Show your chicken tractor\chicken coop

[hrd2fnd]

May I ask what is the purpose of blocking off the access underneath it?  Was there any thought given to cleaning out access?  Not trying to not pick, just curious is all.  Thanks for sharing

not sure Im quite following you, there are doors for access, I just like the A frame because its less wood and material for the same floor space. Heres another design.

my post was not to the a-frames.  Those a-frames are a thought, by chance do you have a pic of the insides? How many chickens call it home? 

[3nails]

May I ask what is the purpose of blocking off the access underneath it?  Was there any thought given to cleaning out access?  Not trying to not pick, just curious is all.  Thanks for sharing

If you are referring to the coop I posted there is a trap door that gives the chickens access. It's been my experience that putting a lot of time and effort into making it mobile is unnecessary. It's nice to have a small run for them that is caged but most people end up letting them free range the majority of the time. Hardly anyone moves them around on a consistant enough basis to keep them from destroying the sod they are on, so instead of ruining the whole yard they just leave them in one spot and let them out.

[Craig]

Just finishing mine up.
3 black stars
2 Plymouth rocks
1 Americana

Compact rock and gravel with lots of chicken wire secured with bricks






Making a outside additional run for when we are around.

[3nails]

 If I wasn't hoping to move soon I'd definitely go that route with the permanent coop, Craig.

[hrd2fnd]

May I ask what is the purpose of blocking off the access underneath it?  Was there any thought given to cleaning out access?  Not trying to not pick, just curious is all.  Thanks for sharing

If you are referring to the coop I posted there is a trap door that gives the chickens access. It's been my experience that putting a lot of time and effort into making it mobile is unnecessary. It's nice to have a small run for them that is caged but most people end up letting them free range the majority of the time. Hardly anyone moves them around on a consistant enough basis to keep them from destroying the sod they are on, so instead of ruining the whole yard they just leave them in one spot and let them out.

. Point well taken.  I can see this being the case and am giving thought around both types for both my turkeys i have currently in a 16x16 converted dog kennel that's a little closer to the house then we like.

[3nails]

 Another one I built and kept with a slightly different style. Pretty small and 10 chickens call it home. They seem to produce better during the winter months when they are crammed together for the night. They have three nesting boxes but mostly only use one. Both of these using scrap lumber probably cost $20 each. As you can see someone at our place has been neglecting cleaning the coop! 

[montana44mag]

  nice coop craig, I like it.


Moveable coops are nice, but yes you do need to move them often and the bigger the better so they dont tear it up so quick, ideally youd have atleast 8 square foot of floor per chicken, but you can go as low as 5 or 6 feet, but youd want to move it everyday, and of course dont do this on your pretty manicured lawn if you want it to stay looking that way, chickens are miniature dinosaurs and they can tear stuff up looking for bugs. A semi-wild yard is better anyway for them with a diverse selection of "weeds" and bugs, they like the dandelions more than the grass!


three nails: technically thats a coop and not a tractor, but it looks like it gets the job done, youre cleanup might be easier if the floor inside was made of wire mesh, and the nest boxes were plastic buckets, then you could just hit the inside with a pressure washer?

[montana44mag]

heres what i meant by nesting buckets, just remove the half-lid and spray it down with the hose! You can get these sterile, where wood is never the same after its soaked with feces.  Youll want one of these for every 2-4 chickens.

[hrd2fnd]

nice coop craig, I like it.


Moveable coops are nice, but yes you do need to move them often and the bigger the better so they dont tear it up so quick, ideally youd have atleast 8 square foot of floor per chicken, but you can go as low as 5 or 6 feet, but youd want to move it everyday, and of course dont do this on your pretty manicured lawn if you want it to stay looking that way, chickens are miniature dinosaurs and they can tear stuff up looking for bugs. A semi-wild yard is better anyway for them with a diverse selection of "weeds" and bugs, they like the dandelions more than the grass!

couldn't agree more.  Having the acreage that I do, and not being able to maintain it the way I had hoped before I physically got worst.  I figured what better way to maintain it then to use our natural resources.  Not only do they help keep nature from taking back my land, I can also become more self-efficient with the fruits of nature. 
So far the goats are keeping 1 acre cleared, while I expand that out to 2 this spring eventually a total of 4 fenced for a cow or 2.

[montana44mag]

If you got a bad back maybe 2 tractors, each 4 foot by 8 foot would be a good plan? Unless youre hooking up a tractor or quad to it I dont think youll want to move anything bigger by hand.

[hrd2fnd]

If you got a bad back maybe 2 tractors, each 4 foot by 8 foot would be a good plan? Unless youre hooking up a tractor or quad to it I dont think youll want to move anything bigger by hand.

by hand is out of the question, I would move either with the lawn tractor.

[montana44mag]

good call!  well that opens up alot more options! lots of free pallets out there if youre looking for free wood!

[hrd2fnd]

good call!  well that opens up alot more options! lots of free pallets out there if youre looking for free wood!

get out of my head there's barely enough room for me 

[3nails]

 Just made this one to sell.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Looks real good! Perfect size for a small flock.