Good chicken tractors: please submit your pics

tcamp · Post by **tcamp** » Mon Feb 27, 2017 9:31 pm

Now this is the best if you are just wanting something to use during the day, but get them back to the coop at night...I LOVE this idea and it is what will work best for me. It folds flat to put away and is cheap and easy to construct. The ends are rigid fencing just placed on with cup hooks. The main is just two panels hinged together. Sweet and simple weed eaters is what this is! I have so many places in my yard that I need the birds to work on without heading straight to my flower beds like they usually do!

Or a more sturdy version:

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:14 pm

kenya wrote:QR_BBPOST
Maximus wrote:QR_BBPOST Why not just free range? Or use an electric fence system? Seems like a lot of work for backyard chickens.
Ha! Ha! I think you missed the part about the wife wanting clean shoes. For some reason when my chickens free range they like to congregate where you walk and all over, I imagine that's his problem.

I took it as well her shoes aren't clean, shucks! But living on a farm I assumed everyone has barn shoes or outdoor shoes and grassy areas.

Hard to assume what clean shoes humbug means ... for me anyways. :)

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 12:14 pm

baronrenfrew wrote:QR_BBPOST Kenya wins the RTFP award! (read the freakin post) yep Carla wants the birds "cooped" instead of the garden fenced in and her shoes cleanish.

I like the birds to survive and lay eggs (and ) where I want them to.

bring on the moving coops!

Bert do you remember, or anybody else for that matter, there was somebody on PSO from this area, he got a very fancy metal chicken tractor made be some "brethren " (sorry not sure which group) in Southern Ontario? He was very happy with it and was planning to get more?

Brebis · Post by **Brebis** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 12:18 pm

Bryce at Picton Farm Supply has one behind his mill he uses for raising meatiest over the summer I'll check with him next time I'm in.

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 12:34 pm

http://www.lancasterchickencoops.com
Bert, you have a big barn, why not one of these cuties for summer and then move the whole shebang in to the barn in the winter?
Would satisfy the whole aesthetically pleasing and cleanish shoes requirement?

tcamp · Post by **tcamp** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 1:00 pm

Just another idea I found online

: 75f1ea6b54f59f22ab764b6c816acc12.jpg (38.25 KiB) Viewed 4830 times

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:11 pm

Ontario Chick wrote:QR_BBPOST
baronrenfrew wrote:QR_BBPOST Kenya wins the RTFP award! (read the freakin post) yep Carla wants the birds "cooped" instead of the garden fenced in and her shoes cleanish.

I like the birds to survive and lay eggs (and ) where I want them to.

bring on the moving coops!
Bert do you remember, or anybody else for that matter, there was somebody on PSO from this area, he got a very fancy metal chicken tractor made be some "brethren " (sorry not sure which group) in Southern Ontario? He was very happy with it and was planning to get more?

I don't know if this is what you're talking about, but I remember some one bought a 'Cackellac',
http://canadianhomesteadsupply.com/cackellac-812/

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:53 pm

Thanks Jan, that's interesting too, the price is very comparable to the one I had in mind, which was mainly metal, just thought since people get enthusiastic and then bail in quick succession, there may be some available on kijiji real soon

baronrenfrew · Post by **baronrenfrew** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 8:00 am

Folks I am asking for ones that you HAVE or have personal experience with, not ones that you can search on google. What works and what doesn't. I have built two: one was just a big cage with a roof (and it worked fine) but was vulnerable to wind in heavy thunderstorms (one side of the hinged roof would flip open). The other was a sturdy 2x4 frame with a locked in coop but it was too heavy to move and the coop had too little ventilation. I used it for quail for two years. It was also very hard to catch the birds and get them out when necessary.

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:19 am

baronrenfrew wrote:QR_BBPOST I have built two: one was just a big cage with a roof (and it worked fine) but was vulnerable to wind in heavy thunderstorms (one side of the hinged roof would flip open). The other was a sturdy 2x4 frame with a locked in coop but it was too heavy to move and the coop had too little ventilation. I used it for quail for two years. It was also very hard to catch the birds and get them out when necessary.

I suspect you are getting flight of fancy, because nobody actually built anything practical and movable and then actually moved on regular bases.
That is why I mentioned the past PSO members ( I remember two ) one was home built and one was purchased and they both seemed to be functional. It's too bad that info isn't accessible anymore.
Our mobile, was way too heavy to move on regular bases, used available material, so we built it with 2 pop doors, and moved the "play pens" to alternate sides.

movable with a garden tractor, the only tractor we have

Found couple more pictures,
the "play pen" is 4x4 frames and 4x8 frames held together with bungee cords, light and easy to move and easy to re-configure
Before we had time to decide what to do about the roof, winter came and a "temporary" tarp cover was put on, 5 years later...still on :)