Animal Shelters, Chicken Care, Meat Chickens
EASY Meat Chicken Tractor
Jun
We Built our SECOND Mobile Chicken Tractor (Hoop Coop)
The meat chicks are going on 4 weeks old now and it’s definitely time for a change of scenery! This design will result in a 66 square foot shelter for meat chicks(Or non laying hens).
HOW TO build Our Mobile Chicken Tractor. Watch the video above for more detail!
- The frame. We used treated 2×4’s. 10′ long x 8′ wide. The 8′ cross members are exactly 99″ on center.
2. The cattle panel is the standard 16′ x 50″ size. We used two of them. You simply bend them in place on the inside of the frame. Then we used 3/4 staples to secure the ends of the panels.
3. We just cut out 45 degree angles on scrap 2×4’s for the corner braces. You’ll need to notch the corners of the cattle panel with bolt cutters to go around your braces. You want to make sure the ends of the panels line up with the center of the 2x4s. This is so you can use 3/4″ staples to secure the top of the door frame.
4. We used 3/4″ staples to secure the panels. I used a scrap piece of 1″ wood to lift the panels off the ground enough to staple them.
5. My man Mason used hog rings to secure the two cattle panels together.
6. The door is approx. 37″ wide. You can make this measurement whatever you want, but we like a nice wide door. This was the largest size we could comfortably fit on this design. For now we used a hook and loop latch because that’s what we had on hand. The hinges are just standard 3″ GateHouse hinges we also had on hand. Then we covered it with chicken wire using a staple gun(with zinc coated staples). In the areas that the wire overlaps in the middle we used black UV rated zip ties.
7. Last we placed a Large 10’x 13′ heavy duty tarp on the top -secured with UV rated zip ties.
That’s it guys! This is a VERY simple build! I highly encourage you to build your own shelters. Not only does it save you money, but it allows you to build it to fit your needs. This design is so simple and can be modified in countless ways.
If you guys have any questions, comments or ideas for improvements feel free to comment below!
Good video on the meat bird chicken tractor. My wife and I have been through several versions of chicken tractors with various successes. This hoop style will be our next trial.
When it comes to food and water, what are you using for meat chickens in the hoop tractor? Are they the typical 5 gallon water and 40 pound feeders that you have to move out of the tractor before moving it, or have found a method of feeding and watering that moves with the tractor?
Thanks! We’ve had great luck with this style so far. We use Plasson Drinkers along with hanging style feeders. The setup has been great for us. All you have to do is disconnect the water hose, move the coop, then reconnect. Here’s a video on the drinker: https://youtu.be/sVOqufJo7XI
Here are the links to the products we used:
Feeder:https://amzn.to/3wPL38P
Renator M11-0660R Water Pressure Regulator Valve:https://amzn.to/337ZfNd
Orbit 62061Z Single-Outlet Hose Watering Timer:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004INGS8S/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_vNJCFbG4RJHTF
HOMENOTE Misting Cooling System:https://amzn.to/3i54ilO
Orbit Brass Dual-Outlet Faucet Adapter:https://amzn.to/3jbIK8d
Plasson® Broiler Drinker:https://www.qcsupply.com/422210-plasson-broiler-drinker.html
Saddle Connector W/Shut-Off:https://www.qcsupply.com/saddle-connector-w-shut-off.html
3/4-in Threaded Female Hose x FIP Adapter Fitting:https://www.lowes.com/pd/B-K-3-4-in-Threaded-Female-Hose-x-FIP-Adapter-Fitting/1000504845
Green Thumb Brass Quick Connector Set:https://amzn.to/33al92j
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My wife and I are building this tractor right now to spec. We have the base framed and the cattle panels secured. That part was super simple and quick. Now we need to build the door frame and support on the end. As stated, what we have built thus far is to spec of what you instructed. My question is this, for the door frame, the outside 2×4’s, how do you have them secured to the cattle panel? Did you use the staples at the top? I assume that is what I will do. Is that sturdy? Are the 2×4’s sort of press fit? Thanks you for the YouTube instructional video! We are excited to have this tractor built for our 26 Red Rangers that are growing quickly. I will post pictures when it is finished.
Yes we just cut the top corners at a bit of an angle and stapled the panel to the top. I couldn’t really come up with a better solution. I’m sure someone smarter than me could come up with something much better! lol If you use decent staples it will be plenty sturdy(it’s still holding strong for us). I hope your build goes well and everything goes great with your flock! God Bless!
-Steven