Soggy Chicken Tractor

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I am trying to help a friend in Oregon design a chicken tractor. The ground is soggy quite a bit of the time and there is concern for the health of the animals. Any thoughts on the matter?

Thanks

K. Huber

-- K. Huber (antiscian@aol.com), June 16, 2001

Answers

With the chickens being in there 24-7 wet ground can cause foot problems. As for the design I rescently saw one made from emt, the galvanized electrical tubing used when wires are added out side the walls. A 20 dollar tubing bender, couplings, t,s and the tubing its self, tubs are like $2.00 each; turn up the ends 45 degrees and use an ell (90 degrees); brace the "sled shape" by using the t,s crossways, wrap with appropate wire and buy your chickens little striped engineers caps!!

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), June 16, 2001.

I use chicken tractors in my garden. Now that we are finally getting some rain the ground gets pretty saturated during storms. I use deep litter in my tractors and only move them once every month, so when it rains I just throw in a couple of flakes of hay which keeps them dry and happy. Not sure if this would be practical in a tractor which is moved daily, but it works in my situation.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), June 16, 2001.

I move my tractors daily so the chickens can have fresh grazing. When it rains, IF it's hard enough that water flows under the tractor or it rains for several days, I throw in some hay feeder clean out for them to stand/lie on until the weather's nicer. This won't help with your particular question but it might provide a solution for someone else in a drier climate.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), June 17, 2001.

Huber, I just built a chicken tractor, 8'x8', and made one end 4 feet high, and the other end only 2 feet high. This allowed for room to make a small door in the side, and also room to hang roosts from the ceiling. It isnt much heavier with the extra height on one end. I used a tarp to cover the one end, which makes it lighter weight. Had to cut ventilation triangles in the peak on both sides. I can move it myself, using a rope (made of several thicknesses and lengths of baler twine) which is tied to the bottom of the frame on two corners.

Next one I make, I plan to make an A-frame with roosts in the peak. I think it will be sturdier.

It is in a chicken's nature to want to roost in wet weather. Allow them to. It has to be healthier than being stuck on soggy ground.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), June 17, 2001.


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