advice on chickens

[Haywood]

hello,

i have a secure coop with a pretty large attached run for a few chickens on my property. however, i have also built them a tractor since i have a large amount of land. i wanted to keep them in the tractor during the day and put them back into the coop at night.

I was wondering if anyone else did this? If so, how do you get the chickens into the tractor in the morning? I can herd them back into the coop easy enough but they really dont want to follow me to the tractor. Is it terrible to pick them up and carry them every day?

Just wondered if there is a better/easier way to keep them safe at night but enjoy rotational grazing during the day.

THANK YOU!

 

[Wifezilla]

Can you throw some scratch or other favorite treat in to the tractor?

 

[framing fowl]

How much handling have your chickens had and how many? Mine coming running when they hear their feed. Maybe with a little patience you could train them to go to the tractor if they know that's where their morning treats are. If they're easy to catch, you can always try it and just catch the ones that don't go in.

 

[pinkfox]

we "trained" ours by feeding them their favorite treats in the places we wanted them to go to easily. so if we need them to be in the smaller run while were cleaning the coop their morning trreat (usualy chicken safe leftovers form the night before) go into the place we want them...it didnt take long, im pretty sure chickens have food radar...

i would try putting the tractor with their favorite treat right outside the acess door for the coop that they usualy come out of (or the main door if you cant get it into the run ect) when they reaize that morning treat is in there theyll rush in...

each morning ony give them this treat in the tractor...theyll soon be lining up to go into the tractor

 

[freemotion]

Mine are not trained but will follow me anywhere for meat/fat scraps. I had a small tractor that I used to till some garden space around my foundation and I would open the pop door and catch the first hen that came out, close the door, carry her to the tractor, and repeat. It was a pain in the tush, but you do what you gotta do!

 

[Haywood]

Thanks everyone, I will try to lure them with treats. They love running out into the pen first thing in the morning. Maybe I can make them love running into the tractor too!

If not, I only have 5 right now and we have handled them quite a bit. I just wasn't sure if it would be too terrible carrying them everyday (though it is a pain for sure).

Thanks!

 

[i_am2bz]

I carry mine, they seem to tolerate it pretty well.

 

[pinkfox]

i dont thinkg catch and carry will be detrimental in anyway, our girls dont like being picked up but once there up they dont struggle and never seem stressed about it aftewards.

 

[freemotion]

Just don't carry them upside down by the legs, as some people are taught to.

 

[i_am2bz]

Just don't carry them upside down by the legs, as some people are taught to.

Heavens - never!!

I cuddle mine & tell them how good they're being. (C'mon, I know the rest of you talk to your chickens, too!)