I'm locally grown and raised, I see these when I head to town. They look really good and it's awesome to see raising pastured chickens taking flight. We need much more of this in the area and I think there is a sail wind bringing it in.
Great tweaks on the 'original' Salatin design :) We made one following his plans this year, already plan to make the next one a bit more like yours. Nice job!!!
When we have the rains here in southeast Texas that really stands, we shove hay or straw under the tractor wall, then move the tractor forward about halfway, and the chickens immediately crawl up on the hay out of the water. Works for us.
For sure. I keep some wood scraps on the shelters to shiv in any divots, but our pasture is quite level. I rarely have to patch a hole with scrap wood. It I was in an area where there were weak points every day, I might enclose the shelters with electric netting for extra protection.
I’ve made 3 of these now. Kept working on the design to refine it. Got it down to a few ripped 2x6s for the bottom and ripped deck boards for the top. Ripped 2x4s for all uprights. No diagonal bracing. Used hardware clothe like you did. Very light and doesn’t sag.
I would cut back on material for sure if I were to do it over again. After I pulled them for two summers, I decided they are heavier than I would like.
As Joel Salatin says: they’re not pigs or cows, they don’t need heavy a built structure. You’re just keeping lightweight predators out. If you look at what he uses they look like they might fall apart at any moment lol
We are about to start our third year growing chickens here in Michigan this way and we have yet to have anything dig under the shelters. We have coyote, fox, possum, and racoon, but none have dug underneath. I’ve heard some people say that because they are moved every day, it throws the predators off, but I don’t know. It could happen, but it hasn’t yet.
This video was shot on a GoPro Hero 5, but would probably looked just as good, and sounded better if I shot it on my iPhone. The reason I didn’t shoot it on my iPhone is because I didn’t have a lot of storage left on my phone. I do have a cannon rebel T5i that I use if I’m filming stuff at my desk that I like very much.
We’ve had raccoons rip apart chicks by sticking their arms under the tractor and pulling on whatever body part they could tear off. It’s awful. We have to put electric wire around each chicken tractor. Also, it gets very hard to catch the chickens under the aluminum when it’s time to dispatch them so I strongly suggest putting a second hatch on the covered part too.
how do you stop foxes from digging under I made one of these in austraila and the fox burrowed under took 12 chickens I was thinking of just putting weld mesh around the outside 30cm (1 foot) long
I’ve heard people who have done that and have it work for them. Some guys put an electric wire a few inches high (6-8 inches or so) around the shelters.
Chinesium, Kungflu, darn I cannot think of the third one right now. I love those. I noticed some differences I believe on your build. But like he says. He’s not telling you how to do it. Do what works for you.
I’m gonna build the same exact chicken tractor, video is super helpful, thanks man! It’s a year later from when you made it, is there anything you would have done differently?
Yeah, for sure. I would have used aluminum instead of steel. We got the stew for free, and we couldn’t find aluminum where we were, so we used steel. It’s much heavier than aluminum. You want to make it as light as you can. That’s pretty much it though. That, and a good cart or dolley design to put under the back edge that lifts the back off the ground when you pull it. That is a must.
Hello, I really liked the chicken tractors you made. Since I don't know your language, I watched your channel with subtitles. Maybe you said it, but the subtitle translations may be missing or I may not understand it. I couldn't understand what the cover you put on the back of the chicken tractor was for. Is it just for shade or does it have another purpose? I also want to know the length and width dimensions of this chicken tractor. Why didn't you attach the top cover of the chicken tractor to the main body of the cage with a hinge-like device?
I'm sure it's been said already but Joe uses Aluminum in his tractors...makes it way lighter, it also doesn't absorb heat and keeps the chickens cooler than steel
For the water you can get a container with a cap at the top and a tap at the bottom, you close the tap at the bottom and fill the container with water, then you close the cap at the top so no air can get in, you place the container on top of the cage and run a piece of hose from the tap to a cup on the floor, open the tap and the cap gets water for the chickens to drink and stop, as the water gets consumed air will go up the hose and some water will fall in the cup, it will be automatic water feeding, all you got to do refill the container.
It allows me to regulate the temperature in the shelter a lot easier. I leave it up when the birds first go to pasture in the spring, because it can get below freezing at night for the first few weeks. Then when it’s hot, it’s left down so the entire back of the shelter is open, and sends a nice breeze across every bird. It could also act as a digging barrier when it is down. The birds generally sleep under the roof among the back wall, and the flap is two feet of steel that a predator would have to dig under in order to get at the chickens.
So far, great success. I make surer there’s never a gap at the bottom where are the shelter meet the ground larger than about 1 inch. I have seen scat on top of the shelters from something climbing on top, and I’ve seen Paul Burns on the back piece of steel that flaps down where they had come to each tractor and looked in through the back. One guy even said when he drove by the pastor he saw a fox on top of a shelter and looking down into it. But so far, nothing has figured out how to get in. Either that, or there’s enough rodents around the wet areas by the pasture, that the small predators are not really interested in the chickens.
We did a little. It didn't seem to gunk up the drinkers we had too bad. We would have used black tubing, but we couldn't find any online or at the hardware.
Hello! If there are long periods of rain, for example 4-5 days, and the pasture is soaked, how do we keep the chickens from getting wet and sick while in the chicken tractor? If we don't have a dry shed built nearby, is there a solution related to the construction of the chicken tractor?
