Chicken tractor portable fence. Chicken tractor. How is a chicken tractor better than a chicken coop?
What is a chicken tractor and how did I get the idea.
One of the sources of inspiration and new knowledge on permaculture for me was the Permacultutre Research Institute website, maintained, among other things, by Geoff Lawton and his team.
Information on the site and mailing, unfortunately, only in English. But the best materials, practices and techniques, one way or another, are translated and appear in Russian.
The next one was dedicated to chicken tractors. There are also many videos on Youtube on this topic - both in Russian and in English. Do a search for " chicken tractor" or " chicken tractor «.
Which model to choose.
Initially, my choice was on this model.
I was attracted by the thoughtfulness and solidity of the design - enough space for chickens to walk during the day and have a place to sleep at night. Chickens can hide from rain or wind. Convenient compartments in which chickens can carry eggs. Opening lid makes it easy to inspect, collect eggs, renew straw bedding. The remaining doors facilitate other maintenance procedures - it is convenient to collect litter, renew food and drink. It is also easy to drive and drive chickens for a walk if necessary, for example, rearrange the tractor. After a season of use - I decided a little, but first things first.
Drawings and dimensions. How to calculate capacity.
I don’t remember where I read it, but at a density of 3-4 chickens per square meter, they feel quite comfortable. In my case, it turned out for 7 chickens and a rooster - almost 4 square meters.
Another factor to consider is the length of the perch and the height from perch to ceiling. 15 centimeters long perch for a chicken is enough. On cool nights, they cling to each other much more tightly. But with the height from the perch to the ceiling, not everything is so simple. In my design, chickens always spent the night on a perch - everything is fine. But Petya refused to climb onto the perch and settled down to sleep on the straw in one of the compartments for carrying eggs. He didn’t have enough height or for other reasons - I still haven’t figured it out. As for the height of the part where the chickens walk on the ground during the day, 50 cm of height was enough for the chickens. But for my large rooster - this height was not enough. When I let him out of the tractor for a walk, he happily stretched his neck and spread his wings, warmed up. As a result, the rooster needs more height - 65-70 cm. How I plan to solve this issue is in my modified version below.
Based on the considerations and calculations above, you can adjust the dimensions of your design. You can also adjust, for example, the width of the tractor to the width of the bed or take into account the width restrictions in the narrow places of your site when moving. As for the increase in size, I want to talk about mistake which I did. I had ready-made formwork boards 1.5 meters long instead of the required 1.2 meters. And I decided to make the structure wider and add another compartment where chickens can rush. As a result, the structure became heavier and less mobile. If you have a lot of chickens and you need to process large areas, it is better to make several small, but mobile structures that one person can easily move.
In addition, more compartments were not needed - the chickens were rushing in one compartment and respected the order. Rarely have I found eggs in the second compartment. The third compartment, in fact, turned out to be unclaimed.
Let's start assembling the frame.
So, the overall dimensions of the tractor base: length - 2675 mm (2 meters and 67.5 cm), width - 1200 mm, height - 500 mm. 
The frame is assembled from boards 100x25 mm. Below are two long boards 2625 mm. Please note that at the top of the board a little shorter - 2600 mm. The lower cross section of 50x25 mm, 1150 mm long - is placed and fastened by surprise at a distance of about 1 meter from the side with handles.
Important! Pay attention to the sequence of fastening the upper corner with handles - it is this way of joining the boards that provides sufficient structural strength - because. when moving the tractor, you pull and push by the handles, the structure must withstand such a load. 
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This explains why the longitudinal top boards are 25 mm shorter than the bottom boards - by the width of the additional board.
The side doors are assembled from 25x25 mm bars - they can already be assembled according to the actual dimensions, depending on the place where the vertical rack is attached. I didn’t make these doors right away - then I experienced some difficulties with access to the inside of the frame and when driving chickens into the chicken coop after walking.
It is worth noting that it is better to assemble the structure immediately at the place of future use - it is difficult to move over long distances, especially if the wheels have not yet been attached and the ground is uneven.
Let's start assembling the box.
Some dimensions are indicated with tenths of millimeters - but these are calculated values in the program due to the fact that there is a bevel at an angle. In reality, everything is done locally. 
Top view - don't forget the perch. It is desirable that it does not have sharp edges, edges, splinters. 
Roof.
