Tractor started - is very heavy already

[jennmugg]

So my hubby started framing it this weekend. The run and coop together are 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. He has just added the frame of the run, floor of the coop and none of the coop framing, and it is HEAVY. We will have 8 ISA Browns, and I wanted to make sure it gave them enough space, but now I don't know how portable it will be.

I tried to take pics this morning, and my camera died

 

[arlosmine]

By the time I finished my tractor it was so heavy I gave up, wired in the bottom and put legs on it. Now it is the baby bantam grow-out coop. I have seen big ones which remained portable by being broken down onto two sections. More portable but a pain in the butt because of the time it takes to break-down and re-assemble.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Is there a way to put some removable wheels on it? That way you can hook it to the lawn mower, 4-wheeler, or truck to move it.

 

[vfem]

Our coop turned out to be like 400 lbs or more. It took a group of us and some wheels to move ours. Lets say, it is no longer mobile!

Those things get WAY heavy. All for 2+ lb birds.

 

[danielbrown]

Mine hasn't got wheels on it yet so i use my Bronco to pull it a round.

But i have a old riding mower that will be perfect to move it with.

 

[Davaroo]

It is hard to build light yet, strong, without some clever engineering. This is why most tractors are small and/or relatively flimsy affairs.

Mine is different. It has wheels on arms that lever the tractor up off the ground. Once levered this way, I can pull it myself. When its in the new spot, I lower the wheels and voila! ... all set up.
I can also stand up in it and it has room for 10 hens. Pretty big.

It really is ingenious, actually. I wish I had thought of it myself. Sadly, I dont think the plans are available any more. Maybe I can get the rights to sell them from the original creator. Check this spot often for updates

 

[patandchickens]

It's good policy to add up the weight of materials in the proposed design before starting to build. Oops, too late <g> but before proceeding with construction I'd suggest doing some pencil games for different ways of proceeding.

Wheels help, but only "so" much.

I don't know what your design is but I'd suggest using 2x4s only for the part of the frame that actually sits on the ground -- use 2x2s for the rest, and the lightest plywood you can get away with, and a plastic or metal roof. Use clever bracing and good engineering to get your rigidity without weight.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[danielbrown]

Quote:
I just happen to be thinking about how to do the very same thing.
Would you mind posting some pics of your setup?

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
I just happen to be thinking about how to do the very same thing.
Would you mind posting some pics of your setup?

Sure, I'll get to it tomorrow - gotta go to work now. Once thats done, Ill tell you how to get the plans for yourself.
The guy who invented the tractor I use may not be a genius (so he says) - but, he's pretty danged good if you ask me.

 

[azelgin]

Here's a rinky dink tractor I threw together. I'll be the first to admit it has a few drawbacks ( the worst being hard to access). But, it's 3' x 10' and weighs at the most 150#. No wheels, or floor of any kind. No nest box, just a roost (Bob's bachelor pad). I just drag it around to where I want it. I really should stake it to the ground. I thought the wind would have picked it up and set Bob free by now. It's been site tested to 50mph gusts (lost the coffee can feed protector and a few dead trees is all). Maybe, the low profile, compined with the ridge cap design, is providing some sort of aerodynamic lift spoiling effect.

It's built out of 2 x 2s and 2 x 3s. I have a wide crown staple gun, like the type used to assemble the framing for RVs, that holds it all together. The door has a diagonal brace, that stiffens it when closed. Total cost was about $30. Scrap roofing from other construction jobs and scrounging kept the costs low. Bob is hoping the next big wind storm will set him free.

I'll update, with the esimated wind speed at lift off, when it occurs.