Tractor height

[newchicksnducks]

We will be picking 8 cornish rocks and 4 broiler chicks next week. Hubby is building a tractor this week. It will basically be a rectangle with wheels. What height should it be? Hubby thought 24 inch high would be tall enough, but altho I've had layers for over a decade, this is our first time with meat birds. Thanks!

 

[iwltfum]

We will be picking 8 cornish rocks and 4 broiler chicks next week. Hubby is building a tractor this week. It will basically be a rectangle with wheels. What height should it be? Hubby thought 24 inch high would be tall enough, but altho I've had layers for over a decade, this is our first time with meat birds. Thanks!

24 inches is plenty of height for a meat bird. One thing that absolutely makes my blood boil though is trying to catch birds in a pen of that height for butcher day. Not fun. But I haven't really found a good way around that yet. So I just deal with it.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Thanks, iwitfum. Apparently my husband was thinking large and ended up making it 30" tall...still will be a bit difficult on butchering day, lol!

 

[Torinik]

24 inches is plenty of height for a meat bird. One thing that absolutely makes my blood boil though is trying to catch birds in a pen of that height for butcher day. Not fun. But I haven't really found a good way around that yet. So I just deal with it.

Never gave that a moments thought, I don't have tractors (yet). But reading this, i visualized what an ordeal that must be. If you just turn the tractor over on the side they run all over the place of course, luckily meat bird are slow and not flighty.

 

[Compost King]

One thing that absolutely makes my blood boil though is trying to catch birds in a pen of that height for butcher day.

Just tip the tractor over if that's an option. Or put in a door on the side and open it, put a feeder outside of the tractor and they will come out

 

[iwltfum]

Just tip the tractor over if that's an option. Or put in a door on the side and open it, put a feeder outside of the tractor and they will come out

My 10x10' pens don't tip over well. I flip them in the winter for the snow load, but it takes some gentle effort and two people. I've tried propping one end up 5 or 6 feet and setting up poultry netting around the pen so they can't run off too far, but it seems like more effort than just crawling in there and creating chaos. I raise freedom rangers and they have pretty much zero interaction with humans during their life since they live way out in our pasture. I go out in the morning to fill their feeders and waterers and move the pens, but that's it. I wouldn't say they are flighty, but they can move pretty fast.

I think it's more of a phycological problem for me. I spend so much time and effort raising beautiful, healthy, calm birds and then I have to go in there and disturb the heck out of them. I've learned to always move the pen off the old grass before crawling in to catch the birds unless I want poop all over my hands and knees.

 

[Compost King]

I have never done a tractor for chickens but after reading about experiences and my age finally reaching that point where I hate crawling or kneeling I am going to build an A Frame a little over 6 feet tall so I can stand up erect after bending over and catching a chicken.

 

[Fred CTX]

My rabbit tractors have removable lids.
Just a couple of screws and I have full access to the whole tractor.
One day they will have hinges, it's on the ToDo list.