I made another one for myself - I had a couple of sheets of ondulin left - I put it into work.
Ladder.
It remains to cover the frame with a mesh. For the sidewalls, I used a metal mesh for plastering the walls. Above is a plastic garden net.
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The mesh is easily attached to the tree with a construction stapler. From above, protection is needed from birds of prey - we always have several large birds circling over the field. This is especially important if you plan to also raise chickens - they can be easy prey without proper protection from above.
After the structure is assembled, it is already possible to start settling. I put the tractor on wheels about a month later. He moved without wheels, but with difficulty. I bought two eyebolts of large diameter, on the basis of scrap metal I bought a pipe of a suitable length and diameter for a penny - it turned out to be an axis.
I found a pair of suitable wheels in the garage. After assembly, the process of moving the tractor was greatly facilitated.
Safety
I read on one forum that to protect against predators, you can put a metal mesh on the floor - it doesn’t interfere with chickens, it protects from undermining. For me, protection from predators is a topical issue. Last summer at the neighbors one moonlit night a polecat strangled all the chickens. In addition, I met a fox in winter right on the road. I also fixed a metal drift mesh with a small cell from below. But after a couple of days of observations, he abandoned this idea. Chickens cannot dig the ground with their paws - and this is what I need - high-quality cleaning of the soil from weeds, roots and seeds, loosening the top layer of the earth, embedding litter. As a result, I cut the mesh from the bottom in the middle along the length and folded the edges to the sides. In order to press the light mesh to the ground and not step on his bare heel himself, he covered it with layers of pressed straw. It turned out to be protection from undermining, but outside the chicken coop - the length of the undermining in this case requires about 40-50 centimeters. This decision somewhat complicated the process of moving the chicken coop, but not critical.
What I plan to improve.
1. It became obvious to me that a chicken coop height of 50 cm is not enough for a rooster - I will change the design a little.
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This design was born as a refinement to an existing tractor. If you do it from scratch, you can simplify the design a little - immediately make inclined long racks. Changing the wireframe geometry will require dragging the mesh.
2. The metal drift-mesh on the sides during the season was very worn out and torn in some places. A couple of times the chickens broke through the existing gaps and went for a free walk around the site.
3. It is necessary to install the wheels a little lower - after rain on small irregularities, the edge of the frame catches the ground and a clod of earth quickly clogs the gap, preventing the wheels from rolling. You also need to fix the eyebolts more securely - put wooden spacers in the attachment points - the existing connection is a little loose.
4. Still, I will make the lower side doors in the frame.
You can watch a video review of what happened.
Photo of the updated design
Updated design User Experience
So, after settling in the chicken coop, the work began to boil! Every week I moved the chicken tractor to a new location. During this time, the earth was completely freed from greenery - everything was pecked. On the ground, chicken manure and leftover feed were fairly evenly distributed. With the help of a hoe like Strizh, I loosened the ground to a depth of 5-7 centimeters, scattered the seeds of green manure, leveled it with a rake, while planting the litter and seeds to a shallow depth in the soil. Topped with a layer of straw as mulch. During strong winds, he still threw pine branches on top so that the straw would not blow. It took me about 40-60 minutes for the whole procedure of moving and cultivating the soil. A week later, friendly green manure shoots were already pleasing to the eye, noticeably outstripping the weeds in growth. And the chickens have already begun processing the next section.
It is worth noting that in the first two or three weeks I did not loosen the soil, but simply scattered the seeds, covering them with straw. This approach has shown inconclusive results. Firstly, green manure seeds, having no adhesion to the soil, germinate poorly, and secondly, the seeds and roots of weeds remaining in the soil very quickly win back the cleared territory, fertilized with droppings. Therefore, I decided to loosen additionally and in the end I got what I expected. After the rain, by the way, it is easier to work - the earth is not hard and dry, but more plastic. After the end of the season and my departure, the chickens migrated to neighbors who have a warm barn for keeping animals.
results
Let's summarize the season of our short Siberian summer - from mid-May to mid-September. It turns out 4 months or 18 weeks. With an area of my chicken coop of 4 square meters, I got almost 72 square meters of land:
- cleared of weeds
- loosened
- fertilized with chicken manure
- green manure enriched with green manure
At the same time, the chickens were regularly rushing - according to rough calculations, during this time I collected about 700 eggs.
