Chicken Tractor Plans

What is a chicken tractor?  When my six year old daughter wanted to raise some chickens in our backyard, I started researching the topic on the internet.  I soon came across the term “Chicken Tractor” and was intrigued as to what t the term meant.  And it turns out a properly  constructed chicken tractor will actually perform the tasks of a mechanized tractor, but the work is performed by chickens instead of machine power.

Basically, a chicken tractor is a portable pen/house for a small number of chickens.  One feature all chicken tractor plans have in common is that the floor of the tractor is open, thus allowing the chickens to explore the ground.  By frequently moving the “tractor”, the earth beneath the tractor is cultivated, weeded and fertilized.  Because chickens like to scratch and dig for worms and bugs as well as consume weeds and plants, the area covered by the tractor is rendered tilled and weeded.  In addition, the chicken waste is a rich source of fertilizer thus rendering the earth fertilized as well.

There are many designs for chicken tractors.  Depending on the size and weight some are meant to be lifted by one or two people in order to cultivate and different areas.  Others keep the have incorporated wheels so that just one end may be lifted and moved in a manor similar to a wheel barrel.  If you are looking to enter the chicken keeping hobby with just a few chickens, and wish to keep the
costs down, building a simple chicken tractor is a great choice.

There are several online instructional products available that include plans for simple chicken tractors.  For additional information on chicken tractors and the hobby of chicken keeping,   refer to out resource articles listed at right.