We bought them off Amazon. I do not suggest them at all. They are very flimsy after a summer in the sun. May become brittle, and break if they are nudged by a full grown broiler. We now have Plasson poultry waterers, also called Bell waterers. These are extremely sturdy, and fell way less often than the old ones we used. They cost about $80 apiece when we bought them, but they are worth every penny. water is the most important thing when it comes to chickens.
Enjoyed it. It's great watching a farm boy video, just plain and simple and funny. Wanting to do this type of deal soon. Them Amish sell cheap wood. I should know being a Yoder myself 😆
Excellent work!! Is there any danger/precautions to take in the case that predictors dig from the sides to get under and in the tractor? Thanks and keep up the good work.
I’ve heard that puting an electrical wire six or so inches tall, all around the shelters keeps them away, but you have to keep the grass low under it so it doesn’t short. We have yet to have anything dig underneath them, and we have been doing it for 2 years. Some people put fold down flaps on the side of their shelters that fall flat outside the shelter for a few feet. That way, anything that wants to dig has to dig several feet in one night.
We’ve tried both and my wife and I lean more heavily towards the A -frame style. These are nice because you can hold more, but we found them a little more difficult to move around. Good video though!
Celtic Roots Farm They are more difficult to move, that can be true, but a good dolly or cart makes a world of difference. These shelters would be difficult for a child to move, or even a person smaller than I am.
@@hdezoo Yes, we found a dolly definitely helps. It's not bad, as long as you are going in a straight line. Which is why we put wheels on two sides of the tractor, so we could move it in either direction.
@@CelticRootsFarm If I were raising birds for just myself, I would probably go with a Suscovich style tractor. They seem to be lighter, and easier to get into if you want to see all of your birds at once.
Yep, I was thinking about our land has LOTS of rocks of all sizes including big ones so it's hilly, rocky, bumpy, etc.... Great build but definitely we need to put in security fence before bringing in animals.
I would highly recommend swapping the steel for aluminum. Steel will retain heat from the sun as aluminum will dissipate much faster. Which in turn will not over heat you birds to death
@@JoeSenger check with a gutter supply/installer, they get aluminum on rolls and make their own products from stock with a bar break table. There is also a product that is much more durable called poly core aluminum face sheeting (or something) , used for signs. It is awsome, light, and very stout. Good luck sir.
I'm having problems with finding the aluminum. Would the white PVC corrugated roofing panels work you think? I live in Eastern Washington state and we do get some 100+ degree weather from time to time. Although, 90 degrees through July/August is much more common. I'd hate to cook my birds prematurely. ;)
So, what I am gathering here is A Stationary Chicken Coop is soon to be an antique. Very good guys, I am very impressed with your craftiness. Is the Coop Mobile on wheels? Or just scraping the ground when it is moved. Please help out this City Slicker, all I grow is sweet Potatoes.
We have a small cart with wheels that I slide under the rear of the shelter. It keeps the back edge about 2-3 inches off the ground so the chickens feet don't get caught under it. I pull it from the front, and the wheels make a huge difference.
The only way for the raccoons to get in would be to dig underneath the shelters, which they have not done the two years we have grown them this way. The hardware cloth is 1/2 inch, so raccoons cannot get their paws through it to grab any chickens.
Awesome build. Two questions if you have the time: 1. What is the size/location of the hose you used for the waterer? 2. What kind of wire cage is that? Looks rectangular instead of square like 1/2” hardware cloth would be.
1: my brothers house and we’ll is about a quarter-mile down the road from the pasture. There are heifers in a few barns over at his place so there are water lines underground. We tied into those water lines with 1.5 inch waterline, and trenched it to the edge of the pasture with a backhoe and have a frost free hydrant there. From that hydrant, we have garden hoses running on top of the ground to wherever the chickens are at. 2: the mesh is 1/2inch by 1 inch hardware cloth on the top. We used it because we had bought every roll of 1/2 inch hardware cloth within 30 miles of us, and that was the next best thing.
@@hdezoo so cool. I loved the little racks with water cups so I’m thinking of integrating into a couple of hoop coops I’m making for my laying hens. Rock on!
After a yeah of using those drinking cups, I wouldn’t recommend them. They get busted when the chickens get older and they get leaky with age. I recommend the bell-style waterers. They are pretty pricy brand new, but, but chicken houses sometimes rotate out older ones and you can get a good price on a used one sometimes.
The ground we have them on is pretty sandy, and drains very well. It is also on a knoll, so the water cannot pool around the shelters. Also, to my knowledge, it has never been cultivated, the grass sod is very thick and holds the soil together very well. It’s for all these reasons we decided to choose it as our chicken pasture. If we were to seed a low lying crop field to pasture, and started running broilers in this system on that ground, we would probably have a lot of issues with water, but the ground we have them on is very well drained.
Huh. Interesting build, although after referencing Joel Salatin's design in the title I was hoping you would talk more about what changes you made and why. Also whether or not you made the dolly to move those tractors and whether or not one person can move them with the heavier wood. I also didn't notice any mention of where you're located, but I did recognize wood sorrel in the grass, which reminds me of my youth in Maine. Anyway, guess I'll have to check out the next video, and see if I can find answers to my questions there.
Kimberly Laney we cut a lot of boards in half the long way. We didn't have any plans, we just made it up as we went along. I'll make a video in the future that has a materials list for the tractors we built.
