we finished building the chicken tractor today. it is made out of 10 pieces of electrical conduit, 10 feet of 1 1/2" PVC, 10 feet of 4" pvc, some scrap corrugated steel roofing and the chicken wire. it should last quite a few years assuming it doesn't get damaged by feisty children. it cost us around $35 to make. my hands are sore from wiring the chicken wire to the conduit. have a few new blisters and several little cuts. it took a little longer than it should have because i designed it on the fly.
it sits directly on, and is open to, the ground giving the chickens access to the grass and dirt. it is light enough to move around the yard so the chickens can mow our lawn and fertilize it at the same time. they will live there full time once they are old enough. the unit is ten feet by ten feet by 18 inches tall. i have yet to finish the automatic waterer. i need a small piece of hose.
What will you do about digging animals like foxes. Can't they get under that and enjoy a meal?
ReplyDeleteGood question, Pablo. Yeah, what about the foxes? Hmmm...Cool rig though! Your poor little fingers! Don't get me started...
ReplyDeletepablo,
ReplyDeleteallegedly digging animals cannot dig (these are missouri standards here) under to the chickens in a single night. a daily inspection is a must and if any varmit makes any progress during the night then the chicken tractor must be moved. we have a few friends that have had success with this method for the past few years. i plan to get 4 pieces of ten foot pressure treated landscape lumber and lay around the edge to make any assault that much more difficult.
How many chickens will you house in there at one time?
ReplyDeletewe have 26 chicks ready to move in when they are old enough.
ReplyDeleteWe plan on building a tractor, too, but also having a coop/house for them so they can get in out of the cold. It gets chilly here in Missouri, and besides, our neighbors can be a bit unruly at times.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement, Karl. What type of changes would have made to this chicken tractor?
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