Building a Chicken Tractor

baymule

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I am building two chicken tractors. They are well named, for indeed, I will have to drag them with my tractor! As usual, I’m using scrap and materials I already have. I had some 2x12’ five feet long, so our neighbor Robert cut them in strips on his table saw. We did have to buy some 2x4’s for $47.

Here’s what I’ve done so far.

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milkmansdaughter

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I love your neighbor Robert! Everyone needs a Robert in their neighborhood! :lol:

Now I know why you needed the 2x4's. I think I'm almost out of ours too. I've still got a big wood pile, but 2x2's and 2x4's go fast. I'm starting to run low on 4x4's too. Time to start scrounging!

I didn't pick up any free wood today, but I did pick up 1 free 2yo 600# round bales of hay. And it was not sprayed with herbicides. The man has almost 30 bales and we're welcome to all of them. One of the sweetest phrases I know, "Please, come back!" We told him we'll take them all! :weee
 

baymule

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Old hay! Wealth! Only a gardener gets excited over rotten hay! :thumbsup

My husband wants me to put a flat roof on the tractors with hinged sides. I was originally going to put a A shaped roof on it to keep the dogs and sheep from laying on it, with the front part hardware cloth, the back part tin roofed. I was going to hinge the wire part, both sides.....then I realized I've built them 7 feet wide and I can't reach very far.

So I have decided on a A roof, but just tall enough for me to walk in. I think bending a little and being able to reach every part of the tractor is better than standing on my head and can't reach nothing.

As usual, I am overbuilding.
 

CrealCritter

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I always wanted to build one of these but never was really sure how. Lots of ideas out there on the internet but none ever made much practical sense to me.:pop
 

baymule

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It's already freaking heavy. I bought paint today, purple and an awful bright pink. My 3 year old grand daughter's favorite colors. My husband thinks I'm a looney. He's right.
 

baymule

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I always wanted to build one of these but never was really sure how. Lots of ideas out there on the internet but none ever made much practical sense to me.:pop
As usual, I'm using materials I have and molding them around this effervescent picture I have in my head.
 

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