Raising chickens is fun for the whole family. Kids especially love collecting fresh eggs.
When you think of building a chicken coop you may think about building a traditional backyard chicken coop which is fixed in a location. If you have a smaller flock you may want to reconsider building a fixed coop and instead go with a chicken tractor. If you haven’t ever heard of a chicken tractor is basically a hen house which is movable. The benefits of having a movable chicken coop are many and the number one is when the coop gets dirty just pick it up and move it to a clean location!
Who uses a chicken tractor? If you have a small flock or plan on raising a small flock of chickens and you have land on which you could move the tractor around then a chicken tractor may be perfect for your hens. These portable hen houses are easy enough for one person to move around without a lot of effort thanks to wheels placed on one end of the tractor.
Will a chicken tractor keep birds safe from predators? Yes, if build correctly a portable hen house will indeed keep your hens safe from predators. If you aren’t sure how to go about building a tractor for your poultry then you can find some step by step plans from start to finish for building one here. These tractors are made of sturdy but light weight materials which will keep your flock as safe as they would be in a standard chicken coop design.
There are more benefits to choosing a tractor vs. a fixed coop. One of them is your chickens will be able to scratch and eat the weeds and bugs which are under the portable coop, this will cut down on feed costs and will ad a natural element to their diet. The birds will also leave their droppings behind, which means less clean up for you and free fertilizer spread around your property. You could even have the birds in your garden area during the off season. The chickens will clean up the space of all weeds and insects. If you are lucky enough to live in a city which allows backyard chickens and have a large backyard, you should consider the idea of building your hens in a portable home and if you live on a farm, having a portable hen house is a good idea if you have your flock divided up into smaller groups. Some people choose to let their hens free range out of the tractor every day. Chickens will head inside their pen when the days sunlight is gone.
Well designed movable chicken houses have a built in feeder, nesting boxes for hens to lay eggs and a roost. Many also have an enclosed yard area. Supplies needed aren’t much different from a regular hen house. Wood, chicken wire, and tools will be necessary.
