Simply Resourceful

Simple ways to be more conscious about how we use our resources.

Chicken Tractor


At our place, the chickens don't have a secure fenced-in area close to the home so Jon constructed this chicken tractor to give them outdoor access safe from predators.  I looked at many chicken tractor designs but found many of them to be way too elaborate for such a simple purpose.
Dimensions in inches: 36W x 98L x 24H

Supplies: 
-three, 2x4's
-scraps of chipped plywood
-dowel
-chicken wire
-chicken wire staples
-screws
-wheels from an old trike or something

Total construction only took about 2 hours.  The box on the end of the coop provides shade and there is also a removable roosting pole so the chickens can get out of the sun.  Both narrow ends of the coop have doors for entry and exit.  The chicks absolutely love this portable coop!  Every few hours I pick up the coop on one end and roll it to a new section of fresh grass.  When I pick up the coop, the chicks willing follow me like I'm the mother hen.  


This picture was taken before we added the door.  The door allows me to back the coop up to the outdoor run without have the handles in the way that are on the other end.



4 comments :

Jenn Mer May 30, 2012 at 3:50 PM  

This is such a wonderfully simple idea that anyone could put together. Thank you for the detailed photos to help us put together our own chicken tractor when we're ready! We may already have all the supplies lying around here somewhere. And look at all that sun!

Anna June 4, 2020 at 5:33 PM  

I have 3 wk old chicks and they are growing fast. I am wanting to make something like this to introduce them to my older hens when the time is right. Since it is going to take the entire summer for them to get to the laying stage, I don't have to worry about laying boxes. And I have all the stuff here with exception to the 2x4s. Thank you for the pics. They are going to be very helpful.

Unknown April 29, 2022 at 8:15 AM  

I can't see how you only used (3) 2 x 4's when there are 4 (2 x 4 ) pictures besides the handles and the ends? They must have been 16 footers?














Holly May 2, 2022 at 5:35 PM  

There were only 3 2x4's used and only 8 feet long, but my husband ripped them in half with a band saw to make them 2x2's giving us 6 to work with.

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A weekly update on our adventures of trying to be more self-sufficient by using resources wisely. We explore a variety of topics that most broadly fit in the "Homesteading" category, i.e. beekeeping, organic gardening, edible landscaping/fruit forest, food preservation/canning, woodworking, soap-making, and environmental stewardship.

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