{"id":99046,"date":"2022-05-31T13:00:46","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T17:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/?p=99046"},"modified":"2022-05-31T11:11:24","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T15:11:24","slug":"build-a-diy-chicken-tractor-with-these-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/build-a-diy-chicken-tractor-with-these-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Build A DIY Chicken Tractor With These Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is nothing better than a charming homesteader scene of a small flock<\/a> grazing happily in a chicken tractor. A great solution for any smallholding, a chicken tractor has lots of benefits. Not only does it provide poultry with constant access to natural food, but it also controls pests and helps fertilize the soil.<\/p>\n

Homesteaders use a chicken tractor to provide their poultry with shelter, forage and exercise. In this article, I\u2019ll teach you how to build a portable, lightweight, p<\/span>redator-proof poultry home that can be dragged around by several people or by one, depending upon the size of the unit.<\/p>\n

The chicken tractor includes a covered part for storm protection and a floorless wire enclosure that allows for ventilation and foraging on the ground. It\u2019s basically a moveable yard. Any poultry can use a chicken tractor as long as the height and size are appropriate for their needs.<\/p>\n

The use of the chicken tractor gives poultry a chance at fresh greens and a wide variety of insects that they may find on the ground at each new location. It also allows you some control over where your poultry forage and how often they can be moved. Birds using a chicken tractor continuously fertilize the soil as it is moved around. Additionally, they control pest and tick populations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A chicken tractor is like having your poultry free-range, making their eggs and meat superior in taste and nutrition, but also confined and relatively safe from predators. If you would like your poultry to forage in large pastures that pose serious hawk and other predator threats, a chicken tractor may be for you. Chicken tractors also work well to contain just a few birds in a small backyard.<\/span><\/p>\n

This model is very fast and simple to make. You can expect to create this wonderful chicken tractor in several hours without being in any way fatigued. This plan is lightweight for easy maneuvering\u2014a few people should be able to move it easily\u2014and it should hold a handful of birds comfortably.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that this is just one type of chicken tractor; you can easily make yours larger, smaller, longer or shorter by making simple adjustments to the measurements. When calculating the size you need, as a rule of thumb, allow 4 square feet per chicken.<\/p>\n

The measurements for the tractor given here will accommodate three birds quite easily. If you have a bigger flock, substitute the 36- and 48-inch aluminum angles for 48- and 96-inch aluminum angles (all standard lengths commonly sold in stores) to make the tractor 4-by-8-by-2 feet. This will result in a not very large tractor that will hold a much larger number of chickens.<\/p>\n

Materials<\/h2>\n

The cost of all the materials combined would cost less than 100 bucks, therefore making it much cheaper than any chicken tractor on the market. To get started, you\u2019ll need the following.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n