Another Chicken Tractor Project

[survriggs]

Some friends brought my 4 yr. old granddaughter a hen setting on 5 eggs in a small cage. So, I had to build something when they hatched. I looked at pics and plans for mobile chicken pens (chicken tractors) and had some old treated lumber laying around. So here goes my first project to post to TBN. I think it qualifies for this forum as I used my tractor to move it. It's 4'x8' with a nesting area sticking out the back with a hinged roof to gather eggs. Here is the first pics of the framing. These two pics show the framing and a 8/12 pitch roof

 

[survriggs]

This is with siding and the rear hatch on. What you see on the side under the eaves is openings with screen wire behind it that can be raised for ventilation. The rear access to the nesting boxes has been shingled. I used a piece of inner tube for flashing at the top of the rear door since it's flexible. My wife says it's too heavy to lift and hold up so I'm going to check into the small hydraulic lift cylinders to help raise it.

 

[survriggs]

this is a front view with the roof edge and the roof shingled. I hope the 10" x 12" opening is big enough for a fat hen.

 

[survriggs]

this is the other side with the double doors to clean it out and the little girl that caused all of this work and my son that has helped build it. More pics to come as I get the wire on, etc.

 

[radioman]

nice!:thumbsup:

 

[MotorSeven]

Looks good! 10x2 should be big enough, but you may want to put a grab bar on the outside for the hen to land on. It's hard for them to fly into a small opening with open wings. I used a 1" dowel, but a square will also work fine.

Use rat wire(hardware cloth) 1/2 x 1/2....chicken wire is useless against predators.

 

[survriggs]

Looks good! 10x2 should be big enough, but you may want to put a grab bar on the outside for the hen to land on. It's hard for them to fly into a small opening with open wings. I used a 1" dowel, but a square will also work fine.

Use rat wire(hardware cloth) 1/2 x 1/2....chicken wire is useless against predators.

Thanks for the comment. I will have a ramp down from the door to the ground, it's just not there yet. As far as the wire I used the 1" x 1" and didn't see any smaller wire at the farm store. I guess if I build another one I'll look into the rat wire.

 

[Botabill]

As far as wire is concerned I like 1 inch electroweld. I don't think it costs much more than 1/2 chicken wire but it adds lots of structural strength as it is a much heavier guage. Re the little enclosure. Good that you plan for plenty of ventilation. If the sun shines down on it the inside will be like an oven without it. Hens prefer to perch off the ground at night not necessarily in an enclosed area. The little house they will like for laying eggs and setting. If you put a perch up in the open pen area put some kind of cover on top of the pen it for those windy rainy/snowy nights. The pen is real well built and looks great. The kids will really enjoy and learn a lot from having chickens... you may too. I love mine.

 

[ultrarunner]

Great Job... always had chickens as a kid growing up.

The only problem we had was making the coop strong enough to keep the fox out... seems they are very persistent and didn't have too much trouble going under or getting through regular chicken wire.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Just post that chicken tractor within shotgun range of your bedroom and listen for the noise. If you are a good shot, no more danger of fox in the hen house.
I have a problem with red tailed hawks and you arent allowed to shoot them. The warden says to pen up your chickens for a few days and when the food supply leaves so will the hawks. Wife penned them for 5-6 days and sure enough the hawks left, but for how long we dont know, chickens are free ranging again not but go to their pen at night. I have chicken wire sides and top to keep the raptors out. Next door neighbor was loosing some from the hawks or owls going over into the pen that had no top. They got about 10 of my birds before we saw what was making them disappear.