Chicken Tractor or Chicken Tank?

[MossflowerWoods]

No way could you be worse...

We shall see.

Hopefully tomorrow I am making an intermediate pen from some 1x2's and chicken wire so the baby chix can get outside in a controlled environment for part/most of the day.

I'm up to 16 next generation chicks right now. 6 white pullets, 6 red pullets, 2 bantams, and 2 (hopefully femal) muscovy ducklings.

I'm down to 7 guineas (started with 30 or 31). 7 red hens (started with 21) 1 leghorn (started with 4 or 5) and 1 English game hen (had 2 until today).

I also bough a clubfooted rooster. We had one vanish, and the other was a mean ole turd so I shot him. This guy (I wanted to call him Buster 'cause he was busted, but he makes funny clucking noises so the girls called him "Chuckles") is an Americauna and he is decent sized and kinda cute. I felt sorry for him, and he seemed nicer that the last one...

Anyway, I'll try to take pix of my construction tomorrow.
We can all see how I do...

Be well sir,
David

 

[flyerdan]

Not a chicken farmer but some observations from a fabricator...
One way to foil digging predators might be to have some fold down skirting that would essentially provide a 2' sidewalk around the structure, if you will. Made out of chain link fencing, it would be negligible in weight but impossible to dig through, and could be held down by some easily removable bracing. The front and back sections could be 4' wider than the structure to fill out the corners and not drag while transporting, provided that width isn't an issue.
If you have a fencing contractor nearby you could probably get used material from teardowns really cheap, if not free.
While not foolproof, having to tunnel 2 feet might discourage most, and there will be evidence so Mr.Winchester can be on the vigil.

 

[dmccarty]

Hey Dan,

Nice coop! I've got a wife request for us to have chickens so this is nice inspiration. I'm sure my terrier(ist) will enjoy them as well.

A friend that works down the hall from me just lost 8 out of 10 birds due to a neighbor's dog, I've sent her this link.

I've got the same critters around, don't think you need to worry about the vultures as they only eat dead meat.

Just wondering, did you get your inspiration from CCCC? I live about 10 miles north of town.

Thanks,
Sam

Sam,

Yep, we paid a visit to CCCC. Melinda at Southern State's farm supply in PBO sent us to CCCC. I think the person we talked to at CCCC was named Hillary. We just parked in front of the garden area and walked to take a look around. Hilary came out and we started talking. We bought the chicks from Southern State. Melinda has everything you would need to raise the chickens and has been very helpful.

Our Golden has been very good with the chickens. Our youngest would sit the chicks on the dog and the dog would not budge. Amazing for any dog but especially a bird dog.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

....
One way to foil digging predators might be to have some fold down skirting that would essentially provide a 2' sidewalk around the structure, if you will. Made out of chain link fencing, it would be negligible in weight but impossible to dig through, and could be held down by some easily removable bracing. The front and back sections could be 4' wider than the structure to fill out the corners and not drag while transporting, provided that width isn't an issue. ...

The wheels on the Tractor Tank are INSIDE so I could attach fence material to the sides of the tank. After working on the Tractor Tank, I was hoping that I could skip attaching the fence to the sides but I think to be safe I will end up using some fence to prevent digging.

I put fence on the ground to stop my GSD from digging and it worked very well. :laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

I call it chicken rugby... we have tons of frogs, and the chicken can swallow a whole frog, but it takes some peace an quiet and a couple dozen seconds or more...

We've had a hen still running around with "most" of a frog in her beak an hour or more later...

we started them young when chicks we'd throw a horn worm off the tomato plants into their pen and it was like a match to gasoline... Off to the races.

Your tank looks awesome. I'm a much worse carpenter that both you and Foreman... I just let mine run around outside all day... I've lost quite a few that way though...

