Chicken Tractor Advice Needed Please

MommaChick · Post by **MommaChick** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 9:46 am

Good news is that the old boats that had been sitting in my riding ring taunting me are GONE and I have a boat trailer staring at me each day. The plan is to make a chicken tractor to haul around the paddock for my growouts.
At first I was thinking that I wanted a heavy duty wire mesh floor so the

would just fall through on to the grasss. Now I'm thinking that the mess would just collect onto the frame of the trailer and I would have another job to worry about.
So now Im thinking that maybe I would make the chicken house extend out over the trailer and have the mesh floor just under the roosts.
Does anyone have a moveable chicken house with a

through floor at all? What would I use for that part? Are there any other must haves for a tractor? I have the windows, and a few more ideas, but anything else would be awesome.

baronrenfrew · Post by **baronrenfrew** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 11:35 am

How many birds? How big? Summer only or 12 months per year?

The wire floor would be fine as the trailer steel needs paint and should be pressure washed once every so often. If the birds can run underneath it also serves as a a sun shade/shelter.
With a setup like this be prepared to stake it down for the freak wind storms that will happen. Something big and heavy is fine but this might be light depending on build style and surrounding features. The trailer likely has three points (two wheels and hitch) so better to build something a diamond or triangle shape. square or retangle is fine but may be unstable. If you don't need to walk in then think of how you'll get them out when needed.

So what you have is either a movable coop and the birds free range; or you have a mobile coop with an attached and moveable run.

Do you have pics of the trailer?

MommaChick · Post by **MommaChick** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:15 pm

So i was thinking a house on wheels that I can pull through the paddock in the good weather and park in tye barnyard in the winter. It would be heavy because I am a horrible builder and would be using mostly wood. I was thinking a house sitting on top of the trailer and when the birds came out for the morning, they could run under the trailer, but I wouldn't be able to fit under there. I was thinking of using water storage containers to make the weight load level. I will see if I can get a pic.

ross · Post by **ross** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:54 pm

Found on web . Bolt bottom coop frame to to trailer frame . Chicken door & ramp to outside for grazing or 6 sided wire pen hooked on behind to pull around yard to fresh grass . Could pull with riding lawnmower . Luck

Post by **poultry_admin** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 5:15 pm

I would also add jacks under the front and back so that you can walk in the trailer/house without having it tip under your own weight.