Tractor concept *PICS*

[urbanchickymama]

Scored some window-shutters curbside that are in great shape, got my wheels turning... tell me what you think!
If you see any potential problems PLEASE let me know as this will be my first project of this magnitude!!

 

[ThatChick]

Looks pretty cool to me... I have no practical experience yet so take that for what it's worth.

 

[mxmarg]

Neat pix! Cute shutters! Hope I get to see pix when you're done!
All I have to say is use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire!

Oh and good ventilation! Hope a more seasoned chicken rancher will pipe up too!

Ooo and I don't know what kinds of chicken loving varmints you have in your area, but consider putting some hardware cloth "aprons" around the outside of your run! My backyard isn't perfectly flat so this will be a must for us!

 

[kimmie6067]

Yesterday I seen shutters at my local Habitat for Humanity store and tought I should buy those and do something with them, thanks now I know what I can do!!

 

[Tweakster]

Chick Magnet Mama,

A few comments if I may:
1. Great concept!
2. That herb garden will cause you more headaches than one might dream. The weight alone will be staggering, especially for a chicken tractor. Even if substituting compost for dirt, you'll need to wait until it dries out to move the coop due to the weight of the water. Great green concept, just problematic with chicken tractors. Also need to be concerned about where the runoff from watering will go, hopefully not into the coop. One way to cut down on the weight is to make it very shallow, but shallow garden beds dry out very quickly, it's a trade-off.
3. The handles may be a bit high. I don't see any measurements, but I suspect they are too high. The handles need to be a knee level, ideally just a few inches above the knees. When standing up straight (as when moving the tractor) most folks hands rest between their hips and knees, so having the handles above the hip level will not give anyone leverage in picking up the end of the tractor. Think about the level you would see with a wheel barrow, they are built that way from years of experience.
4. I suspect there is only room for 2 or 3 nest boxes in the space I see between the wheels. Honestly, that's all you'll need anyway.
5. Having the entire back hinge up looks good, but you'll lose all of the nesting material out of the nest boxes each time it gets lifted up. Also, the nest boxes will make the back end a bit heavy to lift without some kind of assistance. Might I suggest hinging to one of the sides? Weight is not as much of an issue and the nesting material will stay in the boxes.

HTH!

 

[Kikiriki]

I think you put a lot of thought and effort into your design, and I do think it looks cool. But I agree there are some problems that you might want to think about before you invest time effort and money into the build.

I have to agree about the weight issue: my sis had done one of the triangle shaped tractors years ago and it did not have as much wood as does yours. She could not move it: it took her, her husband and a vehicle to move the beast!

I cant even imagine adding the weight of soil and water in addition.

If you really want those herbs up there, though, (for insulating?) then I suggest getting/making light weight planters that can be removed and carried to the new position.

It seems that most people who start experimenting with tractor design are doing so for weight, mobility, and unlevel terrain issues. Many people seem to end up adding a tarp for shade on at least a portion of the run, too.

From having tried a thin wheeled wheelbarrow (chinese cart) I can say that you will have two problems with using bicycle wheels: first they will dig into the ground from the weight, making it hard to push. Second, they can bend and wobble, especially when you are trying to turn, and this is made worse by them digging into the ground. This is why atvs, tractors, wheelbarrows, beach bikes all have fat tires.

While the shutters are a cool find, i dont think I would consider them predator proof. They tend to have some flexibility between slats, thus a racoon could easily get a paw in. Some are also made of wood that is quite weak and could be broken by a determined predator. I hope you check that before using them.

I really dont intend this to be demeaning of your idea in any way. I have just personally concluded that for a small set up one would be best off having a permanent coop with small run, and just having a wire frame day pen that can moved around the yard. I have yet to see a chicken tractor design that incorporates the coop that overcomes all the problems.