
In case you do want to move it regularly, have a look at the Suskovich tractors. There are plenty of YouTube reviews as well as Suskovich’s own channel. I’ve bought the materials and the plan book. (It was around $10 I think, for the Kindle version.) Now all I need is a warm day.
Hello, and welcome! Glad that you joined! There are many idea's here in this site about building different types of coop's. Good luck with your project and the future chicken's!
Welcome to Backyard Chickens!
Can’t wait for pics of your build!
Hint, hint!
I also built my tractors based on the Suskovich design as well, modified to have a raised “coop/roosting” box 36”x72” with 1” hardware cloth flooring for droppings to fall through and four 36” roosting bars.
One caution, they can and will take flight themselves in very strong winds, even weighted down with two 5 gallon buckets of gravel in my case. With tractors I think it’s a very fine line between light enough to move and heavy enough not to fly away!
Eager to see what you come up with!
Can’t wait for pics of your build!
Hint, hint!I also built my tractors based on the Suskovich design as well, modified to have a raised “coop/roosting” box 36”x72” with 1” hardware cloth flooring for droppings to fall through and four 36” roosting bars.
One caution, they can and will take flight themselves in very strong winds, even weighted down with two 5 gallon buckets of gravel in my case. With tractors I think it’s a very fine line between light enough to move and heavy enough not to fly away!
Eager to see what you come up with!
Welcome to our eggcelent flock here at BYC
Hello and welcome to BYC! 
Glad you joined.
I too would like to see some pictures of your tractor.
Glad you joined.I too would like to see some pictures of your tractor.
Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us 
We have a contest going on right now just for new folks like you. In order to enter you'll need to copy the link from your first post in this thread and post it in the contest thread.
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Go down to where it says "write your reply..." tell us this is your entry and then click on the link button
Paste your URL into the box and click "insert", then click "Post Reply".
That's all there is to it. Once you've finished this, you're eligible to win a nice BYC Calendar.
We're so happy you've decided to join us We have a contest going on right now just for new folks like you. In order to enter you'll need to copy the link from your first post in this thread and post it in the contest thread.
To copy your link address, right click on the link to your thread and click copy or copy link
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...t-new-byc-members-win-a-byc-calendar.1287752/
Go down to where it says "write your reply..." tell us this is your entry and then click on the link button
Paste your URL into the box and click "insert", then click "Post Reply".
That's all there is to it. Once you've finished this, you're eligible to win a nice BYC Calendar.
Welcome to our FUNomenal community! Best wishes and have lots of fun! 
Best wishes and have lots of fun! 
Where in the hay do you live with Bears about ? would love to see the photos ? I have a nice small tractor for silky fort knox of tractors we have 3 outside cats .. Welcome to Backyard Chickens hope you enjoy as much as we do
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