If you had winds much stronger than 30 miles an hour, I might consider tethering the shelters down with something, maybe a three foot or so pole with a loop at the end, driven into the ground, with a ratchet strap over the top of the tractor to synch it down?
We put wire on all sides of the shelters before we put steel on, because we were planning on having the sides hinge up just like the back, but we ended up just screwing the side steel on because we were low on time. The steel would be fine on its own.
They are great tools. I have quite a few of the m18 lineup of tools, and they were well worth the investment. With tools, I keep the mindset of "Buy once, cry once."
Yeah sandals & socks guy must be from Poland ha ha ha ha:-) we nów that cubots are not just sandals this is the way of live👍 pretty coop easy made wwooowww!!
We couldn't find any used aluminum near us, and we couldn't find any for sale new near us for a reasonable price, so we used steel roofing. If you do go with steel like we did, plan to have a Salatin style cart for the back.
We did not seem to loose any due to heat stress. We had a week where it was 95 and sunny during the day, and they were hot and panting in the heat of the day for four or five hours, but they got through it fine. If they had run out of water, we would have had a problem, but I ensured that didn't happen. If you do use steel, I suggest you make it so that you can easily remove the steel from all sides except the roof. We hinged the rear of the tractor, and we left it down most of the time so the breeze would blow through, but I wish we would have taken the time to hinge the steel on the sides as well to maximize the options of ventilation. I bought a laser thermometer, so I can make a video on the actual temperature of steel in the sun, so that we know for sure how hot it is.
Just Curious to know what size lumber you used. It looks like: 2x4's on the bottoms 2x2's on the tops 2x2's for the Support braces Also, it looks like you used pressure treated on the bottom and non pressure treated on the top? I am drawing a design to build my own and am curious because I like yours more than any others I have found on the internet. Please share! Thanks!
@@hdezoo Great design and build. Thanks for sharing your build with us. I am thinking of building one this year, to hold 50 chickens. What is the overall dimensions of your chicken tractor?
Hey thanks for the video. Just wondering where yall live? We are in Texas and my aon says we will need misters to keep them cool here. Have yall had issues with the heat?
joel c we had a week or two when the highs were around 85-95 and very humid. Our shelters are designed so the back can open completely, which helped a ton, and I would spray water on the roofs in the heat of the afternoon once a day, and because the roofs were concave a bit and the shelters were on level ground (total luck) the water would evaporate over half an hour or so and cool the roof. When the birds are small, the can stand the heat very well. When they get about four or five weeks old, heat is an issue. But even in that heat, we only averaged a 3.3% mortality rate for the summer overall.
It takes more acreage but I love raising chickens like this! Super easy and it's a lot cheaper to start if you already have the acreage. I use this type tractor in the cooler months and the Suscovich model tractor in the warmer months
Joel Salatin published a book last year called Polyface designs, and that book has detailed plans, hardware lists, and building instructions for this structure. We built these before that book was out, so we built it on the fly with no plans. We just started building.
We do, the neighbor across the road actually buys cheap confections from the bread store to feed them in his backyard. We raised three groups in these shelters and never had a fox dig under them.
@@hdezoo so thankful for that info mate. you're helping me feed my friends and family, we just bought 40 acres. 25 of pasture.... you're an inspiration friend. cheers.
I notice that you're using the wire mesh on the sides, so that cats and other predators are not going to be able to reach through and grab the poultry. GOOD IDEA. :)
We have a lot of hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons where we are, and Cornish cross are not too great at hiding from them, as we went with the joel Salatin shelter to protect them from predators. We had zero losses to predation, and I only noticed digging near the shelters once. We have fox, raccoon, possum, the whole 9 yards, but none of them found out how to get in the shelters yet. We may run electric fence around the shelters next year though, if critters get dead set on getting our chickens.
Joel Salatin and Chris Slattery have a book with all of the farm designs. The chicken tractor designs are in that book. We built these shelters before that book was published, so I don’t have any plans for these chicken shelters. I just started cutting wood and flew by the seat of my pants. There’s no written parts list or anything for these. But Joel has got a parts list a cut list and a list of materials that you would need to build a shelter like he does.
We didn’t make a plan or have a materials list when we built these. Joel Salatin recently released a book called “Polyface designs” that has a materials list, cut list, and build instructions for a shelter similar to this one.
These chickens won’t get old enough to lay eggs before we harvest them for meat. They get butchered around 7 weeks of age, and chickens don’t start laying untill they are about 15 weeks old or so.
PVC can be more expensive than 2x4’s, and we read it’s more difficult to attach chicken wire or hardware cloth to the PVC than it is for wood. Also, a 10x12 PVC shelter could be pretty bendy if not made well. Wood is much simpler to repair if it were to break as well. We were in a time crunch to build these shelters, so we didn’t experiment. We wanted to go with something that was proven, and relatively simple to build. Now, I would probably use PVC if I was building a smaller shelter to raise birds just for myself. Combined with electric netting around the shelter as an added layer of protection, because PVC is so light. Light means ease of use, but could also make lifting the shelter up by predators easier as well.
@@hdezoo my idea was 20x20 pvc two inch frame .. coke can shingles for cheap/ light aluminium roofing.. Basically a 400 square feet pin thats under 200 pounds in weight ..anchored perhaps with some corner stakes for predators /wind
I couldn’t help but here you say that you used steel for your roof. I’m at a bit of a dead end because I cannot find aluminum. Are your broilers to hot with the steel? Thanks for the great vid.
