New Idea with Chicken Tractor.

I have just finished building my chicken tractor and hope it works. Look here for the ideas. http://davesgarden.com/journal/ed/index.php?tabid=5218 Does anyone know if RIR or Barred Rocks will have enough room to get up to the roost?

what is a chicken tractor ?

It is a unique idea that many gardeners are using to assist their gardens with the natural tendency of chickens to eat bugs, Trim grass, scratch soil and fertilize multiple areas of the garden. This is accomplished by moving the chicken tractor to locations of needed chicken work. Often they are used between rows of vegetable gardens. I am planning on using them next to my raised beds and to provide me with healthy large brown eggs. Of course the chickens will prefer that to having to be crunched into a small cage.

Very nicely planned out and executed. If the girls don't have enough room for some reason, you could turn the roost the other way ( shortwise) then they definitely would. Or you could get a slightly smaller breed. However, I think they'll be able to do it. How many are you planning on having in there?

Very nice soferdig. I bet that your chicks and your gardens will appreciate it! Thanks for sharing.
Belinda

Just 2 hens. I like big eggs and brown being what I grew up on is prefrenced. Good Idea on Turning the roost Backyardhens. I chose to have it kind of narrow with this design because I wanted it to travel throughout my 3 acre garden so I shall see. Hopefully the girls will be comfortable.

That is awesome, I think your chickens will do just fine in your tractor. I don't think they will have any problem getting into there nest box. We have 6 RIR and they can get were ever they want to go. In the beginning I let them free range, and they were in the trees at night. But they would not stay out of my neighbors drive way and they got a coop built for them. I'll have to show DH your tractor, we let them out a few hours a day, but they can reak havoc on a garden.

Cathy

Looks great, Sofer: really great idea w/ the pipes. How wide are the roosts? A chicken will jump/fly higher to a wide perch than she will to a narrow one.

The roosts are 3' wide by 18" deep and 22" high. Two of them. This is adjustable because I did not know the roost dementions needed.

Figures you'd make them adjustable! I'm sure they'll hop up there fine. Hope you'll post pics when you get the hens.

what types of pipes are those? black PVC's?

YOu might want to consider getting three slightly smaller birds, just in case one dies in chick-hood ( if you are raising them from chicks) so you don't wind up with one lonely biddy.

I loev your design. If you handle the girls a lot, you can train them to come when they hear you calling to them. THat way, when you are in the backyard, if you want ot let them run free, you can.

I think you are right BYH. I am hoping to get a couple of pullets but If I do chicks I will try the 3 idea.

That 's my question too, what pipe is that?

Handsome chicken tractor, Sofer.

I can't seem to see any roosts though, (poor eyesite maybe?). I see two rectangular things side by side, mid-center hanging down, or are those doors on the opposite wall I see? Or is the roost what goes lengthwise and is visible just under the edge of the roof? (I'm also a bit thrown by the roost size..."3' wide by 18" deep and 22" high", or is that a typo and you were referring to the nest box area?)

All in all, it looks great to me. I think you'll have a lot of fun with it! How long is the whole tractor. Just curious.

You're gonna love those RIR's (and the eggs, of course!)

Shoe

How COOL!!! A little small, but with my 40hp tractor to help me move it, I plan on building one a bit bigger.

I've been trying to decide what chickens to start out with. After being a city girl for 30 years, I'm getting to return to my roots on a desolate 4 acres we are trying very hard to improve. I had forgotten how much back breaking work that can be! Luckily I was raised by very knowledgeable parents and extended family who were very good at working WITH Mother Nature, instead of trying to find a "better" way. Trouble is, too much time has passed, and I sure wish I'd paid more attention to how/why we did things the way we did!

I do remember those wonderful brown eggs from our RIRs. Many leghorns too - sold eggs for extra $. If memory serves, the RIR's were also very good eating too! I remember having several bantams too - I think we used them as brood hens (better moms than the purebreds? or just preferred to keep the purebreds laying instead of brooding?) Seems like I remember that it was only the bantams that were allowed to do "garden duty" and roam freely - not sure why.

Have read some, but just end up getting more undecided as to what I want to start with. We eat between 1 and 1 1/2 dozen eggs a week, and at least 1 chicken a week (I've gotten soft in my old age though, hope I have the strength do "butcher" again - used to slaughter, dress and sell over 100 fryers a year for extra $ too - hope I remember how). Whatever the breed/breeds, they need to be tolerant of our Gulf Coast heat and humidity. Any suggestions?

Hey Steve, cool tractor - trust you to do one with such finesse & forethought

Steve in the "I can hook up the hose to this to fill or keep full." picute you have wires along the wood framing - what/why? You know you can sell your plans to me anytime.........awesome set up.





This message was edited Feb 20, 2007 4:42 PM

Horse shoe click on the Hyperlink and you can see the whole thing and then you can see the roosts on the upper area to the right.
MQN I'll have to look to see what you are referring to. OK now I see you are looking at the corrigated Plastic roof and I reinforced it with the support wood for the corrigation. You are seeing the plastic corrigate. No wires needed.

This message was edited Feb 21, 2007 6:39 PM

Thanks, Sofer/Steve! Hadn't noticed the link.

Really looks good to me! Love it! Great idea with the water in the pvc.

As for the roost, it looks to me like they are really close to the wall. If so, the chickens may be able to get up to it but will have difficulty turning around OR their heads or tail feathers will be too close to the fencing, making them susceptible for a coon's hands to reach in and get 'em. (Or do ya'll have raccoons out there?)

They'll most likely be sleeping on the roost at night so they might benefit from having a solid wall (or a closeable flap) where they are sleeping.

All in all...wonderful!

Shoe

I thought the same thing and have made the roosts movable so I have asked about it and thanks for the response. I will move it away from the fence.

If coons are a problem, especially when they work together, Sofer could replace the chicken wire w/ hardware cloth.

We don't have coons, fleas, misquitos, and maybe an occasional skunk. But my new Jack russell will prevent that. I plan on having the puppy socialize to chickens. Is that possible? I left a conference on animal behavior here in Las Vegas that I asked that question and they had no answer.

I'd sure give it a try. I have dogs that were trained with chickens; as pups they were really attracted to the baby/young chicks and that was where the training came in, holding the chicks in my hands up to the noses of the pups, petting them (both the chicks and pups) and talking in a gentle voice. Should one of the pups ever chase or grab a chick (at any time) I hollered NO! Those dogs, to this day, can't stand to hear me! Heheh, guess it scares them, making them think they did something wrong!

I've had labs, lab mixes, and mutts, and now have a mini-dachshund (who is more interested in burrowing after rats and whistlepigs). There has been only one dog on the farm that was untrainable over the past 20 years!

I'm glad your Russell is a pup, hope you get to spend a lot of time with that baby!

Shoe

I ran across this thread & really love the idea of your chicken tractor! It looks absoloutely fabulous & what a great design!

When I lived in AR and had a lot of gorgeous little Bantams, I wanted to have a chicken "moat" around my garden but never got around to getting it done. I sure wish I could have a couple sweet lil' biddies in my backyard here in FL!

~*~ Suenell

I have a remote trainer that utilizes a positive sound and a negative sound and my Borderterrier has never needed a shock. He learned the beep beep with the electric fence collar. I am anxious to stop his chasing deer and chickens when they arrive. Terriers are quite smart and learn quickly. Yes some of you think it is cruel but I am always teaching how to repair problems so my children are who I learn off.