tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post428102485838281305..comments2023-09-29T18:37:14.377+10:00Comments on Eight Acres: How to use a chicken tractorUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-53077928413174841452013-06-10T19:47:30.847+10:002013-06-10T19:47:30.847+10:00Hi Justin, good question, this is only a problem w...Hi Justin, good question, this is only a problem when we have 200-300 mm of rain in summer. At that time, when there is water EVERYWHERE, I just try to let the chickens out to free-range as much as possible and we try to move the tractors to relatively high and dry areas. We also leave them there for longer and just sacrifice that patch, rather than ruining large areas by moving them around (they tend to create a muddy mess by walking around in the wet). I think this would be an issue even with a fixed run, as we have a sloping block, I don't know where we could build something permanent that wouldn't flood. I hope that helps. Cheers, LizAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12874273438983052621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-33484669945669104022013-06-10T17:52:15.415+10:002013-06-10T17:52:15.415+10:00Guys, how do you go with periods of rain running a...Guys, how do you go with periods of rain running across the ground and seeping under the tractors? I am about to build a couple for breeding and this is the only concern I have. I dont like the idea of birds having to stand on wet ground for too long when they arent roosting etc. <br /><br />Great site though and glad I stumbled across it. <br /><br />Justin Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-75693254154514127642012-05-13T19:27:45.892+10:002012-05-13T19:27:45.892+10:00Thanks for the comments everyone, sounds like our ...Thanks for the comments everyone, sounds like our design wouldn't work for all areas - for those on rocky or sloping properties, consider larger tyres for an "off-road" version :) If you want to move them in the garden or orchard, you can make nice small ones that fit btw the rows. Emma, we designed them ourselves, starting with the small ones and trying new things with each one. I have a post next week about how to make them. Monday's Child, that is an interesting idea which I will try. We do find that hanging food is not as wasted as baldly as food on the ground, I guess the food on the ground is scuffed out by feet as well as beaks, naughty little chickens!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12874273438983052621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-30068907403902202382012-05-09T05:05:00.317+10:002012-05-09T05:05:00.317+10:00This is great information - I keep thinking I need...This is great information - I keep thinking I need to make one that will fit between my garden beds...Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01479994621172411599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-56599047567807929952012-05-09T01:21:43.552+10:002012-05-09T01:21:43.552+10:00I don't raise chickens and AM NOT presenting t...I don't raise chickens and AM NOT presenting this as any expert, but I was reading something last week (I wish I could remember what!) about it, and they recommended using a taller chicken feed container (about the height of the chicken's back if I'm not mistaken) only partially filled with feed. This forces the chicken to point its head up to swallow. So the feed goes into the chicken, instead of on the ground.<br />Again, I haven't tried it. I'm still doing chicken-owning-research. But thought I'd throw it out there in case you want to test drive the idea for me. :-)Monday's Childhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04300167121271267150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-30874536269726108442012-05-08T16:15:54.721+10:002012-05-08T16:15:54.721+10:00It's so cool hearing about how the grass is im...It's so cool hearing about how the grass is improved where the chicken tractors have been.<br /><br />Did you guys design the tractors yourself, or did you get plans from somewhere else?Emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10894865592266996002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-84752721140673181992012-05-08T05:07:23.650+10:002012-05-08T05:07:23.650+10:00I really like this idea. We are kind of doing this...I really like this idea. We are kind of doing this with our 8 little chicks in a pen, moving it every few days so it doesn't start smelling until we can get them in a coop. I would do the larger scale, but our yard has hardly any flat surfaces! Love this though :)Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02080024539404875630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-128071283317978532012-05-07T20:26:12.423+10:002012-05-07T20:26:12.423+10:00I'd love to have one but we're rocky and n...I'd love to have one but we're rocky and not a flat place on the ridgetop! I can't let them out because of the number of hawks hanging around just waiting to snatch one up. They sit in the trees and watch the chickens in their enclosed yard.Kathy Felsted Usherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10471923897561942341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027191706980748713.post-72037132325039008562012-05-07T20:09:03.226+10:002012-05-07T20:09:03.226+10:00This is really interesting. I was thinking about ...This is really interesting. I was thinking about getting some meat chickens and using a chicken tractor. We get too much snow to use one for our layers. But, I hope to just let them out around our yard.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12261179479821073705noreply@blogger.com