Baby Chicks & Tractors

[Lovemylilcluckers]

Unfortunately, the day after Christmas a dog (German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois) jumped over our pasture fence and "got" 23 of our chickens. (BTW: We raised the fence!).

Now we are trying to get chickens ASAP, so they can hopefully start laying early spring/summer. We have a commercial size green house right now and will be keeping our chicks in the house for the first 3-4 weeks in a stock tank and hoping to build a racoon proof tractor for the greenhouse to help till soil before spring.

We are getting 25 chicks and they are arriving 2/20. They will be going into the greenhouse roughly around 3/20 and will still need supplemental heat. What is the best option for heat inside of low profile tractor? We were hoping to do a 5x12 tractor that is 2 feet tall. We hope to do meat birds at one point but want something low profile for when not in use.

Any tips for this?
Tricks?

We typically let our broody chicken hatch 6-9 at a time and it's such an easy process.

Thanks!

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

So sorry about your loss! Some people use a heat plate for their chicks. It works well with a lower profile coop and is less of a fire hazard. For 25 chicks, you'll probably need more than one to be sure everyone can go under them comfortably.

 

[springvalley123]

Depending on the size of the stock tank, 25 chicks will outgrow it at least by 2 weeks, much less 3-4. I've used the 2x4 ft, 2 ft deep stock tank with rounded corners, they outgrow it pretty fast.

You could try a wire 2-door dog crate. 48x30 by 32 or so tall. It provides a lot more space. And you could "expand" it into a nearby corner with an x-pen or even cardboard, and housebreaking pads or vinyl flooring remnants. (I had to do that once).

I've built 2 tractors--1 with pvc pipe and the other with 2x4s. The 2x4 were more sturdy, but I don't know about being racoon proof. I always had to shore up the bottom whenever I moved it, but it wasn't in a greenhouse either.

As for getting heat into it, I think using a drill, then a jig saw, on the plywood to run a cord through would be best and safest. Then possibly put up more plywood around the cord, after you got the plug through. I'd use screws in case somehow you needed to replace the extension cord.

 

[homesteading101]

I also would recommend electric fencing as a secondary barrier, if the dog gets zapped to high hell you will have more freedom to do what you want

 

[Lovemylilcluckers]

I also would recommend electric fencing as a secondary barrier, if the dog gets zapped to high hell you will have more freedom to do what you want

It wasn’t our dog but a loose dog. Electric fences are great for dogs who experience is over and over and learn from it. My worry is that the dog would get zapped clearing the fence if they were super motivated then be stuck inside the pasture? I am looking into the electric option but it’s a complicated 1/2 acre pasture.