We were in the same boat when we were building these. We couldn't find aluminum sheeting anywhere so we used steel. Where we are, in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan, the birds did well all summer, and there were a few weeks where it was 85-95 highs for the day. From what I can tell, we didn't loose any birds due to heat exhaustion. We only lost 26 or 28 birds out of the 900 we raised last summer. If you use steel, make sure to design your shelter with more ventilation than the Salatin shelter, and I'm thinking about suspending shade cloth 6inches or so above the steel roofing to keep the sum from heating up the steel.
@@hdezoo thanks for the response! Very helpful for us. We are in central VT. Have you explored the idea of painting the steel white to reflect heat? Thanks.
We thought about it, but did not do it because we were on a time crunch to get them built. I ordered a laser pointer thermometer, and I'll be doing a few comparisons to see how we can keep the steel cool. Painting it may be easier.
Interesting channel name, but what sold me was the socks in flip flops routine during construction.
Those are my safety sandals and safety socks.
Amen
If you ever had a nail go through your foot you wouldnt wear sandals yes its about safety
😂😂😂😒
I've had one nail go through my foot before, but now I know not to step on nails.
Lord I'm 45 in a couple days , all i want is good health and the drive a guy like this has in this video 😁
I love how down to earth you guys are and honest
I'm locally grown and raised, I see these when I head to town. They look really good and it's awesome to see raising pastured chickens taking flight. We need much more of this in the area and I think there is a sail wind bringing it in.
1,000 watched this?! That's insane! You guys rock.
65k!
It's crazy. I can hardly believe it.
120k
Well done!
175k
211,000 people watched this? That’s insane. One year flew by so fast
Great tweaks on the 'original' Salatin design :) We made one following his plans this year, already plan to make the next one a bit more like yours. Nice job!!!
Thanks! I’m glad I could help.
Thanks for taking the time to share, video, and explain 🤙👍
Thank you for the video!! and great fashion statement with your slippers 😜
Big respect for u no matter what who say
Awesome chicken tractors. These looks great. Wish I would have build a bigger tractor for our chickens
When we have the rains here in southeast Texas that really stands, we shove hay or straw under the tractor wall, then move the tractor forward about halfway, and the chickens immediately crawl up on the hay out of the water. Works for us.
That’s doesn’t sound fun.
@@hdezoo any concern about uneven ground or holes in the ground creating access points for predators to get in under the walls?
For sure. I keep some wood scraps on the shelters to shiv in any divots, but our pasture is quite level. I rarely have to patch a hole with scrap wood. It I was in an area where there were weak points every day, I might enclose the shelters with electric netting for extra protection.
@@hdezoo thanks for sharing your video 👍
Thanks for watching!
it would be awesome to get plans and a cut list if you got em! this looks better than most versions of this tractor. id love to try it.
I'll hopefully make plans for it when I have the time. Thanks for watching!
@Phoenix Bear - Gravy Boat is this book also for a small farmer who doesnt have so many chickens?
I’ve made 3 of these now. Kept working on the design to refine it. Got it down to a few ripped 2x6s for the bottom and ripped deck boards for the top. Ripped 2x4s for all uprights. No diagonal bracing. Used hardware clothe like you did. Very light and doesn’t sag.
I would cut back on material for sure if I were to do it over again. After I pulled them for two summers, I decided they are heavier than I would like.
As Joel Salatin says: they’re not pigs or cows, they don’t need heavy a built structure. You’re just keeping lightweight predators out. If you look at what he uses they look like they might fall apart at any moment lol
i aways wonder with the chicken tractors do predatoers not just easy dig under it to get inside ?
We are about to start our third year growing chickens here in Michigan this way and we have yet to have anything dig under the shelters. We have coyote, fox, possum, and racoon, but none have dug underneath. I’ve heard some people say that because they are moved every day, it throws the predators off, but I don’t know. It could happen, but it hasn’t yet.
@4:11 "ill edit out all the bad parts" hilarious
I just bought the books... looking to make the move. Great vid
Thank you!
Are you shooting with a Cannon M50? My screen goes black to and is very annoying
This video was shot on a GoPro Hero 5, but would probably looked just as good, and sounded better if I shot it on my iPhone. The reason I didn’t shoot it on my iPhone is because I didn’t have a lot of storage left on my phone. I do have a cannon rebel T5i that I use if I’m filming stuff at my desk that I like very much.
We’ve had raccoons rip apart chicks by sticking their arms under the tractor and pulling on whatever body part they could tear off. It’s awful. We have to put electric wire around each chicken tractor. Also, it gets very hard to catch the chickens under the aluminum when it’s time to dispatch them so I strongly suggest putting a second hatch on the covered part too.
Interesting build, good idea
Thank you, and thanks for watching.
Nice work ! Just subscribed. Who would downvote this ? I always want to meet these people and smack them. Looks great guys. really nice.
Thank you!
I can hear my daddy now, “cover them toes up before you lose them!”
A friend of mine made a really similar coop out of an old truck bed cover.
Ha! Those are my safety sandles.
how do you stop foxes from digging under I made one of these in austraila and the fox burrowed under took 12 chickens I was thinking of just putting weld mesh around the outside 30cm (1 foot) long
I’ve heard people who have done that and have it work for them. Some guys put an electric wire a few inches high (6-8 inches or so) around the shelters.
did you mention the size this is? great stuff, we are starting our 10x10 joel salatin tractor soon!
