# Chicken Coop on wheels - Chicken Tractor Plan



## greatgardener

Hello members,

I built this awesome mobile chicken coop.

Built with old car shelter frame.

Pictures: *How to build chicken tractor*


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## bacpacker

I need rebuild mine this winter. I am trying to locate some kids bike wheels. They will roll so much better than the cheap plastic ones I have now.


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## ClemKadiddlehopper

I like chicken tractors. I like your tires as well. However, they raise your tractor too far off the ground for keeping young chicks/chickens in them or preventing a quick dig under unless of course, you have put a bottom on the coop. Also, I noticed that you used chicken wire. Chicken wire is good for keeping chickens in but it won't keep dogs, coyotes, skunks, weasels, foxes ect. out. Not a problem if you don't have any varmints plaguing you. A raccoon can reach right though and get chicken dinner. 1/4" hardware cloth is better.

I also built my A frame tractors with scraps of galvalume siding. I need weight to keep the tractors from blowing away in strong winds. I have crappy little tires on mine (hate them) and use longer bolts for axles just sliding them off when done moving the tractor if I am keeping young chicks in them. If I don't do that, some will always squeeze under first thing in the morning and then they are goners.

I scored some cheap trailers at auctions this summer that I plan to turn into more mobile full size chicken coops. Will have to use the tractor to move those but the price was right.


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## TheLazyL

Looks like your axle is continuous, from one wheel to the other wheel. How much tractor weight on the axle where it enters the 1x4?


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## bacpacker

I'm looking for some small (kids) bike wheels and tires. I plan to mount them high enough to have the base almost on the ground. I won't be putting chicks small enough to get out. Right now mine has old 2x4 and are about done for. I'm thinking about making the back end out of small aluminum tubing. It'll be easy to mount the axle to and build nesting boxes in. The rest may be PVC, not decided yet. Just making plans in my head at the moment.


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## oldasrocks

I used inflatable tires from an old riding mower.


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## Cotton

I had one the first year I had chicks a 10x10ft. I put the pen on pressure treated skids. I had a cable to hook to on the front and pulled it with a horse or tractor every few days.


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## Wellrounded

I have mine on skids. I'm only moving it the length of the cage every morning no need for wheels. I buy used ute cages (no idea what you guys call these), never paid more than $10.00. then put 1" square skids under it, total cost under $20.00 and about an hours work.


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## Cotton

A word of caution about chicken tractors&#8230; I used a plastic tarp on mine to cover the roof and one side exactly like this pic. Just after daylight on Apr27 2011, the day of the tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa, a front came through with straight line winds above 60mph.

With the winds the tarp on my chicken tractor acted like a large sail. The chicken tractor slid about 40 ft. Two of my hens got crushed. Just something to consider with a pen that is made to be movable. It might move when you don't want it to!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tuscaloosa–Birmingham_tornado

The winds that morning took out a major power station. I was without power for about a week. One hour before the Tuscaloosa tornado one came by me, I could hear it. Took out my cousins house down the road.


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## bacpacker

We got hit by the same storm. No tornado hit, just within 1 mile of us. But hail up to silver dollar size. Trashed 2 vehicles, camper, and got the roof, siding, gutters, and screen windows on the house. Almost 50k damage total.

Never gave much thought to the coop blowing around.


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## greatgardener

For all my projects about my poultry:


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## crabapple

Wellrounded said:


> I have mine on skids. I'm only moving it the length of the cage every morning no need for wheels. I buy used ute cages (no idea what you guys call these), never paid more than $10.00. then put 1" square skids under it, total cost under $20.00 and about an hours work.


https://www.google.com/search?q=ute...DNg9rMAhVI04MKHfYRCMoQ7AkIMQ&biw=1242&bih=606


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## Viking

I have wheels for one of the chicken tractors but haven't gotten an axle for it yet, however a friend gave me some veneer peeler rounds that work great for moving the tractors so I may not even use wheels. Fact is I really need to move them ASAP because the chickens have the ground cleared inside of both of the tractors.


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