Barrel Composter and Chicken Tractor

[listentotheduckie]

thats really good great ideas i cant wait to get my chickie chicks :D

[jeph4life]

is that real grass or astoturf? lol j/k

[weldermatt07]

i built a watering system similar to that but i used 1/4" tubing, and i have 6 nipple waterers in about 2' of pvc, with a feeder trough under it to catch the wasted water, it works great for my brooder tractor. i will shoot a video of it sometime

[icicicles]

Nice work! I wonder though if that 5 gal bucket is going to be big enough?

[padkisson]

@icicicles

If you were asking about the watering system it worked great!!!! The 5 gallon bucket was great. It would need cleaning (several weeks) long before they ever drank 1/2 of it usually.

If you were meaning the "nest box" bucket... it works great as well. Sometimes two will share it to lay eggs at the same time. :0)

[icicicles]

@padkisson Yes, I was talking about the nesting box. Thanks for the great Ideas.

[3031607]

can you tell me how you did the watering system?i have a big coop with 30 chickens and 5 roostersthey keep on attckingme when i bring water i full 4 half cut paint buckets daily

[padkisson]

@3031607 I would suggest talking to the farm supply/ feed store they helped me. That's were I bought the drinker "nipples" since they are a specialty product. You might just get a self filling dog waterer too (Walmart) hooks to a water hose.

[zealyouthguy]

Do you have a link to your water system plan?

[padkisson]

@zealyouthguy No I'm sorry I don't. It was just a piece together project. Necessity truly is the mother of invention.

[MrPoonasty]

thats not enough room for all the birds when they get big is it?really nice job on both projects!

[padkisson]

Actually it is, because this functions as a moveable chicken coop more than anything. However some really do keep theirs in one all the time. If I did I would think that 3 maybe 4 would be the limit and it would need a large fresh grass area to be moved around on every day. Now that they are grown they roost in it and lay their eggs but spend their days in a large fenced in area. I move it to clean and it works great!!! 5 happy girls, 5 eggs a day!!!

[Synergist2]

Really good job. I like the small details that add function. Thanks.

[packagewarren]

great job on both projects, thanks.

[nolanmontess87]

nice tractor mine is almost done.Great work

[padkisson]

Thanks for the compliment. Post a vid of yours when it's finished. I would like to see it.

[rlehtinen]

Hi!

Looks great!

Where did you find out about the feeder and waterer? I need to make those, can you point me out to a URL?

[padkisson]

Thanks for your comment and question. I found the (orange colored) drinker tips at the local feed store. They also had the PVC "T's" that they screwed into. The rest I designed and made work with fittings and rubber washers I found at the hardware store. I think I used a 5/8 brass threaded to hose connector through a hole in the bucket, with nylon toilet nuts with rubber washers. I remember I had to use my sander/grinder to make the outside nut thinner so I could use rubber washers.

[tpm4life]

all the birds have names, so they are not going on the Bar B Q pit any time soon im thinking...

[padkisson]

Nope ... I'm not that "citified" we don't eat them all the time but "If it crows it goes" and as they age and stop laying they will be eaten and replaced. We just had a hen become a "crowing hen." She is in the frig waiting for the pot today. :0)

[Carlstens]

Good job on the chicken tractor, been thinking of re-building the nest boxes in my coop. I may use the bucket idea!! (If you don't mind)

[padkisson]

Thank you. Don't mind at all. It really worked out well. They are easy to clean as needed and just the right size. My five girls take turns (mostly) laying. When I go out to collect it's nice to open it up and find 5 beautiful multi hued eggs waiting on me.

[4trahasis]

i really like the design of the chicken tractor. fyi.

[padkisson]

Thank you ... It's really worked out well.

[gokory]

how does that composter work? in don't get the spinning barrel deal

[padkisson]

You spin the barrel every couple of days or when you think about it for aeration. Composing happens in two ways, anaerobic and aerobically. With oxygen and without. When it's without you get the sewer like bad smelling sludge. The more it's turned and mixed with air the faster it seems to make wonderful "sweet" smelling (like good dirt) rich compost.

[gokory]

my dad has Agbags and makes compost with them it is often used to make growing mediums but i don't know the process

[padkisson]

Thanks...It seems to be working great. I added a couple of 1/2 or 1" holes (can't remember which) in the bottom so when I take out the bedding I can wash it out well. Now it drains well and is ready for new bedding immediately.

[spartaeus]

Excellent idea using a plastic bucket for a nest box. Easier to keep clean than wood.

[kimmyanne080390]

well that paint job is nice....who did it???

[Josiah531]

My prediction is that the compost barrel will not work well. I built one a while back but the weight of the dirt wore of the barrel till it broke.

The chicken tractor looks cool though. Thanks for posting this as a response.

[padkisson]

It may, I don't know since it's my first one. It was a real thick white food grade barrel that I had to paint black. I think cola syrup came in them. What kind of barrel did you use? Was it new or had it set exposed in the sun a long time? Hey, it was free, so even if it makes it a season it was worth the effort. Enjoy your great looking chicken tractor, we love ours! Keep up the good work in sharing your journey with Jesus!

[Noz7777]

it looked really good to me, but then, I wouldn't know! If it does break, maybe you can get a similar metal one? I know my friends have made solar cookers etc from 40 gallon drums cut in half and they are pretty sturdy.

Or maybe you could put a supporting piece of wood underneath and put a series of rollers on it?

Oh, one last thing... with the chicken tractor - I found my similar sized one was a bit small for full size chooks. A dome system/ orchard integration could work well.