These are 12x12x2
wow, amazing I've never seen anything like this before.
Chinesium, Kungflu, darn I cannot think of the third one right now. I love those. I noticed some differences I believe on your build. But like he says. He’s not telling you how to do it. Do what works for you.
I’m gonna build the same exact chicken tractor, video is super helpful, thanks man! It’s a year later from when you made it, is there anything you would have done differently?
Yeah, for sure. I would have used aluminum instead of steel. We got the stew for free, and we couldn’t find aluminum where we were, so we used steel. It’s much heavier than aluminum. You want to make it as light as you can. That’s pretty much it though. That, and a good cart or dolley design to put under the back edge that lifts the back off the ground when you pull it. That is a must.
Great job guys
How long will it take you to get them to my homestead?
You should put the steal on an angle and add a gutter that fills a water reservoir 👌
There’s an idea.
Hello, I really liked the chicken tractors you made. Since I don't know your language, I watched your channel with subtitles. Maybe you said it, but the subtitle translations may be missing or I may not understand it. I couldn't understand what the cover you put on the back of the chicken tractor was for. Is it just for shade or does it have another purpose? I also want to know the length and width dimensions of this chicken tractor. Why didn't you attach the top cover of the chicken tractor to the main body of the cage with a hinge-like device?
I'm sure it's been said already but Joe uses Aluminum in his tractors...makes it way lighter, it also doesn't absorb heat and keeps the chickens cooler than steel
Haven I like your videos
Thanks for watching!
awesome men, your work is inspiring!
Thank you!
For the water you can get a container with a cap at the top and a tap at the bottom, you close the tap at the bottom and fill the container with water, then you close the cap at the top so no air can get in, you place the container on top of the cage and run a piece of hose from the tap to a cup on the floor, open the tap and the cap gets water for the chickens to drink and stop, as the water gets consumed air will go up the hose and some water will fall in the cup, it will be automatic water feeding, all you got to do refill the container.
What's the purpose of the flip down metal flap on the backside?
It allows me to regulate the temperature in the shelter a lot easier. I leave it up when the birds first go to pasture in the spring, because it can get below freezing at night for the first few weeks. Then when it’s hot, it’s left down so the entire back of the shelter is open, and sends a nice breeze across every bird. It could also act as a digging barrier when it is down. The birds generally sleep under the roof among the back wall, and the flap is two feet of steel that a predator would have to dig under in order to get at the chickens.
@@hdezoo ahh ok. Makes sense. Thanks for the reply
How much success did you have keeping predators out?
So far, great success. I make surer there’s never a gap at the bottom where are the shelter meet the ground larger than about 1 inch. I have seen scat on top of the shelters from something climbing on top, and I’ve seen Paul Burns on the back piece of steel that flaps down where they had come to each tractor and looked in through the back. One guy even said when he drove by the pastor he saw a fox on top of a shelter and looking down into it. But so far, nothing has figured out how to get in. Either that, or there’s enough rodents around the wet areas by the pasture, that the small predators are not really interested in the chickens.
I am sure he had much more success keeping predators out than keeping himself out of the fridge!
Do you have issues with algae in the clear tubing that you use for the waterers?
We did a little. It didn't seem to gunk up the drinkers we had too bad. We would have used black tubing, but we couldn't find any online or at the hardware.
Hello! If there are long periods of rain, for example 4-5 days, and the pasture is soaked, how do we keep the chickens from getting wet and sick while in the chicken tractor? If we don't have a dry shed built nearby, is there a solution related to the construction of the chicken tractor?
Where did you guys get the cups you used for this?
We bought them off Amazon. I do not suggest them at all. They are very flimsy after a summer in the sun. May become brittle, and break if they are nudged by a full grown broiler. We now have Plasson poultry waterers, also called Bell waterers. These are extremely sturdy, and fell way less often than the old ones we used. They cost about $80 apiece when we bought them, but they are worth every penny. water is the most important thing when it comes to chickens.
Enjoyed it. It's great watching a farm boy video, just plain and simple and funny. Wanting to do this type of deal soon. Them Amish sell cheap wood. I should know being a Yoder myself 😆
Glad you enjoyed it
Excellent work!! Is there any danger/precautions to take in the case that predictors dig from the sides to get under and in the tractor? Thanks and keep up the good work.
I’ve heard that puting an electrical wire six or so inches tall, all around the shelters keeps them away, but you have to keep the grass low under it so it doesn’t short. We have yet to have anything dig underneath them, and we have been doing it for 2 years. Some people put fold down flaps on the side of their shelters that fall flat outside the shelter for a few feet. That way, anything that wants to dig has to dig several feet in one night.
Took all of maybe a month or so with this style before mink dug under and killed most of my chickens. Back to the fortified coop and run with mine.
These are meant to be moved daily, most predators can’t dig through in one try.
Absolutely fabulous
Thank you!
We’ve tried both and my wife and I lean more heavily towards the A -frame style. These are nice because you can hold more, but we found them a little more difficult to move around. Good video though!
Celtic Roots Farm They are more difficult to move, that can be true, but a good dolly or cart makes a world of difference. These shelters would be difficult for a child to move, or even a person smaller than I am.
@@hdezoo Yes, we found a dolly definitely helps. It's not bad, as long as you are going in a straight line. Which is why we put wheels on two sides of the tractor, so we could move it in either direction.
@@CelticRootsFarm If I were raising birds for just myself, I would probably go with a Suscovich style tractor. They seem to be lighter, and easier to get into if you want to see all of your birds at once.
