Chicken Tractors

Its probably no secret, judging from my sidebar, that I like to read other blogs which share a similar path to my own. They engender qualities I can relate to, and I always look forward to reading what's new in their world.

One such blog on my sidebar, is Liz from Eight Acres. Apart from working full time in the workforce, Liz and her Husband Pete, also run - not one, but TWO properties. I recently received a copy of Liz's new ebook, Design and Use a Chicken Tractor. I'm not sure if it was an accident (or just a very generous gift) that I received it for free, as I was not asked to review the ebook. But I thought I would anyway.

Source

Let's start with what this ebook does not cover, because its relatively small compared to what it does. It will not show you how to build a chicken tractor. It does however, discuss ideas on how to source materials, what materials to use and what to consider when designing your own tractor. As someone who has done all those things myself, its good to have information about what to avoid, and what to incorporate - before spending money on building supplies.

If its going to be your chickens' only accommodation, you'd hate to learn the hard way, the limitations of a tractor. This ebook responsibly covers all those relevant details. It also shares the specific tractors, successfully used on Eight Acres for many years.

I was surprised to learn a few new things in Liz's ebook however, as I've never kept chickens with larger livestock. If that's your situation though, you'll want to learn some of her handy tractor modifications. They're quite inexpensive and ingenious. This ebook also has an extensive overview of how to keep and raise chickens yourself. So you're not just learning about chicken tractors, but also the nitty-gritty of keeping chickens.

My Chicken Tractor 
Circa 2008

While I do have a permanent coop now - as this best suits our situation, I initially started with a chicken tractor. They're great for starting a new venture in chicken keeping, so long as you have a sensible design. Also, if you intend to hatch and raise your own chickens, a tractor gives you that little more space before they get to move into the big coop too.

So there are lots of reasons to read this ebook, if you're interested in the wonderful world of chicken tractors. I was very happy to start our chicken keeping ventures, with one.

If you want to know how I built the A-frame above (and see how all my chicken keeping ventures began) click these links:

Chook tractor
My remarks about metal tractors in this post, has to do with my inexperience working with metal - not that they don't make good tractors for those who do know what they're doing.

More chock tractor
Base & A-frame on tractor
Nesting box & roost 
Tractor done!
Weatherproofing the tractor



Happy chicken keeping everyone!