Chicken tractors (mobile chicken coops) can improve your chickens health by giving them a safe place to play, fresh grasses and insects to forage, reduces the chances of rodent infestations, allows a protected way to "free range" your chickens, have less chances for nitrogen burns and bacterial infections, makes mulching your chicken feces a breeze, and moving the tractor gives you a good workout.
Chicken tractors are basically chicken coops which can be moved around your property so your chickens can get fresh greens and contract less bacterial infections caused by nitrogen burns which occur from feces build up. Feces can cause illness for up to 2 months once defecated so it is a good idea to move your chicken tractor to fresh ground every other day or at least once a week. After moving the chicken tractor you should plow the space the birds used and do not move the tractor back to that space for at least 2-3 months. After 2 months you could plant some tasty treats such as wheat grass for when your chickens are returned to that space.
Traditionally chicken tractors were small A frame shaped hen houses with no bottoms commonly referred to as arks which could be easily pulled around but were not very safe as the chicken house could easily be dug under by predators who want to get in. However, better options for chicken tractors are now available to you. You can put retractable wheels on an existing coop or buy chicken tractors with wheels already installed on hen houses with bottoms. Later, rectangle shaped chicken tractors were used in large scale broiler chicken production by rural farms. Recently, chicken tractors now include retractable wheels, a portable hen house to protect the birds at night with a run, solar and battery powered coop doors, and solar powered lights and fans. Other more recent chicken tractors I have seen used successfully are large walk in caged runs with a portable hen house inside where the birds could be safely locked away at night. I have also seen pet chicken owners who keep their chickens in runs during the day moving the runs every day and keep the chickens (usually bantams) inside their home in a pet playpen at night.
Traditionally chicken tractors were small A frame shaped hen houses with no bottoms commonly referred to as arks which could be easily pulled around but were not very safe as the chicken house could easily be dug under by predators who want to get in. However, better options for chicken tractors are now available to you. You can put retractable wheels on an existing coop or buy chicken tractors with wheels already installed on hen houses with bottoms. Later, rectangle shaped chicken tractors were used in large scale broiler chicken production by rural farms. Recently, chicken tractors now include retractable wheels, a portable hen house to protect the birds at night with a run, solar and battery powered coop doors, and solar powered lights and fans. Other more recent chicken tractors I have seen used successfully are large walk in caged runs with a portable hen house inside where the birds could be safely locked away at night. I have also seen pet chicken owners who keep their chickens in runs during the day moving the runs every day and keep the chickens (usually bantams) inside their home in a pet playpen at night.
Moving chicken tractors and chicken safety:
If you have an open bottomed chicken tractor it is best to remove all your chickens from the coop before attempting to relocate it. This can be done easiest by removing the chickens at night after they have gone to roost. Pushing chickens around while moving the tractor could easily injure or kill one or more of them.
Chicken tractors with bottoms can be moved easiest at night after the chickens have gone to roost inside. It is best to remove the chickens before moving your chicken tractor but it can be done with the chickens inside the coop at night with little chance of injuring your birds.
Make sure that your chicken tractor is heavy enough that predators or the wind cannot blow it over and light enough that you can push or pull it. I have seen folks pull heavier chicken tractors with ATV vehicles, pickup trucks, farm tractors, and even cars with a tow hitch. Chicken tractors with wheels are much easier to move but wheels should be placed so that the coop and run can sit flat on the ground to reduce the chances of predators getting in or retractable wheels, so that the run is flat on the ground after moving.
Chickens should not be left overnight in chicken tractors which are not safe from predators or bad weather.
If you have an open bottomed chicken tractor it is best to remove all your chickens from the coop before attempting to relocate it. This can be done easiest by removing the chickens at night after they have gone to roost. Pushing chickens around while moving the tractor could easily injure or kill one or more of them.
Chicken tractors with bottoms can be moved easiest at night after the chickens have gone to roost inside. It is best to remove the chickens before moving your chicken tractor but it can be done with the chickens inside the coop at night with little chance of injuring your birds.
Make sure that your chicken tractor is heavy enough that predators or the wind cannot blow it over and light enough that you can push or pull it. I have seen folks pull heavier chicken tractors with ATV vehicles, pickup trucks, farm tractors, and even cars with a tow hitch. Chicken tractors with wheels are much easier to move but wheels should be placed so that the coop and run can sit flat on the ground to reduce the chances of predators getting in or retractable wheels, so that the run is flat on the ground after moving.
Chickens should not be left overnight in chicken tractors which are not safe from predators or bad weather.