@@hdezoo Yes, we agree. Although it doesn’t hold quite as many birds, we still prefer it because of the things you mentioned. 👍
My field is not very flat, so I'm not sure how safe this would be keeping out predators. Any suggestions?
You could have an electric fence around the shelter.
Yep, I was thinking about our land has LOTS of rocks of all sizes including big ones so it's hilly, rocky, bumpy, etc.... Great build but definitely we need to put in security fence before bringing in animals.
How many can you put in each cage. Also how big are the cages. Great work!
the main thing that surprises me the most is that these cheap flip flops can handle so much weight :O
Lol
I would highly recommend swapping the steel for aluminum. Steel will retain heat from the sun as aluminum will dissipate much faster. Which in turn will not over heat you birds to death
Well done!
Joel Salatin concurs.
Where does a farmer find aluminum siding these days? Here in Montana, it's impossible to find. Are you aware of a national source?
@@JoeSenger check with a gutter supply/installer, they get aluminum on rolls and make their own products from stock with a bar break table. There is also a product that is much more durable called poly core aluminum face sheeting (or something) , used for signs. It is awsome, light, and very stout.
Good luck sir.
I'm having problems with finding the aluminum. Would the white PVC corrugated roofing panels work you think? I live in Eastern Washington state and we do get some 100+ degree weather from time to time. Although, 90 degrees through July/August is much more common. I'd hate to cook my birds prematurely. ;)
Wonder whether these tractors could be used with other fowl (ducks, guineas, turkeys) if the ceiling height were greater?
They could be very versatile, although if I added much more material to the shelters, they would be a bit too heavy to move comfortably.
I love what you guys do, keep up the good videos.
Matthew Craft thank you!
Very nice!!!!! What type grass do y’all have growing in pasture?
We have a lot of clover, but I’m not sure what species the grass is.
@@hdezoo gotcha. It looks awesome
Covering for when there is big rain?
Yeah, keeps them dry.
Great Video Gents!!!! Keep it coming!!! Perhaps a rough estimate of the cost per tractor? Thanks again!
When we built them, about 250 or so
@@hdezoo Thank you much friend!
very informative and helpful
I’m glad you think so!
Very cool!
How fast does a chicken tractor go ?
Zero to sixty in 2.7 seconds.
@@hdezoo wow, that's fast .
So, what I am gathering here is A Stationary Chicken Coop is soon to be an antique. Very good guys, I am very impressed with your craftiness. Is the Coop Mobile on wheels? Or just scraping the ground when it is moved. Please help out this City Slicker, all I grow is sweet Potatoes.
We have a small cart with wheels that I slide under the rear of the shelter. It keeps the back edge about 2-3 inches off the ground so the chickens feet don't get caught under it. I pull it from the front, and the wheels make a huge difference.
How do you keep pests out? We have raccoons that would easily take out our chickens unless locked up at night.
The only way for the raccoons to get in would be to dig underneath the shelters, which they have not done the two years we have grown them this way. The hardware cloth is 1/2 inch, so raccoons cannot get their paws through it to grab any chickens.
Awesome build. Two questions if you have the time:
1. What is the size/location of the hose you used for the waterer?
2. What kind of wire cage is that? Looks rectangular instead of square like 1/2” hardware cloth would be.
1: my brothers house and we’ll is about a quarter-mile down the road from the pasture. There are heifers in a few barns over at his place so there are water lines underground. We tied into those water lines with 1.5 inch waterline, and trenched it to the edge of the pasture with a backhoe and have a frost free hydrant there. From that hydrant, we have garden hoses running on top of the ground to wherever the chickens are at.
2: the mesh is 1/2inch by 1 inch hardware cloth on the top. We used it because we had bought every roll of 1/2 inch hardware cloth within 30 miles of us, and that was the next best thing.
@@hdezoo so cool. I loved the little racks with water cups so I’m thinking of integrating into a couple of hoop coops I’m making for my laying hens.
Rock on!
After a yeah of using those drinking cups, I wouldn’t recommend them. They get busted when the chickens get older and they get leaky with age. I recommend the bell-style waterers. They are pretty pricy brand new, but, but chicken houses sometimes rotate out older ones and you can get a good price on a used one sometimes.
@@hdezoo awesome intel!
Why don't they use a workbench to do the pre-fab work and save their backs?
We didn’t have a workbench to build the workbench on.
Hey, I'm just wondering, what happens when it rains heavily, the entire ground gets muddy right, so is that ok for chickens hygiene-wise?
The ground we have them on is pretty sandy, and drains very well. It is also on a knoll, so the water cannot pool around the shelters. Also, to my knowledge, it has never been cultivated, the grass sod is very thick and holds the soil together very well. It’s for all these reasons we decided to choose it as our chicken pasture. If we were to seed a low lying crop field to pasture, and started running broilers in this system on that ground, we would probably have a lot of issues with water, but the ground we have them on is very well drained.
@@hdezoo That clarifies it, thanks for the response man, looking for more interesting content on homestead and self-sufficiency.
how do you get the chickens when you're ready to harvest them?
ua-cam.com/video/l4d0d2qF0OA/v-deo.html
Move them to clean grass and send in my 11 yr old.
