Chicken Tractor Plans - Make an Easy to Build Portable Chicken Coop

When it comes to building a chicken coop for your backyard chickens, you may find that chicken tractor plans are the easiest to follow.

What is a chicken tractor?

Chicken

It is simply a portable chicken coop that has no floor. The chickens are able to scratch in the dirt and lay in the grass. They can get plenty of exercise and dig for bugs to eat. Chickens that can't run free for some reason or another will usually be happier and healthier if they can spend time in a tractor since they will be able to move about the yard and always have fresh scratching areas.

Chicken tractor plans are fairly simple.

This type of chicken coop is usually built in a simple A-frame style. Using less lumber means the coop will be light enough to drag around the yard. If you want to build a big portable coop then you can add wheels to it to help you move it. The sides of the tractor are covered in wire mesh to keep the chickens in and dogs or other predators out.

You can choose plans for building a simple small chicken coop to keep a hen and her chicks in until the chicks get big enough to avoid predation. You will also find more elaborate chicken tractor plans that can house several hens and include nesting boxes.

A plan for building a simple chicken tractor would be to build an A-frame of the desired size and cover the sides with chicken wire. You want to use the smallest diameter wire you can afford. The larger the holes in the mesh, the cheaper the wire. Remember that the purpose is to protect your chickens from predators so while your chickens might not be able to get out of a large hole, a predator might be able to squeeze in. Be sure to attach a water system to the side of the tractor or simply put in a water pan so your chicks will have access to water whenever they want it.

Chicken Tractor Plans - Make an Easy to Build Portable Chicken Coop

Chicken tractor plans should be easy to follow, illustrated, and include supplies list with recommendations on caring for your newly built chicken coop and its dwellers. Here is more information and pictures of chicken tractor and building plans for other types of chicken coops.
http://www.squidoo.com/chicken-tractor-plans-portable-chicken-coop

Chicken Tractor Plans - 9 Tips For Building a Chicken Tractor

Chicken tractors are easy to build yourself but you will need good chicken tractor plans to make sure it is built solidly and has all the features necessary so that your chickens are happy and comfortable. A chicken tractor is a type of coop that protects your chickens from the weather and predators but is has no floor and it can be moved around the yard.

Chicken tractors are lightweight and portable - some folks even put wheels on one end to make it easier to move. The portability and small size makes them the ideal solution for those just getting started raising chickens. Chicken tractors can also be cheap to build if you find the right plans.

Chicken

In order to build a proper chicken tractor, you should consider these nine tips:

• Make the chicken tractor predator-proof by choosing the correct size of wire mesh. It should be 15 mm square at the largest.
• The area that the tractor is kept should be surrounded by a fence with wire mesh. The base should be buried at least 30 centimeters below ground to keep animals like rats and foxes from digging underneath it.
• The chicken tractor should be well-ventilated but the chickens should not be directly in the wind.
• Make sure to include roosting poles because this is where chickens sleep.
• Put one nesting box per four or five chickens in a dark corner and a little off the floor.
• You will need at least four square feet per chicken.
• To easily clean up droppings, put a plastic tray under the roosting pole.
• Make the entire tractor easy to clean.
• Place the feed and waterer inside the tractor.

Chicken Tractor Plans - 9 Tips For Building a Chicken Tractor

About this Author

After a lot of research, I found easy to follow chicken tractor plans and built my first chicken tractor. We now have four chickens who are taking care of the yard by eating bugs and weeds. We also get fresh eggs everyday which taste so much better than store bought eggs. Visit my site to see the chicken tractor plans I used and how easy and cheap the tractor was to build.

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