For those with Tractors: question re: laying..

[AtRendeAcres]

are you asking how to move the tractor with out disturbing their laying shedule?

I think that was the question!

I do not have a tractor but, what I read

from different post from time to time was -

move it:
gently
the same time of day
only far enough to give them fresh grass

if you need to move it further hens should be out or it does stess them!

hope this helped

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Oh ! we have a lay box inside our tractor or at least there is a place for one. have not put it back in beause that they roosted in it and and filled it with little greenish- brown curly eggs

. Will return it soon so as to provide a place for the big brown round eggs

.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, thoes green brown curly eggs aren't so good for eating unless you're the household dog. Better for fertilizer.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Eating........... we couln't get past the cooking part, could never tell when they were done? and the people on the next place kept complaining about the funky smell coming from our house !

 

[silkiechicken]

Haha, that would be a sight. Toss them like hash browns?

 

[barg]

Quote:
I don't understand, how old are your chickens?
They don't lay anymore, so you just have them as pets at this point?

 

[Newchickenmom&kids]

Here's ours: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3724

We move it every couple of days...it gets moved about 5 feet at a time all across the back yard...also...most every evening at 5pm or so...we let them out to free range until they put themselves up at night..then we close them up. So far no problems with laying schedule...although tonight I kind of waited because my BA was up in the nest box and since we'd only gotten three eggs by 5pm I figured she was the late one...then next thing I knew she was down...I went and let them out and checked up top and there was her egg!!!

 

[thndrdancr]

RChicks,
No I wasnt so concerned about interupting their laying schedule. I was more concerned about how people have built tractors that have a place to lay in them. Mine dont care if I move them, they know the yard well enuff they dont get disturbed by moving them a bit. They LOVE it, i.e. fresh new grass to play and pick at.
Mine WAS pretty much a tractor, but once I attached the coop to it when they started laying, its more "permanent" and very hard to move, so now instead of moving it every 3 days or so, its more like once a month, and by that time,t he grass is dead and the dirt is mucky.
I think they would lay wherever I built them a nestbox, I just wanted some pics on others ideas that have their chickens in tractors that move them around.
I do appreciate everyones input, that give me ideas, I need to get some plywood, and hardcloth and get cracking.
If anyone else has pics, go ahead, I love seeing what others have done. Thanks so much all. I have a hard time invisioning how to do things without pic to get ideas from.

Jill

 

[thndrdancr]

wegotchickens and chickenmom, thanks for the pics.

May I ask, how does it do in inclement weather? Like a hard rain, what do you do in those cases, etc?
I am not sure how to do this without making it weight a ton.

Jill

 

[Newchickenmom&kids]

Quote:
Actually...mine love the rain...they are usually right out there in it...but if they want they can always go "upstairs" to get out of it! In the winter...actually before then...as it gets cold...we will eventually stop moving it and put it next to a shed in the back yard. There it will have some protection from the West and North (there's a big tree trunk to the North)

We will cover it with a tarp and open it in the mornings...just flipping it over the top so the front will be open and cover it back up at night. If it gets really cold..I plan to put the heatlamp in one end by a nest box..that should give good snuggy area up top.

The only thing is...when it rains...I do have to watch the feeder on the end....the feed does get wet and I don't want it to mold as this would be harmful if not fatal for them to eat....but so far they eat it up so fast even while wet...next thing you know they've gotten down to the dry. It is very small though...hopper style...only about 4-5in by 2in. It's like what one would use for rabbits etc...