David

I was finally cleaning up the garden yesterday and we let the chickens into the garden to catch bugs. :laughing: The sun came out and they go hot so we put them back into the coop. Our youngest caught some bugs for the spoiled chickens and tossed the bugs into the coop. As I was digging I found some huge grubs and I tossed two of them into the coop. The Race was on for a few minutes as the chickens chased the chicken with the grub. The dummies were so busy chasing the chicken with a grub they missed they other grub.

Saturday I finished filling in the gap on the door and fixing the sag. This took three hours. :laughing:

Not sure the word "carpentry" applies to what I did to fill in the gap.

Later,
Dan

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Dan,

This is a small chick tractor. Really it is just a cage to keep them outside, but safe, during the day. They all sleep in some storage containers at night. I did wire the bottom too.

I used 1x2's, chicken wire, screws, and staples. I scrounged up some of the boards and used some scraps of plywood.

Not sure it counts as "carpentry" either....

Wait till you see the "chicken shack"... It is not done yet...

David

 

[dmccarty]

Dan,

This is a small chick tractor. Really it is just a cage to keep them outside, but safe, during the day. They all sleep in some storage containers at night. I did wire the bottom too.

I used 1x2's, chicken wire, screws, and staples. I scrounged up some of the boards and used some scraps of plywood.

Not sure it counts as "carpentry" either....

Wait till you see the "chicken shack"... It is not done yet...

David

We, who is this we, THEY want chicken runs which mean *** I ** will have to build them. :laughing: The runs will have to be fenced on the side and roof. My first thought was to put up T posts, fencing and buy some netting I have seen in farm catalogs. Then I saw a photo similar to what you built...

I am thinking that maybe I can just build little "tunnel" boxes that we can attach to the Chicken Tank. With multiple tunnels connected together I can form a run where we want it. The tunnels could be moved around to keep the "grass" from getting completely torn up.

Chicken Trails like Hamster Trails. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Chicken Trails like Hamster Trails. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

Chicken trails... You are killing me. I called in sick and kept a 20 gauge and the AR close at hand. Here is what I did today...

I call this the "Chik'n Shak". When we bought this place it was a very neglected wood shed with other weird stuff (like kitchen cabinets and dressers all with very wet particle board. The wood had been under a tarp and was NASTY. I cleaned much of it up last fall, and I've been keeping hay in it. The first 3 pictures are pretty much what it looked like up until today...

The 4th picture is as good as I could make it for tonight, and the ducks and chickens are in it as you can see in the blurry 5th pic (the guineas got confused I think...).

The idea is this is acceptable to pen them up in when the girls must leave because it has windows etc. and they will not be so miserable as in a metal shed with no light.

I'm gonna teach the wife and oldest to shoot, soon...

I used only scrap except for nails and screws. I did this with junk left here.

It looks better than it is, and it don;t look very good. it is seriously kludged together...

Just thought I'd share...

Be well,
David

 

[flyerdan]

I find it rather odd that I chimed in here a couple days ago and look what's wandering around the neighborhood today:

This is nowhere near what would be considered rural or farm country, just a couple blocks off a main through town road. Obviously someone has some backyard chickens, and it had to have gotten out today or the varmints would have got it. Don't know how it has avoided run-ins with all the feral cats, there are at least have a dozen that I see daily.

 

[dmccarty]

Chicken trails... You are killing me. I called in sick and kept a 20 gauge and the AR close at hand. Here is what I did today...

...

I call this the "Chik'n Shak". When we bought this place it was a very neglected wood shed with other weird stuff (like kitchen cabinets and dressers all with very wet particle board. The wood had been under a tarp and was NASTY. I cleaned much of it up last fall, and I've been keeping hay in it. The first 3 pictures are pretty much what it looked like up until today...

....

David

Wow. I thought I was spoiling the chickens with a Chicken Tank and chicken trails....

But David has his chickens in a proper house, with windows, wall cabinets, and a table....



When are you going to hang a chandelier for them?

Will you use candles, electric power, or the oh so nice gas?

:laughing::laughing::laughing:

When you say the "Chik'n Shak" the B52's Love Shack song starts in my head....


Later,
Dan