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"Inspired by chicken tractors I had
seen online, I decided to temporarily house my new birds in
my version of a tractor. I had a pen for a rabbit made of pvc
and rabbit wire, and left over plywood and 1x4s from a winter
remodeling project. I build my coop from the lumber and plywood
approx. 4x4 with a pitched roof covered with corrugated pvc
roofing. It is mounted on two 5/4 x 6 decking planks smoothed
and rounded as skids, with no flooring. I cut a 16” square
hole for the door and a same sized window above it for light.
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Thanks to Paul Monachino
for sending in his new chicken tractor inspired temporary
housing : "After a fox attack killed off my six chickens
and rooster, I realized I had major reconstruction that
I needed to do in my barn and chicken coop and run."
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Inside there are three perches, and now
an opening for access to two nesting boxes that can be reached
from outside by lifting the roofing. The boxes are removable
for cleaning out. I attached my pvc pen to the chicken coop
with brackets, covered it with deer netting, providing for a
section that opens for access to the inside of the pen. A rope
attached to the skids enables me to move the entire assembly
to a new spot in the pasture every Friday. The chicken tractor
was placed inside the sheep pasture (after checking with the
local vet) as the pasture is protected by five electric wires,
keeping out predators.
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I soon had to run some temporary
wire around the tractor to keep the sheep out as well when they
learned how tasty the chicken feed was! I keep an automatic waterer
and feeder under cover, put in a couple of small perches, and
provide some shade with a tarp. We are still waiting for our first
eggs, I expect that will be early fall. I am now able to take
my time rebuilding the permanent chicken coop and run that will
provide better security from predator attack.
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In the meantime, having the chickens in this
little chicken tractor has been amusing and certainly a conversation
starter. Every week they get a new 10x10 plot to scavenge, and
they are fertilizing and manicuring the pasture.
I enjoy reading the newsletter and viewing
what others have shared. While my creation can’t compete
with some others for the aesthetics prize, it is a different and
functional approach that I think has done just what I wanted it
to do."
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