# Large chicken tractor plans



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

We have about 30 chickens and I would like to make something mobile for them. Perhaps using a trailer as a base if needed. I want to be able to move them around to fertilize the field as well as each ticks/grasshoppers in different areas as needed. I also want the bottom to be wire so poo falls through. It is so hard to find something good online for more than like 5 chickens! Any pointers?


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

I built a hoop house out of 2 x 4's and 2 pieces of hog or cattle pannels. With the panels in a hoop shape, it give enoughs room for a person to get in upright (no bending over) to collect eggs, feed, water, etc. The room inside the hoop house is about 8' X 10' which 30 chickens can easily fit into.

The base is make up with the 2 X 4's with the panels attached to it. There is a door on one end and the rest of it is enclosed in wire (chicken wire works on the panels, but on each of the ends I used wire that a dog, ****, etc, can't rip apart.

I'm not so sure you want wire on the bottom of it - it will clip the grass off, squash any bugs present and eventuaully rust and rot.

While my hoop house is heavy, I can easily move it myself by putting some 2 X 4's down and sliding it where it needs to go. You just have to watch that no chickens get caught. Wheels would make it easier to move, I suppose, but it just glides right over the boards that are laid down


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## simka2 (Sep 27, 2011)

Michael W. Smith said:


> I built a hoop house out of 2 x 4's and 2 pieces of hog or cattle pannels. With the panels in a hoop shape, it give enoughs room for a person to get in upright (no bending over) to collect eggs, feed, water, etc. The room inside the hoop house is about 8' X 10' which 30 chickens can easily fit into.
> 
> The base is make up with the 2 X 4's with the panels attached to it. There is a door on one end and the rest of it is enclosed in wire (chicken wire works on the panels, but on each of the ends I used wire that a dog, ****, etc, can't rip apart.
> 
> ...


How did you get in to it? Do you have any photos or similar photo's? I really like this idea.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

That sounds much like the one I build for our banties, just doesn't seem big enough for all our big chickens. Ours is about 12 x 8.


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

We have one similar to the hoop house mentioned and will try to get a picture of it posted. Works great. We move it every day and can raise out about 50 broilers in it, 75 if we squish them up a bit. 30 layers should have plenty of room, especially if you move them every day. With the broilers, we just put a tarp over it to keep out the rain and keep the heat down. With laying hens, you'd need to think of something more permanent, enclosed area. This adds to the weight of it, so keep that in mind.

The alternative we're working on for our layers is to take an old trailer or hay rack and build a coop on it with a bottom of heavy wire mesh. The laying boxes will be in there as well as an area for the feed and waterers. Access to these will be on the sides. Roosts will be in the middle and the layer boxes will be on the long edges with outside access to get to the eggs. We'll make this as long as possible, but the width will be limited to how far we can reach. If there's an egg or something in the middle of it, we want to be able to reach it. The chickens will then be allowed to free range out a door/ramp. The down side to this is the need to let them out and lock them up again at night. The fix to this would be to have an auto-door that would open when light and close a half hour after dark when all the chickens should be back inside. I know there are plans for these, but just haven't figured out if it's worth it or not. The plus side is it would be easy to move as it would have wheels and a hitch.


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

southerngurl said:


> We have about 30 chickens and I would like to make something mobile for them. Perhaps using a trailer as a base if needed. I want to be able to move them around to fertilize the field as well as each ticks/grasshoppers in different areas as needed. I also want the bottom to be wire so poo falls through. It is so hard to find something good online for more than like 5 chickens! Any pointers?


I posted these before----the size I got built would easily hold 20 chickens if it was moved daily. It could be some bigger for more chickens and it moves very easy with a golfcart, 4 wheeler, lawn mower or vehicle if you wanted. It takes abot 4 minutes to move it. The way it works is you close the chickens in the coop sometime after they get in for the night. Then the next morning I hook it to my golfcart, The coop has a winch on the side which pulls the end yards up to about a 45 degree angle--the pieces of the side next to the tires are picked up and hung on 2 screws, pull forward or across the farm if you want. Unhook, Drop down the ends with the winch, replace the pieces next to the tires, pull the ropes that open the doors, you done. The nesting boxes are on the side and have a lid so you can collect eggs from the outside.


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