And of course, invaluable experience was gained in restoring the land after the work of heavy equipment last year and in keeping chickens. Next season, I also want to try to hatch my chickens in a natural way, without using an incubator.
My experience with composting also applies to the topic of restoring soil fertility by natural methods - this will be the subject of a separate large article.
Is the recent trend of suburban homeowners keeping chickens in their backyard generating interest in building a chicken tractor?
A chicken tractor is essentially a portable chicken coop. It can have different shapes and sizes.
This is ideal for backyard chicken coop owners.
A mobile chicken coop is great for several things: it fits into a small space, it's easy to maneuver, it's maintenance-free, and it saves time.
Before you build your own tractor chicken coop, you need to evaluate your backyard space and determine where the camping and sleeping area will be.
Nesting boxes
Nesting boxes are the main nesting place, as the hens lay their eggs in them!
Chickens need to have enough nesting space, so size is very important. The nest block should be approximately 30x30x30cm.
Making larger sizes is not a bad idea, because if the box is not comfortable, they will lay their eggs elsewhere. In some cases, the kura creates its own nest under the nest box.
For the owner of the chicken yard - the organization of places for laying eggs is of paramount importance. Otherwise it turns into a quest.)
Many use shredded paper or pine shavings for nesting pads, some use cloth. Straw is the ideal nesting material and is the most commonly used.
The sizes of chickens are basically the same, although there are also large ones.
Chicken Coop Tractor Assembly
The tractor should be built to accommodate the largest of your breeds.
The design of the tractor is based on the average size of a chicken: 40 cm high and weighing approximately 1.7-3 kg.
The crossbar must be at least 25 cm from the ground, especially if it is close to the structure.
It is designed to keep them warm when they interact with their feathered friends.
The walking area of the tractor chicken coop is water and food for the chickens.
Chicken Tractor Dimensions
Often 120 cm long and 60 cm wide. There must be enough space so that you can replenish grain supplies, throw weeds and greenery from the yard, and also for free movement.
Because you can easily move your chickens around the yard - they have plenty of access to fresh grass, weeds, etc.
All places on the chicken tractor should be fixed and secure so that you don't have to worry about the night.
To conclude, a chicken tractor can be a great addition to your yard.
It offers ease of use to the chicken yard owner.
Having made such a device according to all standards, you will be calm for your chickens even at night!
Many thanks to friends who support the Blog and accordingly support me and my family. I don't know how I would have survived without this support. The money mainly goes to medicines, diapers and food.
May God keep you.
Sincerely!
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my wife said a couple of weeks ago, if there is money, we will go buy chickens, raise them and have our own chicken eggs. She said we will take the little ones for 2-5 days and we will grow them. And during this time, while they are small, you will make a large cage for them.
This month, 50 euros and 1000 rubles were transferred to me to support the blog. 1000 rubles were immediately spent on medicines for a small one, my wife and me - they got snotty, and they also found me with sinusitis in addition to my "bouquet", in general we work for a pharmacy.
Tomorrow my wife's sister will come (she left with her husband to live in Russia), she will bring diapers, medicines, some clothes for the senior first-grader from Russia. And the remaining 2800r. Yesterday I managed to get in Donetsk from cashiers at 10%.
1,000 rubles were spent on groceries, and the rest distributed 1,200 rubles for electricity, and today they bought as many as 8 chickens, 7 hens and one cockerel for 200 rubles.
It was interesting for me as a techie to watch how they determined who was the chicken, who was the cockerel - they turned it upside down and if the chicken raised its head, and if it turned the cockerels up - yes, live and learn forever.
They brought, put the chickens in a box - the little one happily ran up and grabbed the chicken by the neck. He took away, scolded and slapped his hands. The small type he still went to his mother, but then when I left I made another attempt to grab the chicken.
Now I will print out the project and go to pick up the bars for the chicken tractor. Last year I came across and liked the project that I placed below. What I also liked about it is that the dog will not get to the chickens and, most importantly, the yard will be clean.
something like this
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Original taken from
Chicken tractor (mobile chicken coop) - general information
Why is a chicken tractor better than a chicken coop?
