5 on the Farm: Chicken Tractor

The first video in our series, "5 on the Farm," featuring activities and animals on Brier Creek Family Farm. For more info, check out our Road to Simplicity page on Facebook.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Chicken tractor
• farming
• Brier Creek Family Farm
• Ameraucana
• homesteading
• chicken coop
• how
• to
• diy
• instructions

[lkbolin]

@RainbowFarmSalesChic My husband corrected me, and we've been using the tractors for nearly 2 years without a single breech. Our goats can even stand on the chicken wire roof without breaking it. This was our first DIY video, and the design wasn't explained well. We'll be more thorough with the next video. The cool thing about being married to an engineer who was raised on a farm is being constantly amazed with his innovations. It seems like a crime not to share them.

[RainbowFarmSalesChic]

Wouldn't u want to be safe then sorry then losing all your flock just because you wanted to save money. Am talking from experience. It take's once for predators to know it's easy. Ask any person that is serous about chicken framing that's not the way to go. A great place to get info is Backyard Chickens.

[lkbolin]

@ConcernedMushroom Thanks for the feedback. We haven't lost a single chicken to predators. The chickens have had no problem with the loft. We do sometimes have to tap the nipple the first time, so they get the idea. My husband built roll-away nesting boxes that attach to the back, and work great. We'll make another video soon. 

[lkbolin]

@RainbowFarmSalesChic Thanks for the feedback. We've had the tractors for over a year, and haven't lost a single chicken to predators. We now have 50 chickens in 5 tractors, and are expanding our flock by 200 this year.

[RainbowFarmSalesChic]

how do u keep the predators out? Sorry to tell but chicken wire does not keep coons out, if u don't change to a wire mesh then I feel really sorry for chickens it's a matter of days before there eaten. I made safer coops then that w less then a $100.

[ConcernedMushroom]

I like your design. How did it work? Did it keep the predators out? Also, did you have any trouble teaching the chickens to go up into the loft? And did they know to tap the water bucket "nipple" or did you have to show them? I had a similar set up and had to hold their little beaks up to the nipple a few times before they got the idea to go there for their water.