Tractor Training Chicks

[Upcycled]

My first chicks arrive FEB 6th or so. I have a place for a coop (a Cadillac shed lean to that has a concrete floor) that I can easily finish out. I also have two acres of great garden space that I would love to rotate them through and let them range. I will need to build a tractor.

We have hawks. Lots and lots of hawks.

When they are "old enough"...

IDEALLY I would like to have them in the coop at night, then lure SOME of them into the tractor during the day, to give all some change of scenery and accomplish my soil goals, but...

QUESTION: HOW DOES ONE TRAIN CHICKS TO LIVE A DUAL LIFE OF STATIONARY COOP AND MOBILE TRACTOR??

Do I coax with food... is it about time of day?

SOMEONE PLEASE SUGGEST A SCHEDULE< TO INCLUDE AGES OF CHICKS AND WHEN I SHOULD MOVE THEM OUT OF THE BROODER INTO THEIR NEWS HOME (S-PLURAL) AND ATTEMPT TO SET THEM ON A SCHEDULE OF COOP TO TRACTOR ROTATION.

Extra data: 28-30 chicks , Dominique, Delaware, EE, Austrolorp
I live in Zone 7a --- our last frost date is April 15th

 

[Alabama ee]

They get used to being in one place. They are not good at mazes. If I turn my coop 180 degrees, it takes them a bit to know how to go back in .
If you rotate them, it would be best to feed them and get them in that way.

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

My Marans go in right before sunset but my silkies wait till dark.. My fault I trained my marans to go up right before dark. I put the marans in the coop everyday at the same time and they still go up at the same time.. They are early birds

 

[acid_chipmunk]

All of my chickens are in tractors except my Silkies. They have no problems going back to their coop once it has been moved and they are done free ranging. I don't think I would suggest a stationary coop and a tractor though. That will really confuse them, they wouldn't know where to go back to. One or the other is what I suggest.

 

[Upcycled]

OK>>>>>

Back to the drawing board then. I just HATE to have them range around under the huge oks trees in the baryard all day, wasting all that poo on surfaces I could care less about. Perhaps they will have more cover from above. Because if I let them range around the garden area, they will, of course, eat my garden>>>and get picked off by hawks.

**sigh**

Y'ALL ARE SO MUCH HELP. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I know I will save myself so much headache if I just ask y'all!!! THANKS AGAIN!