- provides hens with fresh vegetation and insects, which reduces the need for feed additives
- within the mini chicken coop, chickens peck out grass, loosen and fertilize the ground, thereby preparing the soil for future planting “for free” in a few days
- chicken tractor protects chickens from predators
- chicken tractor protects your garden from chickens, which is especially true in small areas
- unlike a conventional chicken coop, the chicken tractor does not have a floor, which means there is no need to clean it
Despite the small size, the chicken tractor does not constrain the chickens, they retain their usual way of life, the chicken tractor equipped with nests allows you to collect eggs. All you need is to periodically move the structure to a new place, replenish food / water supplies, and of course collect eggs.
See how to make a chicken tractor for 9-12 chickens with nests.
Land tilled by chicken tractor
Chicken tractor designs
Who else can be kept in a chicken tractor
The chicken tractor is great for:
- laying hens
- chickens
- Turkeys
- There are examples of using chicken tractor designs to raise geese, ducks and quails.
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Chicken tractor for 8 nests with your own hands - in 8 steps
(interesting project)
In this article I will describe the plan for the construction of a chicken tractor. A fairly new design for our region, despite the fact that it has been used in the west for a long time, both for personal and industrial purposes. The basis of the chicken tractor is wooden, from a bar 50x50 and 50x70. Dimensions 1.70x3x0.84m.
The design is designed for 9-12 chickens. Chickens peck grass and loosen the ground around the entire perimeter of the tractor, thanks to the grid you can be calm both for your garden and the safety of chickens from predators. 1-2 times a week the chicken tractor moves to a new place, the chickens get fresh grass, and you get cultivated land. In the sleeping compartment, chickens rush and sleep. It is convenient to collect eggs through 2 small doors on the sides.
The design provides for a mechanism for collecting chicken manure. Also, the chicken tractor is equipped with an auto feeder and an auto drinker for birds, with a margin of 5-7 days, which allows you to safely leave chickens for a specified period.
step 1
We make the basis of a chicken tractor from a 50x70 bar.
step 2
We install load-bearing posts and mount the roof base.
step 3
We install the bearing supports. here I already use a 50x50 bar.
step 4
Installation of the base of the sleeping compartment. Wheel installation.
step 5
We make nests and set up perches.
Dimensions are not random, it is important to do everything as indicated in the figure.
step 6
We mount the supports for the guides, on the guides we attach the corner for the pallet.
chicken tractor is a great tool for using chickens to till your yard, fertilize and clear weeds.
Renowned permaculture designer Dano Gorsic developed his concept of a chicken tractor adapted to temperate climates.
Dano Gorsich lives on the island of Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands and is considered a veteran of the permaculture movement, a direct student of Bill Mollison, author of the acclaimed bestselling book Permaculture Essentials.
For more than 35 years, he has been cultivating his plot under the instructions of his teacher.
Below is a description of a slightly modified chicken coop system developed by Dano Gorsic of Molokai in Hawaii, adapted to temperate climates.
It is necessary to build a square pen divided into four equal parts, in the center of which there will be a chicken coop with perches. It is necessary to arrange the chicken coop so that it is possible to release chickens one by one into each of the 4 sections of the corral. Ideally, one chicken should have 3 square meters in each section of the pen.
Technology of a four-year cycle of using a chicken tractor
Dano proposes the following methodology for the development and processing of the site for 4 years.
Chickens are pastured throughout the year in the first section of the pen. In autumn, the chickens are transferred to the second section, and in the first, the land is treated with lime and mulched. In the spring, plants such as white cabbage, Savoy, Chinese, cauliflower, asparagus and Brussels sprouts, head lettuces, kohlrabi, tomatoes, watermelon, peppers, eggplant, pumpkin, cucumbers, leeks, sweet corn, celery and spinach are planted there.
In the second year, plants less demanding on the content of organic matter are planted in the first section. These are root vegetables (without celery), onions (with the exception of leeks) and vegetable salad greens.
In the third year, legumes, cereals and sunflowers are planted, which then go to feed chickens. The described procedure is repeated in turn in each section.
In the fourth year, the chickens, having passed all the sections, return to the first. Fruit trees can also be planted next to the corral, the fruits of which will be food for chickens. Pigs can also be used in a similar way.
Also, a chicken tractor can be mobile. A large mobile cage is made from a metal mesh, which moves around the site as needed. With this device, you can completely clear a piece of land from weeds and at the same time fertilize it with bird droppings, while grains can be given to birds about half as much, since in addition to plant food, they also find many insects in the ground.