Our chickens are growing…fast. We’ve put the plans for their permanent home into high gear so we can have it all ready for them once the weather (finally) turns.
While it would have been nice, free range was never in our plans. There are just too many coyotes, hawks and other predators that frequent our backyard.
But, we also do not want them to stay in one spot all the time. Not only would it destroy the ground and soil, but just think how bored they would get! No, we need them to be “on the move” so that our soil and garden can benefit from their scratches and generous supply of “compost”.
This is why we are planning a chicken tractor.
Ray drew up the plans this weekend. We did a google image search and hodge podged ideas from a few different set-ups together to create a plan for, what we feel, is the perfect chicken tractor.
Basically, the bottom will be open to the ground so that the chickens can do their thing with the soil-scratch, peck, pull out bugs, etc. There will be a few roosting boxes, some perches, a waterer and feeder inside the caged area.
On the back there will be a water tank that we will set up to automatically fill a pvc pipe set-up with nipples for the chickens to wet their whistles. The slanted roof will catch rainwater to refill the tank.
The roosting boxes will have an easy access door so we can get in and grab the eggs each day, and there will be a box to store their feed.
There will be a handle on the front so we can pull it around the yard once or twice a day. We will probable pull it up by the house each night just in case a crafty raccoon gets any ideas.
The plan is to start construction in the next two weekends to have it ready by the time the weather gets warmer. Stay tuned for another post on the construction!
a pinch of homestead 