Our
fourth tractor was based on the simple remesh
and log design of
the first three chicken tractors, but added some new
features. Most notable were
two additional access doors.
We like to give our
chickens kitchen scraps to supplement the storebought feed and the
plants and insects they get from the ground. Our girls love the
scraps a bit too much — when I go to dump a bucket of scraps through
our first chicken tractor’s door, the hens mob me and I have a hard
time emptying the bucket. The new tractor includes a small access
hatch on the top (which you can see on the top right of the
photo). Now I can dump a bucket of scraps into the tractor
without getting mobbed.
Another problem with the
old tractor was the eggs. Since the tractor only had one access
door, I had to open it and reach my hand around the corner to get the
eggs. Our hens often thought I was bringing them more food, which
made it difficult to get to the nest box.
For
our fourth tractor, Mark created the nest box out of part of a
dryer. He cut a hole in the back of the dryer to give the hens
access, and left the door against the outside wall so that we can
easily reach in and get the eggs without going through the main part of
the coop. As an added incentive for laying, Mark cut a picture of
Colonel Sanders off of a take-out bag and glued it to the inside wall
of the nest box. Just a little reminder to our girls that they
need to lay, or else!
Stay tuned for a
description of our fifth and best chicken tractor. Meanwhile,
check out our automatic chicken waterer, perfect for use in tractors.
| This post is part of our Introduction to Chicken Tractors series. Read all of the entries:
|
