Chicken Tractor

Jarrod has finally built his chicken tractor. Last week we bought 6 chickens from his dad; 2 brahmas, 2 buff orpingtons, 1 comet and 1 black sex-link. For about a year now Jarrod has wanted to make a chicken tractor he would look at the online, watch tons of youtube videos and talk about how he would make them better. He liked the idea of having free range chickens to fertilize the yard and eat the grubs while keeping them from wandering all over the place (since we live in a neighborhood). When his dad bought a bunch of chicks it was just the push Jarrod needed.

So of course I expected him to have a plan when we ran to lowes to pick up would but of course he was winging it. We made it A-frame with a couple 1x8 and 1x10's.

Jarrod wanted the hen house to be off the ground so it will be a little warmer and give the chickens more space to run around and scratch. Our little hen house has 4 nesting boxes so that when the chickens are ready this fall we can collect fresh eggs. I ran to the store to get some exterior paint for the sides of the chicken coup because we used wood that was not the most suitible for outside. Its was leftover from our bathroom remodel. The best exterior paint on sale was a salmon pink which obviously was not Jarrod's favorite but I think ended up looking adorable.

When the Chickens first were placed into the tractor int he box we had them living in overnight in our bathroom they had no desire to come out because they were terrified. It was hilarious to watch them after Jarrod went in and pulled them out and placed them in the grass. They started to run to their box which was familiar but obviously loved the way the grass felt under their feet and thought better of it. We have also added a little ramp which isn't in this picture. Jarrod put the chickens up in the coop but they prefer the grass and rarely go up into their little pink hen house.

I love watching them all grow up. The comet is the biggest and she is the bully. She pushes all the other chickens around. The Orpingtons keep trying to fly and the Brahmas started scratching right away. The sex-link is the only one who likes to check out the coop every now and then and seem to be the only one who tried to stand up to the Comet. Its amazing how interesting they can be.

It has been very difficult to train the dogs to leave them alone. Our GSD's obviously look at this as a meal trapped nicely in their own backyard. We have started just correcting them every time they are near the tractor which has greatly improved their interactions with the chickens (Hans is no longer chewing and on it) but they still circle it like sharks when left alone for too long. Hans and Heidi have proved to be good protectors though. Today a stray boxer tried to get at the chickens and Hans almost bit his butt. :)