Winterizing a chicken tractor??

[roaminggnome61]

I have just about finished my first chicken tractor for my "girls". What would be the best way to keep them warm in the winter? I know that I will have to cover the entire coop in plastic. Do any of you have any suggestions on what kind?

 

[mkeawsh]

We put hooks on the sides and attached tarps tightly around them. They are longer - top to bottom - so that any snow or rain will drain off the sides and away from the tractor. I'm sure there are many that have better suggestions. It's all what you imagine and works for you. We have three tractors and will be building a fourth to accommodate the chicks that will be hatching with this batch in the incubator. I make it so all my doors match up on the ends so if I want, I can butt all the tractors together and they have a bigger area. It's nice when we are going to be gone for a weekend or on vacation for the week and they do not get out to free-range. You'll find the best way for you and since this is just the beginning of Summer you have to time to experiment.

Gail

 

[rainbowgardens]

You could set some straw bales around it and cover the whole thing with plastic. Of course you'll need ventilation.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

MKEAWSH - Could you share pictures of your tractors?

I'm gathering supplies to build a cattle panel tractor and looking for ideas to keep out the rain, how to attach wheels, nest boxes, etc.

 

[patandchickens]

Tractors are hard to winterize satisfactorily for Serious Cold Winter areas. It would really be a whole big lot better if you could find somewhere to bring your chickens indoors for the winter -- maybe a corner of an outbuilding, a shed, a garage?

If you absolutely have to winterize a tractor, it can sort of be done but is generally not so nifty for you or for the chickens. You still need good ventilation (actually a tiny coop needs proportionately MORE ventilation, per square foot, than a walk-in size one) but because it's important not to have drafts (or blowing snow) coming AT the chickens, you want the ventilation to be not right adjacent to the roost and preferably coming from as sheltered an area as possible.

You can partially enclose the run part of the tractor with plastic or whatever, but, again, not totally.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[mkeawsh]

Quote:
You are correct. The first year my chickens were in the tractors and they did fine with the tarps around them and you reminded me that we also did put bales of straw all the way around them. It so concerned me that first winter when it got to be very inclement weather with the ice and snow storms that the next Summer we build a coop for them to stay in and attached one of the tractors to the side so they could go out if they wanted to. If I knew how to include a pic I would post one of our coop with the tractor, but don't know how to do that.

 

[roaminggnome61]

Thank you everyone for your input.

 

[mkeawsh]

- I forgot to add that we move the tractors in Spring and transport the chickens solely to them. We clean out and close up the coop until next Winter. -

Gail

 

[Mayfiel511]

You could set some straw bales around it and cover the whole thing with plastic. Of course you'll need ventilation.

That's an awesome idea! I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to winterize my tractors, with a mountain of inedible hay bales on the field that I'm putting in the garden. Thank you sooo much! Love this forum!

 

[mkeawsh]

That is how we do it -bales and heavy duty clear plastic shower curtains so when the sun is shining it heats up the inside like a greenhouse.