Housing Poultry

Several of my tractors aren't much to look at, but they do what I need them to and that is what matters to me. I use junk I salvage for most of mine. Someday when the chickens are making me rich, I may buy all new materials, make new tractors and do away with my junkers, but chances are I would just keep the junkers and fill them with more chickens. LOL
I have a tractor that uses 8' pieces of hog panel for the sides and a 4' piece of hog panel for the front.8' cattle panel for the top. The panels are covered with 1" poultry wire. The back of mine is made of wire, but you could use plywood and cut a door that hinged like I did in the one I posted. One single 2x4 across the back of the tractor is all that is needed to attach the wheels. The way I attach wheels is like this. I put a 2x4 flat under the corner of the tractor. Then I put my wheel up and mark where the center of the wheel is on the tractor board. I usually use lawn mower wheels, so a 2x4 on the bottom is about right for the axle. I drill a pilot hole a little smaller and shallower than my hex screw is. I usually use 1/2 or 9/16 hex screws that are 7" long. I put a big washer one the screw, then the wheel and then a couple more washers to act as a spacer to keep the wheel from rubbing against the side of the tractor. I ratchet it down fairly tight, but loose enough to allow the wheel to turn. I will look in the morning to see if I have pictures of my hog panel tractor and a a close up of a wheel.
It is easy to move the tractor too fast and run one of the inhabitants down. I have caught several legs and have ended up killing two. That is with no bottom wire, just the sides. I can understand the security factor of having wire on the bottom, but unless you have an area with a solid bottom that you latch them into, you are gonna have problems moving the tractor without hurting your chickens unless you do it at night. That would be dangerous for you and there is always the chance a chicken will fall off the roost while the tractor was moving.
I have seen some tractors that were more or less little covered trailers, that contained the roosts and nests, with a seperate run that attached to the trailer, but is moved separately. Something like that may work for what you are describing. I think I have a picture or a site saved that shows quite a few tractors. This has been one of those days that seemed to last a week. I am just too tired to look for pictures and links tonight.

I think I have found most of the sites that have pics of tractors. But it is nice to get the first hand knowledge and experience from the different types. What you did or did not like about each one.

I too have been down the road of salvaged materials and make-shift this and that. That was ok out on the farm where everyone was locked up tight at night. But now that I am newly single and going to be living in the city limits, next to a city park no less, the more attractive the less the complaints???? Well, that's my hope at least. It is legal to have chooks in the city, but complaints have been made by neighbors who felt that the make-shift just didn't look proper and devalued the properties around them. Silly...but...I am not one for confrontation so I try to make the best of each situation.

The house I am buying is surrounded by City park on the side and back. The other side has a row of 4 townhomes, which hopefully will be pretty much blocked by the greenhouse. Across the street from me will be houses, but they are set lower as I am at the top of the hill. My view will be their roof tops, the span of the city below and then the lake.

I'm also one of those anal perfectionists and an artist, so pleasing to the eye is a must. I will never be able to have more than 5 hens at a time, so one tractor is all I will ever need. I will have a little hen hospital in the garage, with a door to the dog kennel which will probably never see a dog. And in the winter, the kennel will be the 'outside' run to the chooks winter home....hopefully a section of greenhouse.

I would love a pic of your favorite wheel set up. I had thought of some big beefy tires back where the handles are, and stationary. Then having some of those pivoting wheels for the front to help turn and guide it. With you using yours, would you like that or would you find it cumbersome?

The floor will have the wire and I will move the chooks after they go to bed or just before I let them out. They will have a door that will be closed at night. I don't trust ferrel cats and racoons. We do get the occasional coyote (usually rabid though) in town. And every year it seems there is a report of a black bear wandering downtown. So, even in the city I am not completely out of the great expanse of wilderness all around us. To me they are my girls. I have never had the attitude that they are just chickens. They serve me well (with egg production and entertainment) and I serve them well by giving them the best possible home I can give them and full, happy bellies.

My hardest bit is how to keep the rotation of stock going with only being allowed 5 hens. I suppose get three the first year and then one every other year and wait till I have a death in the family to get a new one. I don't mind if they are past their prime and no longer laying well...they laid well to begin with and that is all that matters. They can live out their life being fat and sassy. I just want to make sure I can have at least one egg every other day at a bare minimum....lol.

This was all so much easier on 10 acres and a huge barn that would hold up to 300 free range, organic ladies and the few, very happy, gents.

I have the money to do it right this time, so I might as well make it the best that I can.

Hope this all makes sense. I know I seem picky, but if you knew my past...when I say this time is my time/turn to have it right, you would fully understand. I have kind of earned this right of passage, but not through monetary measures.

