chicken tractor security

[Gresford]

I am hoping to purchase a few chicks this Spring. I only have 1/4 acre so I will probably get, at most, 4.

I am considering constructing a bi-level mobile chicken tractor to house the chickens permanently. However, I worry about predators. I have seen possum, raccoon, and cats in our totally enclosed yard.

Since my wife and I will be gone the majority of the day, will the chickens be safe during the day and, especially, at night? Is a chicken tractor with a secure upper level sufficient to prevent the chickens from becoming prey? Or should I build a small secure coop with a run?

Please share your experiences.

[Home Harvest]

You should be able to make your chicken tractor as secure as any other style coop. I would use 1x2 welded wire instead of poultry netting. Either put wire on the bottom, or make sure that there are no gaps under the sides.

I assume these are laying hens you are getting. Broilers don't need anything so elaborate. I would give the hens a roost, and nest box on the second floor. And I would make sure you can close them in at night.

There are several good books with plans, or just order some catalogs. Randall Burkey shows pictures of soem nice portable coops that you could use as models. Good luck!

[rwinsouthla]

I have six chickens in a tractor made of 2x4s and covered the whole thing with 1/2" hardware cloth, and the roost area with recycled metal roofing. I attached the hardware cloth to the 2x4s with roofing paper nails with the square head. I have coyotes, coons, possums, and dogs all over the area and the only thing I've ever seen is a coyote laying on top of the tractor asleep. It works for me and is very strong. Heavy, because of the 2x4s, but strong. The wheels make it much easier to move around.

[fin29]

I would recommend hardware cloth (1x2 wire lets little raccoon paws through) and be sure your tractor is on a level surface to minimize the chance something can dig or slide under. If you have an uneven spot you can stick a brick or rock to fill the gap.

[Beeman]

I've got both and have had good protection with them. Never bother with chicken wire, it's to keep chickens in but not predators out. My chicken tractor has 2x4 welded wire on the bottom too so nothing can go under.

[Jackpine Savage]

After losing an entire batch of 26 six week old chickens, I added an electric fence wire to all of my chicken tractors. I used the 6" long plastic standoffs, attaching one to each corner of the tractor. I used zip cord (insulated, 2 strand "lamp wire") to connect the hot wire to the fence charger. I left a bunch of slack on the ground so that I could move the tractor without having to mess around with disconnecting the hot wire. Of course, I turned off the charger when moving the tractors, lol. Worked great and I never lost another chicken. We had raccoons, possums, bobcats, foxes, neighbor dogs, and feral cats all trying to get our chickens, so I felt as if I needed a higher level of security.

aaargh.... Mrs. Jackpine Savage here again (Elizabeth). Hope to get my own computer back from the shop tomorrow!

[hotzcatz]

I lost a bunch of half grown chickens in a chicken tractor when a mongoose got under the edge of it. There wasn't much room, he kinda tunneled under. Had the chickens had enough room to fly or jump up away from the mongoose, they would have survived, but they had nowhere to go so they were all toast.

[WolfWalksSoftly]

We don't have a tractor, but since we moved the dog house to the chicken yard (fenced) we haven't had any losses, Our only problem is the occasional Hawk.

[CajunSunshine]

Originally Posted by rwinsouthla

I have six chickens in a tractor made of 2x4s and covered the whole thing with 1/2" hardware cloth, and the roost area with recycled metal roofing. I attached the hardware cloth to the 2x4s with roofing paper nails with the square head. I have coyotes, coons, possums, and dogs all over the area and the only thing I've ever seen is a coyote laying on top of the tractor asleep. It works for me and is very strong. Heavy, because of the 2x4s, but strong. The wheels make it much easier to move around.

HAHAHA!!!! This struck me so funny...picturing that poor ol' coyote (Wily E. Coyote's cousin?) up there on top of the chicken tractor...waiting...and waiting...and waiting for a chicken to come out of there... The coyote plumb wore himself out with all that waiting... lol



--Sharon

[texican]

You might be the master of poultry raising, or an extremely lucky person...... but, with natural losses, fire ants, diseases (and the diseases that come with the chicks from the hatchery........Last year was really BAD for chick diseases from hatcheries), etc., I'd seriously get more than 4 chicks... if you want to end up with four chickens, I'd get three times that many, at least.

I'm no Master Chicken Man, but I've raised thousands, (~3 or 4 hundred outside right now, roaming free), and I can't recall All of the chicks hatched surviving... even when their pampered.

Worried about varmints? Get a varmint dog! While my varmint predator dog was alive, my predation went down to almost zero. I'm currently out of 'trained' predator dogs, but we have over two dozen candidates on site looking for that honourable position.

[o&itw]

Originally Posted by Beeman

I've got both and have had good protection with them. Never bother with chicken wire, it's to keep chickens in but not predators out. My chicken tractor has 2x4 welded wire on the bottom too so nothing can go under.

a weasel can...trust me!

[foxtrapper]

Generally, the key with tractors is to keep on moving them every day.