Question: What Is Chicken Tractor?

What is the purpose of a chicken tractor?

It’s called a chicken “ tractor ” because the scratching action of the birds quickly denudes the ground and loosens the top inch or so of earth. It’s one way to get rid of a lawn or a weed patch in preparation for planting a garden.

How many chickens are in a chicken tractor?

The number of birds per tractor varies with the breed, but as a rule of thumb, a laying hen needs four square feet of room, while a broiler need two square feet. Thus, a thirty -two-square-foot tractor can hold up to eight layers or sixteen broilers.

Will chickens lay eggs in a chicken tractor?

Chickens Lay More Eggs When They Eat Healthily So using a tractor naturally benefits our laying hens in their production departments. We noticed our eggs change when our hens had access to the grass under the tractor year-round. Because grass meets our hens ‘ protein requirements, their production spiked!

How big should a chicken tractor be?

They usually have a small sheltered area built into one end that contains a roost (a horizontal stick that the chickens sleep on) and a nesting box (for laying eggs). Dimensions vary depending on the number of chickens, but the tractors are usually 4 to 10 feet wide and 6 to 15 feet long.

Can chickens live in a tractor?

If you’ve never heard of chicken tractors, they are just a movable cage that chickens live in part or full time. They’re called tractors because the chickens can till the soil as you move the cage every few days. Moving the pen around also means that your birds will have access to fresh greens and soil to scratch at.

Is a chicken tractor?

A chicken tractor (sometimes called an ark) is a movable chicken coop lacking a floor. Chicken tractors may also house other kinds of poultry. Most chicken tractors are a lightly built A-frame which one person can drag about the yard. It may have wheels on one or both ends to make this easier.

How many chickens can you put in a 4×8 coop?

per chicken, which would equal 10-11 chickens in a 4×8 coop. However, several different websites advertise their 4×8 chicken coops can house 15-20 chickens. Most sources say you should allow 3–4 square feet per full-size laying hen, so that would work out to 8–10 birds.

How do chickens see humans?

Chickens are tetrachromatic. They have 4 types of cones that let them see red, blue, and green light, as well as ultraviolet light. Therefore, they see many more colors and shades than we do. Because their eyes are so sensitive, they can see tiny light fluctuations that are imperceptible to humans.

Can you have meat chickens with laying hens?

Your meat birds will require a different diet than your laying hens. If you put them together, and your hens eat the same feed, then your hens may need to go on Weight Watchers after you have processed your meat birds. I am actually raising meat birds with hens with no problems. All of them get along just fine.

How often should I move my chicken tractor?

In order to prevent bare patches the chicken tractor needs to be moved every two-three days.

Do you have to feed chickens in a chicken tractor?

Particularly with a tractor that you are not moving multiple times a day you simply are going to have to give them supplemental feed if you even want to keep them alive much less get any productive use out of them.

Why are chicken coops elevated?

An elevated coop ensures air can circulate around the coop, can prevent flooding in flood-prone areas, and prevents rats and mice from nesting. An added bonus of an elevated chicken coop is that it can serve as a structure for free-ranging chickens to escape under from predators.

How much does a chicken tractor cost?

Chicken Coop Costs by Style

Chicken Coop Style	Average Costs
A-Frame	$200 – $300
Tractor	$300 – $500
Walk-In	$300 – $1,000
All-In-One	$1,000 – $3,000

How much land do you need for a chicken tractor?

If we move the tractors three times per day (we find this really helps with keeping large numbers of birds clean and mobile), it will take about a quarter acre per tractor or 300 broilers per acre. If you are doing multiple batches per year, you may need other pastures to avoid excessively fertilizing the ground.