Building a Chicken Tractor

[frustratedearthmother]

It's 7' wide, I'll probably put braces on the corners.

and wheels on the back?

 

[baymule]

and wheels on the back?

I plan on that, just gotta figure out a raise-lower system. With chickens on the porch, I don't have time right now to figure it out. I'll have to retro-fit wheels.

 

[CrealCritter]

I have quick connect on the tractor, gosh I LOVE that, and I'll just use a chain. I watched a guy load up our 12'x24' portable building using pins and a chain. The pins didn't even have nuts to hold them. I'll drill holes for bolts, using fender washers, nuts and a chain to hook onto. I'll get a picture of the hooks tomorrow. Or I could use the front end loader to lift the front end.

It's 7' wide, I'll probably put braces on the corners.

Maybe in addition to corner bracing you could also do a X brace on the walls inside corner to corner and fasten the studs to the X brace. That would stiffen it up quite a bit and should help with racking when it's being pulled with the tractor. You will probably need to do a 1/2 lap joint where the center of the X intersects so that both X members are flush with the studs.

Plywood sheeting on the outside and X brace on the inside should make it pretty strudy.

I think I would have built the walls on top of the 4x4's though but that's just me.

Check out Sawdust Girl ---> https://sawdustgirl.com/how-to-cut-half-lap-joints-on-a-table-saw/

This can be done with a skill saw and a carpenter square just the same.set your skill saw depth of cut to 3/4" (half the thickness of a store bought 2x4) use the square to guide you saw for the outside cuts then freehand the remaining cuts. Use a hammer and chisel to clean it up like she does and your good to go.

 

[baymule]

Today was a fun day. Tomorrow, back to work to get at least one finished!

 

[baymule]

@CrealCritter I am putting plywood decking on it. It is thin, but it's mainly to lay the radiant heat barrier on before covering with tin. It will work to help stabilize it. An X brace......you lost me. I'm no carpenter, but I don't let that stop me. My building just kinda evolves, I study on it, what to do next, how to do it, do it wrong, take apart, cut it wrong, try again, make mistakes, learn better for next time? Huhh? Who said anything about next time?

1/2 lap joint, you mean notching it out so the 2x4's are flush with each other? That might be above my pay grade.

 

[CrealCritter]

@CrealCritter I am putting plywood decking on it. It is thin, but it's mainly to lay the radiant heat barrier on before covering with tin. It will work to help stabilize it. An X brace......you lost me. I'm no carpenter, but I don't let that stop me. My building just kinda evolves, I study on it, what to do next, how to do it, do it wrong, take apart, cut it wrong, try again, make mistakes, learn better for next time? Huhh? Who said anything about next time?

1/2 lap joint, you mean notching it out so the 2x4's are flush with each other? That might be above my pay grade.

Nah... You can do it, no problem. You probably seen X bracing on lots of buildings & bridges before but never really paid much mind to them...

It's like this but your just going to do 1 X corner to corner on inside of the knee walls.

X bracing makes walls strong like bull ox

And yes see you already got it "you mean notching it out so the 2x4's are flush with each other"

That's exactly what I'm talking about. It's just officially call 1/2 lap joint is all. You may just have to bump up your pay grade when you complete the X bracing.

 

[baymule]

X brace, yes, lap joint, no. I have a hard time even cutting an angle. I have no idea how to calculate an angle. Wanna know how I cut angles? I lay the board in the shape I want and mark the angle with a sharpie. Then I cut it and most of the time it fits ok. When it doesn't I just slap another board across it.....are those grommets? I know what it is, but not what it's called. I cut the pieces for the door by standing them up, securing with a screw and drawing on the backside where to cut. I built the door in place, me and my sharpie, marking like I know what i'm doing......shhhhhh.....don't tell nobody....... tomorrow I'll assemble the door and see if it fits.

 

[CrealCritter]

X brace, yes, lap joint, no. I have a hard time even cutting an angle. I have no idea how to calculate an angle. Wanna know how I cut angles? I lay the board in the shape I want and mark the angle with a sharpie. Then I cut it and most of the time it fits ok. When it doesn't I just slap another board across it.....are those grommets? I know what it is, but not what it's called. I cut the pieces for the door by standing them up, securing with a screw and drawing on the backside where to cut. I built the door in place, me and my sharpie, marking like I know what i'm doing......shhhhhh.....don't tell nobody....... tomorrow I'll assemble the door and see if it fits.

It's easy to do the angles for the "notches" just tack your first 2x4 temporarily in place. Don't drive the nails home so you can easily remove it. Then temporarily tack your second board up. Use your sharpie and draw your line on both boards where the X intersects. No math needed at all - easy smeazy...

 

[baymule]

I have chisels.

 

[CrealCritter]

They do need a play house.