Huh. Interesting build, although after referencing Joel Salatin's design in the title I was hoping you would talk more about what changes you made and why. Also whether or not you made the dolly to move those tractors and whether or not one person can move them with the heavier wood. I also didn't notice any mention of where you're located, but I did recognize wood sorrel in the grass, which reminds me of my youth in Maine.
Anyway, guess I'll have to check out the next video, and see if I can find answers to my questions there.
"KUNG-FLU", "Sweet-N-Sour-SICKEN" you guys kill me🤣 great video!
What size boards did you use to build the chicken tractor? I would like to build one just like it. I would need all measurements, thanks
Kimberly Laney we cut a lot of boards in half the long way. We didn't have any plans, we just made it up as we went along. I'll make a video in the future that has a materials list for the tractors we built.
@@hdezoo polyfacedesigns.com/. Polyface Designs, a new book has everything you need to build this.
Brilliant!
i live in the rainforest of peru with strong winds sometimes in storms. does such an enclosure fly away? What can I do to prevent this from happening?
If you had winds much stronger than 30 miles an hour, I might consider tethering the shelters down with something, maybe a three foot or so pole with a loop at the end, driven into the ground, with a ratchet strap over the top of the tractor to synch it down?
What does he do with the chickens in the winter?
These chickens are butchered before winter. They grow to butcher weight in about 8 weeks. We raise them on pasture during the summer.
when they are all done and built, how much do they weigh?
I’m not quite sure. I’ll get an exact number later this spring, but they are probably around 200 pounds or so. Probably a bit less.
Love those construction boots, lmao comfort 1st, I would have started with saw-horses :-)
Haha, I like to live life on the edge!
Nice safety sandals
Do you guys put screen wire underneath your metal??? Or is just the metal over the areas covered good enough? Thank you!
We put wire on all sides of the shelters before we put steel on, because we were planning on having the sides hinge up just like the back, but we ended up just screwing the side steel on because we were low on time. The steel would be fine on its own.
Lovely
Thank you!
I am making one for only 15 chickens. Laying boxes? Roosting rails?
These are for meat chickens, so there are no roosts or laying boxes.
What brand is the staple gun you used?
Andy Garman it's a cordless M18 FUEL Milwaukee narrow crown stapler.
Cool that's the cordless brand I have
They are great tools. I have quite a few of the m18 lineup of tools, and they were well worth the investment. With tools, I keep the mindset of "Buy once, cry once."
are you rotating or moving these daily?
Yes
Yeah sandals & socks guy must be from Poland ha ha ha ha:-) we nów that cubots are not just sandals this is the way of live👍 pretty coop easy made wwooowww!!
Were you able to find aluminum for the roof? I can't seem to find any so I'm tempted to just use metal
We couldn't find any used aluminum near us, and we couldn't find any for sale new near us for a reasonable price, so we used steel roofing. If you do go with steel like we did, plan to have a Salatin style cart for the back.
@@hdezoo thanks for the quick reply. Did you have any problems with heat from using metal?
We did not seem to loose any due to heat stress. We had a week where it was 95 and sunny during the day, and they were hot and panting in the heat of the day for four or five hours, but they got through it fine. If they had run out of water, we would have had a problem, but I ensured that didn't happen. If you do use steel, I suggest you make it so that you can easily remove the steel from all sides except the roof. We hinged the rear of the tractor, and we left it down most of the time so the breeze would blow through, but I wish we would have taken the time to hinge the steel on the sides as well to maximize the options of ventilation. I bought a laser thermometer, so I can make a video on the actual temperature of steel in the sun, so that we know for sure how hot it is.
@@hdezoo Do you think that using a fiberglass or plastic top and spraying the top with silver paint work?
Just Curious to know what size lumber you used.
It looks like:
2x4's on the bottoms
2x2's on the tops
2x2's for the Support braces
Also, it looks like you used pressure treated on the bottom and non pressure treated on the top?
I am drawing a design to build my own and am curious because I like yours more than any others I have found on the internet.
Please share! Thanks!
Those are 2x3’s on the bottom. The rest is 2x2’s. We ripped 2x6’s and 2x4’s in half.
@@hdezoo Great design and build. Thanks for sharing your build with us. I am thinking of building one this year, to hold 50 chickens. What is the overall dimensions of your chicken tractor?
It’s 2 foot tall 10 feet wide and 12 feet long
@@hdezoo Thanks for letting me know. Stay blessed and have a great day. 👍🏽
Hey thanks for the video. Just wondering where yall live? We are in Texas and my aon says we will need misters to keep them cool here. Have yall had issues with the heat?
joel c we had a week or two when the highs were around 85-95 and very humid. Our shelters are designed so the back can open completely, which helped a ton, and I would spray water on the roofs in the heat of the afternoon once a day, and because the roofs were concave a bit and the shelters were on level ground (total luck) the water would evaporate over half an hour or so and cool the roof. When the birds are small, the can stand the heat very well. When they get about four or five weeks old, heat is an issue. But even in that heat, we only averaged a 3.3% mortality rate for the summer overall.
So is it about a t10x10 structure?
steph wofford Close, it's a 10x12. 10 wide and 12 long
It takes more acreage but I love raising chickens like this! Super easy and it's a lot cheaper to start if you already have the acreage. I use this type tractor in the cooler months and the Suscovich model tractor in the warmer months
For sure. After raising chickens this way, I would never raise them in a barn.
What is the social watch cage system look like and how many chickens
would love material plan, specs and sizes a real BQ bill of quantities
Joel Salatin published a book last year called Polyface designs, and that book has detailed plans, hardware lists, and building instructions for this structure. We built these before that book was out, so we built it on the fly with no plans. We just started building.
