Chook tractor

Faye · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 2:09 pm

Does anyone have ideas about where to buy or make a chook tractor.
I have a range of chickens as well as couch growing where I don't want it, so I am thinking about getting something easily movable that I can rotate and kill two birds with one stone.

pistolknight · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:49 pm

2 birds or chooks :lol:

how big faye? do you just want to push it around the yard, would be many ways and would be simple to make wheels collapsible similar to a farmers field bin, I am a boiler maker by trade (stopped because I got sick of the smell of burning skin) and could plan something out for you in Nocky Sketch

pistolknight · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:59 pm

Try these links faye
this one has pricing on the right and links to other models on left http://www.thechickentractor.com.au/master.htm

This has a variety of home made models http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/tractors.html
there a few others on andy vardy's backyard poultry forum as well as well

Many designs that I'm sure DH could knock up

Faye · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 4:33 pm

Very inspiring Nocky, thanks for that!

countryboy · **Joined:** Thu May 13, 2010 12:26 pm **Posts:** 3

New on this forum... A relatively new regular over at the BYAP forum.

Saw this thread on chicken tractors and thought I'd share a couple pics of my tractors...

I built two tractors, v 1 and v1.2 (learned from the first... LOL!) to house 34 laying hens. 17 birds are in each one.

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more pics and description in next post...

countryboy · **Joined:** Thu May 13, 2010 12:26 pm **Posts:** 3

The tractors are made of 1.5" thin wall pvc. (If I do this again I'll go thicker.) There is an angle iron frame under supporting the axle under the house portion. (If I do this again I will extend the frame under the sides to the front for better support when lifting to move.

Second tractor has dual axles to prevent the inevitable dropping of one wheel in a hole or such...

There is a five gallon bucket for water plumbed to a pipe with three poultry nipples.

Rabbit feeders are accessible from the outside for daily feed rations.

Eggs are collected from outside the tractor on the opposite side of the water bucket... Three laying boxes are built into the inside with a metal flap that opens to get the cackleberries.

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Overall, this is easy to move. My sons often can handle it without my help. We move them every day or every other day... Guessing the girls eat about 50/50 rations and grass.. Eggcellent eggs!

Hope those pics will help someone in building a chook tractor.

CB

stretchman · **Posted:** Fri May 14, 2010 2:55 pm

Do you have mesh on the floor area to keep Brer Fox from a free feed?

That is a great idea with the bucket and watering system. Is the blue drum part of the system too?

countryboy · **Joined:** Thu May 13, 2010 12:26 pm **Posts:** 3

The blue drum is *sort of* part of the system. My boys keep a lidded five gallon bucket full of feed near the tractors to reduce the number of times they have to walk up to the shop. Early on it got moisture in it during a rain spoiling a bunch of feed... The quick and mobile solution was to flip a blue 35 gallon barrel over the five gallon bucket to keep it dry... So, it makes its way across the yard with the tractors...

I do not have wire under the bottom of the tractors. First built v1 with just 1" wire, but dogs tore through it one night. Fortunately, they couldn't get into the house and we only lost one hen. After that I added 2" x 4" welded wire around the lower 24" for an added measure of protection. Also we often lay a 2x4 with cement block atop on each side if there are holes or gaps under the sides.

The rear section has 1/2" clearance and is heavy enough that nothing can squeeze under, yet still easy to move. Ground is hard enough that digging is not a real option for varmints.

Initially attached the wire to the pvc frame with zip ties, but later found it faster and more durable to use a masonry tie tool and a roll of concrete tie wire.

More details if you need em...

CB

earthbound · **Posted:** Thu May 20, 2010 6:05 pm

Nice one Countryboy... I had seen chook domes made from PVC but didn;t think about making a tractor from PVC.

Big_Dave · **Posted:** Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:46 am

This is my "Chick Tractor" that I built yesteday.

This is just big enough for chicks, once they out grow it they will be moved to the big pen.

Burnsy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 30, 2010 11:55 pm

Old thread but here is mine if anyone is looking for ideas. Made out of recycled materials so nice and free. All hardwood though with 19mm compressed fibre cement floor in the roos so it weighs about 200kg, bit heavy to move around :fart: