wyodreamer - we're not in Wyo any more

[wyoDreamer]

The tractor we just built is 16'x8'. That breaks down to a 12'x8' run with an attached 4'x8' coop. I need my tractor to move my chicken tractor, lol. Food and water will be 12' apart.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

That's a pretty big tractor. My yard is not level enough to accommodate such size. Even 8 x 8, would be quite limited, and require some blocking at the sides to make it safe!

 

[wyoDreamer]

We have 25 acres total - 15 of that is hay field and 3 acres is homestead. The rest is abandoned pastureland that I would like to eventually fence and use for hair sheep and chicken free-range area. Right now, I will move my chicken tractor through there in hopes of keeping it under control somewhat.

DH has plans on building another one of these monstrosities - I say wait until we see how this one works out!!

 

[flowerbug]

how many henpowers is that chicken tractor?

 

[baymule]

We have 25 acres total - 15 of that is hay field and 3 acres is homestead. The rest is abandoned pastureland that I would like to eventually fence and use for hair sheep and chicken free-range area. Right now, I will move my chicken tractor through there in hopes of keeping it under control somewhat.

DH has plans on building another one of these monstrosities - I say wait until we see how this one works out!!

I built a monstrosity that we could only move with the tractor. Epic fail. The dumb birds ran to the back and got dragged over, even with me in there swishing them with a broom. And guess what? DH couldn't hear me screaming STOP over the roar of the tractor. Finally gave up on it and deep bedded them. When that got too gross, I picked them up, put them in a quickie pen, we dragged the failure forward, and put the dummies back in it. Started over with the deep bedding. Rinse. repeat.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

My most functional tractor was 3' x 6'. I got a lot of mileage out of that: Built it originally as a brooder. Set up in basement or garage with cardboard and vinyl under it, and deep litter. Then, moved it and the littles out into the yard, and banked it with hay bales while I finished building their coop. Continued to use it as a "day" tractor. Then, used it as a broody "day" pen. It took me less than a week to train the littles and Mama to return to the big coop at night. A bit more difficult getting them into the tractor in the morning. It was built of 2 x 2, w/1/2" hdw. cloth. Frame is now rotten. I intend to dismantle it, and give it a rebuild. I then built an 8 x 8, panelized affair with chicken wire. It will contain birds, but not at all reliable to protect them from any passing predator. .

 

[wyoDreamer]

The plan is to lock them in the coop part every night, then move it in the morning. Move the tractor, fill food & water, then opening the pop door to let them out for the day. At least that is the plan for now... It may change to lock them in at night and move the tractor right away; then in the morning I will fill food & water & open pop door for the day. Depends on how long it takes to move the beast - I have to be to work by 8 am and it is a 1/2 hour drive to get there.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Well, I had 2 of my Sapphire Gems die this week.
The first one I noticed in the morning that she was stretching her neck out with her mouth open and making a faint cackle. I had to get to work, so I figured I would check her when I got home. By the time I got home she was on the ground and flopping. I picked her up and she didn't have the strength to lift her head and when I put her down she would flap around and the other birds would run over and peck her. I picked her up and supported her head figuring I would take her out of the pen and look her over on the table to see what was up. She opened her eye and looked at me, then settled back into my arms and relaxed. Then she spasm'ed about 2 minutes later and died. She was really thin, I think she was the one that snuck out of the pen and spent the day loose in the barn. She probably picked up something that was not edible. There is an open bag of fertilizer laying on the floor of the barn.

The second was 2 days later. I noticed that she didn't attack the food in the morning like the rest do whenever I fill their feeder. By the time chores were done and I was ready to leave for work, she was pecking at food so I figured I would check her out after work. I found her in the corner with her head tucked down by her side - dead and stiff as a board.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Out of the 8 chicks bought this fall, only 5 left. I am getting 4 eggs per day - and one of them is Olive green in color!!
So at least one of the Easter Egger chicks survived. I will need to post pictures on BYC and see if anyone can tell me which one is the EE, they all look alike to me.

 

[flowerbug]

that would be very difficult for me to lose those birds. i hope you can figure out which is which soon!