@@hdezoo thank you so much for helping me out. God bless
Do you not have foxes? I would need wire bottom
We do, the neighbor across the road actually buys cheap confections from the bread store to feed them in his backyard. We raised three groups in these shelters and never had a fox dig under them.
Nice work 😎👍
Thanks!
how many chickens per tractor?
do you separate them as they grow?
We put 75 in each tractor when they are 3 to 4 weeks old. They stay in that tractor until we process.
@@hdezoo so thankful for that info mate. you're helping me feed my friends and family, we just bought 40 acres. 25 of pasture.... you're an inspiration friend. cheers.
I notice that you're using the wire mesh on the sides, so that cats and other predators are not going to be able to reach through and grab the poultry. GOOD IDEA. :)
Thanks, and thanks for watching!
What are the dimensions
How many birds per tractor. I’ve seen so many figures on this.
We put about 75 birds in each shelter. They get moved once every day onto fresh pasture.
What are the entire of this vs free range? Predators? No need for a huge fence?
We have a lot of hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons where we are, and Cornish cross are not too great at hiding from them, as we went with the joel Salatin shelter to protect them from predators. We had zero losses to predation, and I only noticed digging near the shelters once. We have fox, raccoon, possum, the whole 9 yards, but none of them found out how to get in the shelters yet. We may run electric fence around the shelters next year though, if critters get dead set on getting our chickens.
@@hdezoo thanks for the info!
Care to add the material list please?
Joel Salatin and Chris Slattery have a book with all of the farm designs. The chicken tractor designs are in that book. We built these shelters before that book was published, so I don’t have any plans for these chicken shelters. I just started cutting wood and flew by the seat of my pants. There’s no written parts list or anything for these. But Joel has got a parts list a cut list and a list of materials that you would need to build a shelter like he does.
Can you post a supply list
I don’t have a supply list for these shelters, but there is a full list and instructions in Joel Salatin’s book called “Polyface designs”
can i get the materials list for this project?
We didn’t make a plan or have a materials list when we built these. Joel Salatin recently released a book called “Polyface designs” that has a materials list, cut list, and build instructions for a shelter similar to this one.
Where do they lay the eggs?
These chickens won’t get old enough to lay eggs before we harvest them for meat. They get butchered around 7 weeks of age, and chickens don’t start laying untill they are about 15 weeks old or so.
Did not know they were meat chickens, thought they were pasture raised for eggs 🤔👍
lol great build!
Thanks
Nice work. I hate carpentry because I suck at it. I would pay someone to make me a couple of these this nice.
Well thanks! We made it up as we went. I had a picture of what I wanted in my head, and it came together really well.
Love the work shoes
I like to live life on the edge 🤓
For 100 degree weather how tall would you recommend?
We had a few 100 degree days here in Michigan while we had birds in there shelters, but they seemed to do just fine.
What if you framed chicken pins with 1.5 inch roughly pvc pipe and fittings instead of wood?
PVC can be more expensive than 2x4’s, and we read it’s more difficult to attach chicken wire or hardware cloth to the PVC than it is for wood. Also, a 10x12 PVC shelter could be pretty bendy if not made well. Wood is much simpler to repair if it were to break as well. We were in a time crunch to build these shelters, so we didn’t experiment. We wanted to go with something that was proven, and relatively simple to build. Now, I would probably use PVC if I was building a smaller shelter to raise birds just for myself. Combined with electric netting around the shelter as an added layer of protection, because PVC is so light. Light means ease of use, but could also make lifting the shelter up by predators easier as well.
@@hdezoo my idea was 20x20 pvc two inch frame .. coke can shingles for cheap/ light aluminium roofing.. Basically a 400 square feet pin thats under 200 pounds in weight ..anchored perhaps with some corner stakes for predators /wind
j smith Ya know, that could work. I haven't seen anything like that, but it could work out fine if designed and built well.
Let us know if you build it and if it works!
I couldn’t help but here you say that you used steel for your roof. I’m at a bit of a dead end because I cannot find aluminum. Are your broilers to hot with the steel? Thanks for the great vid.
We were in the same boat when we were building these. We couldn't find aluminum sheeting anywhere so we used steel. Where we are, in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan, the birds did well all summer, and there were a few weeks where it was 85-95 highs for the day. From what I can tell, we didn't loose any birds due to heat exhaustion. We only lost 26 or 28 birds out of the 900 we raised last summer. If you use steel, make sure to design your shelter with more ventilation than the Salatin shelter, and I'm thinking about suspending shade cloth 6inches or so above the steel roofing to keep the sum from heating up the steel.
@@hdezoo thanks for the response! Very helpful for us. We are in central VT. Have you explored the idea of painting the steel white to reflect heat? Thanks.
We thought about it, but did not do it because we were on a time crunch to get them built. I ordered a laser pointer thermometer, and I'll be doing a few comparisons to see how we can keep the steel cool. Painting it may be easier.
@@hdezoo thanks again. Very helpful advice!
I used the white plastic roofing from home depot. Very light but you can’t cut it too well. Has worked well for me. About $18 per 8 ft panel.
I was wondering...did yall ever put wheels on the tractors or not cause yall raising fast growing meat birds?
I made a cart that I place under the back wall of the shelter in order to move it.
@@hdezoo 💯💗