using a chicken tractor during the day help

[aim4balance]

Hello,
I have 4 chickens and a stationary coop/pen. I also made a portable smaller tractor that I can move around the yard with an old kids climbing igloo (wrapped it in chicken wire). I keep smaller containers for food, water, even a dust "bowl" for them, and I've tried putting a small square box in there as a nest box. The girls have plenty of room when in the igloo. I am happy that it can give them fresh grass everyday and it doesn't wear down the permanent run as much. My question has to do with egg laying. It would be too much to take out their nest boxes in their coop and put it in the igloo during the daylight hours. But when in the igloo, I have not found something the girls will lay eggs in. They simply don't lay any eggs during the time they are in there. They seem to be waiting until they are back in their run to lay the eggs in their old nest boxes. Is this normal or should I keep looking to replicate something they will lay eggs in for the tractor? Just don't want the girls to be stressed or something.
Thanks!

 

[Emma Miriam]

Hi! This wasn't your question, but first I have one little thing to add: did you use chicken wire or hardware cloth for the tractor? 1/2 inch hardware cloth is expensive, but worth it, as all sorts of daytime predators, especially dogs, could chew through chicken wire easily.

Now as for your question...what time do your girls go back to their main coop? Usually hens will lay sometime between 8:00 in the morning and 2:00 in the afternoon. Personally, I would get some sort of lightweight removable nesting box. You could build a plywood box like you probably have in your coop, or you could use a 5 gallon bucket or (what I use) a small plastic storage container without the lid. Whatever you use, put it in a shaded area and add nice soft bedding. Also, I'd highly recommend getting a fake egg or even a golf ball and putting that in the nest. Your girls will then see it as a safe place to lay, because other eggs are already there!

Hope that helps.

 

[aim4balance]

Thanks Emma! I actually first wrapped the igloo in easy to use soft netting. It was pretty tough trying to get the entire thing lined with chicken wire. Then just ran some regular chicken wire around the bottom part since they can break the netting easily.

 

[Emma Miriam]

You're welcome! Just bear in mind that netting and chicken wire are meant to keep chickens in, not predators out. If you're out there with the hens while they're in the igloo, that's not a huge deal, but if not I'd still highly recommend covering what you have with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. Otherwise you're asking for trouble...and if a predator ever got into a small tractor like that, your birds would have nowhere to run.

I'd love to see a picture though! It sounds like a really neat tractor.

 

[Yayah]

X2 on wanting a pic! I love repurposing things for the chickens, so your tractor sounds awesome.
I had a similar issue with my flock, and added milk crates to the run. It seems to add enough privacy for them to want to start laying again.

 

[aim4balance]

Pic:
I have a hill in our backyard. So the chicken coop (which is a re-purposed kids playhouse) is on the flattest part of the hill, with the run being a large portion of the hill. Well hidden with all the vegetation on the hill.

I built 3 triangular "chicken tunnels" which lead off from a section of the run fence I cut out. The girls can walk down into the climbing igloo in the morning shown next to the kids slide in the pic, with an old tent flap over part of it to protect from sun/rain. When they come down into the igloo I then block the entrance off and drag it around the yard. I keep a newly built nesting box in there (which they now use so thanks again for the idea), a small feeder and water bowl, and dusting bowl.

 

[Yayah]

So the part of the tractor that's covered with the white tarp is actually one of those kids climbing toys??

 

[aim4balance]

Yes

 

[Yayah]

I like that a lot. Nice to use what you have!

 

[Emma Miriam]

So neat and creative!