I understand about having them in town with close neighbors that will see the tractors. I would be just like you in wanting to have a pretty tractor with feathered family in it. Some of my chickens are just chickens. But most quickly become pets. I try not to get attached to them until I see if they are roosters or hens, but that doesn't always happen.
As for the wheels on front and back. Yes, if the tractor is heavy, front wheels would be like a God send.
The largest wheels I have used are off a little red wagon. I am guessing they are 8" across. I have an old 10 speed bike that I have been eying the wheels on, but haven't done anything with them yet.
I have a tractor that is about 5'x8'. The back is wood and corrugated barn tin. The roof is corrugated tin also.
That tractor is one heavy booger to move. I had a two wheel dolly I had borrowed from a friend. I used to get it under the front of the tractor in order to move it. I had to give the dolly back, so now my daughter helps me when I move it further than a couple of feet. I will either be removing the wood and tin on back and replacing with wire and a tarp, or I will move the door down from the corner and attach front wheels. I will probably attach stationary wheels on front if I go that route.
I saw another person with several tractors use a contraption that I have been thinking of building. It was a handle for pulling attached to wheels. It had a guide that the front of the tractor would sit in. He would lift the front of a tractor, put this wheeled handle under it and pull the tractor where he want, then take the handled wheels out and take them to the next tractor to be moved. It was a neat contraption.
I am not concerned about the looks of my tractors. We have 3/4 acres or 6 lots that are completely surrounded by shrubs and vines, so we are the only ones that see them, and they are back behind my husbands koi ponds which have bamboo blocking the tractors from out site until we walk around there. With three grandkids, we have all kinds of kid stuff all over the yard and a jungle gym to one side. So the well manicured look is defiantly not what we have going on here. It is more the well loved and lived in look.
ROFL, Jeff Foxworthy would love our yard.

What kind of chickens are you thinking of getting? Were it me and I was wanting an egg or two all year, I would have different breeds.

The sound of your yard sounds much more enjoyable than mine. I miss the days of stubbing my toes on kids toys, stepping barefoot on army men, etc. But...being as how I will be 'in' the park, I guess I should make things pretty and work at it a bit.

The bicycle tires sound interesting...lol. That's gonna be one heck of a tractor to warrant them. Pics please when that one is all done!

I figured I would have one of each of my favorites. One cochin, one braham, one faverolle, one barred rock and then the 5th one...hmmmm....I don't know yet. Something exotic looking yet not flighty. I want large breeds as they are less likely to be high strung (or so I have found from experience). I wouldn't mind a serama or two...as two would equal one large one, right? lol.

Then, after I get my chooks all set up, it's time to talk dovecotes. I think it would be lovely to have some doves playing around the yard and park. But...just how much bird poo do I wish to deal with?????

Deb wrote:Something exotic looking yet not flighty.

ahem lol what about a silkie:D

Seramas aren't gonna give you much of an egg. LOL You would do just as well with your doves for egg size. hehe
If you want a small chicken that lays a big egg and has all kinds of personality, try a Polish. Those things are the sweetest little silly things there is. I posted a picture of one of my young Polish roosters on another forum. A gal said he looked like Tina Turner. My daughter and I now call the poor boy Tina. What do you think? Does he have a Tina Turner look?

Here are some of his ladies.


They are still young pullets and will get a nice tail eventually.

Admin wrote:

Deb wrote:Something exotic looking yet not flighty.

ahem lol what about a silkie:D

Here you go.

Ladies...if you keep this up, I will be pushing a dozen or so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 I am ONLY going to have FIVE! LOL

Now are you sure it is only 5? Or is it 5 in each tractor?
LOL

Oooooooooooooo, that's not nice!

why would anyone only have 5?? Everyone knows more chickens more chickens

Hey Steve, the second day we had triple digit temps, I lost my little cochin rooster and a hen to the heat. I think the little guys were too fat to take the heat. I was really upset over it. I had a few eggs, so I cranked up the incubator. I pulled 6 little cochins out of the incubator yesterday.
The rooster that died was a brother to the pullets and rooster Sarah brought you. I have four that are the pretty blue like their daddy the other two are black like your rooster.

Okie wrote:Hey Steve, the second day we had triple digit temps, I lost my little cochin rooster and a hen to the heat. I think the little guys were too fat to take the heat. I was really upset over it. I had a few eggs, so I cranked up the incubator. I pulled 6 little cochins out of the incubator yesterday.
The rooster that died was a brother to the pullets and rooster Sarah brought you. I have four that are the pretty blue like their daddy the other two are black like your rooster.

Well these cochins are doing good i had one of my oegh disappear. Don't know what happened to her or how she got out. I think she slipped past me when i opened the door. She was so tiny that i missed her going by me several times before.

Those girls aren't much bigger than pigeons. LOL
She may turn back up with a clutch of chicks. Those little game hens can hide better than any other kind of chicken.