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Post by johno on Feb 18, 2008 13:00:41 GMT -5
I'm thinking...  ... that chicken tractors must be powerful tools for working-over the garden beds. And that chickens must be the cheapest and lowest maintenance farm animals. This sounds like a win-win. Anybody have any thoughts or experience on this? |
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Post by plantsnobin on Feb 18, 2008 14:48:09 GMT -5
Johno, I just took and uploaded photos of our chicken housing. You can look at it on www.picasaweb.google.com/plantsnobin What I do to move the houses is this- I use a short piece of 4x4 and a tire jack to lift up the house just high enough to slip a pipe under the house on each corner. I like the rigid plumbing pipe that is at least 3 inches in diameter. You can easily push it wherever you want it to go, as long as the ground is reasonably level. Of course, when I am moving them, my neighbor always comes over and says 'I can move that with the tractor if you want me to'. That's just because he is retired and bored, and loves any excuse to get out his little Kubota. These little movable houses are just perfect for clearing new ground for a garden. It only takes a couple of days for them to pick through the grass and be ready to move again. Clears and fertilizes at the same time. You can let them free range during the day, and they will always come in at night, no need to round them up. |
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Post by houseodessey on Feb 18, 2008 20:42:28 GMT -5
I never thought I'd say it, but I have chicken tractor envy. My poultry housing leaves much to be desired, aesthetically (SP?). I would pay for plans and building lists for something like that. Beautiful.
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Post by plantsnobin on Feb 19, 2008 10:20:50 GMT -5
Maybe I could get my husband to write down what he did. He is a carpenter, so he doesn't use plans, just does it. I offered to help him, but he prefers to do these projects by himself. Seems hard to hold up the corner piece and nail it at the same time, but he manages. The materials cost about $500, EACH not counting the roof. We had some clear fiberglass left from something else. I know you could buy a lot of eggs for $500, but he could have gone with a much more reasonable siding on it. We didn't paint them, just put watersealer on them, and I am not happy with the result. The are starting to look ugly so I will paint them when it warms up. I've tried to talk him into building some to sell, but he doesn't think anyone would pay what he would need.
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Post by houseodessey on Feb 19, 2008 18:51:48 GMT -5
Perhaps that's why mine are so homely. I usually scavenge the materials and they only cost me hardware and chicken wire. I would be interested in a basic plan, though. I'm not good with spatial relations and such.
Johno, I think that's a great plan for your beds. I think I'll put some hens in my fugly tractor tomorrow and give it a go!
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Post by johno on Feb 20, 2008 1:34:06 GMT -5
I love the $500.00 chicken houses - really nice! But I'm more into a lightweight "fugly" made-from-salvage tractor. Something I can move easily over UN-even ground. Okay, it doesn't have to be fugly... but I don't have a lot of chickens, and I was thinking about pretty minimal shelter - sort of a spring home.
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Post by plantsnobin on Feb 21, 2008 8:25:14 GMT -5
OK, how about a pvc pipe hoop house type thing? Maybe covered with a tarp for protection. a few pieces of pvc, a few 2x4's or 2x6' for a base, some chicken wire on the ends. I don't know how many chickens you have or want, but I would think about 8 ft wide by 12 or 16 ft long would allow enough space for a dozen or so. You could attach wheels to pull it, if you where only going in a straight line. We tried wheels on ours at first, but it didn't work because I was trying to move them in all directions.
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Post by ohiorganic on Feb 21, 2008 17:53:42 GMT -5
We made our out of old lumber laying around the farm and 65 bushel hog feeders we picked up at an auction years ago. Got 5 feeders for $7.50 and made $10 taking the iron weights to the recycling center where they buy metal. Ended up with 4 tractors, 2 small silos for the feed and a fire ring for entertainment. that was a well spent $7.50. there might be a picture of one at my website www.boulderbeltfarm.com. Click on the "chicken page" Link. |
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Post by hoosierheightsfarm on Mar 13, 2008 19:46:02 GMT -5
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Post by plantsnobin on Mar 14, 2008 8:52:09 GMT -5
now, that one with the colonel is just wrong!!!!
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Post by blanesgarden on Mar 16, 2008 6:07:49 GMT -5
Hey Johno.......Hoosier gave the link that were trying to build one by. This is taking a while, but little at a time.........  Heres Joey, puttin on some paint.....Got to come up with a roof, and egg box next. |
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Post by johno on Mar 16, 2008 10:04:01 GMT -5
Thanks for all the input, everyone!
The garden beds are mostly 4' X 20'. I think a 4' X 10' chicken tractor would suit my needs well: work 1/2 a bed at a time, and still be easy enough to move.
Some of the low tunnel hoops I already have would work nicely as a frame for chicken wire. I have a few short pieces of corrugated fiberglass roofing, which are lightweight. I think I even have some 10' boards around here. Hmmm... I see a plan coming together...
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Post by doverduo on Apr 4, 2008 17:52:11 GMT -5
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... that chicken tractors must be powerful tools for working-over the garden beds. And that chickens must be the cheapest and lowest maintenance farm animals. This sounds like a win-win. Anybody have any thoughts or experience on this?
