Lightweight chicken tractor ideas

[squirrelychick]

This is my first post on here. We are getting 35 meat chickens to raise for personal consumption. I am wanting to make a lightweight hoop coop possibly made out of PVC pipe. I want to be able to move it by myself so that the birds will be on fresh grass daily. We are in Oklahoma so husband is concerned about storms blowing coop across the pasture. So my question is, what are some ideas to make a lightweight hoop coop that won't blow away with a strong wind? And also what would be the best wire? I am not a fan of poultry netting, it never seems to hold up. Any opinions on the PVC designs?

 

[PD-Riverman]

This is my first post on here. We are getting 35 meat chickens to raise for personal consumption. I am wanting to make a lightweight hoop coop possibly made out of PVC pipe. I want to be able to move it by myself so that the birds will be on fresh grass daily. We are in Oklahoma so husband is concerned about storms blowing coop across the pasture. So my question is, what are some ideas to make a lightweight hoop coop that won't blow away with a strong wind? And also what would be the best wire? I am not a fan of poultry netting, it never seems to hold up. Any opinions on the PVC designs?

PVC will get brittle and break on the really cold days after it ages a little so do not use it where it has to support weight, etc.The hoops would probably be alright. I use treated 2x2's for most of the frame work. Tractors can get heavy for most Ladies, even men. "I" would forget the hoops and build it light and about 2 to 3ft tall,. You can add rear wheels that can be dropped down to lift a couple inches and build the front where you can use a trailer dolly type set-up (http://www.ebay.com/itm/600LB-Trail...ash=item1a1d156dc7:g:dS4AAOSwzaJX81Eb&vxp=mtr ) or similar to make it easy to move. I like tractors that I can move with a golfcart. 4 wheeler etc----building them where you can use one of them makes life easier.

 

[eggbert420]

Here is mine I built it last week. It is cattle panel not pvc, it seems to hold up well to the central texas winds. I don't know if it will hold up to the Oklahoma tornadoes though. Just thought you might like to see it to get some ideas.

 

[Fairview01]

This is my first post on here. We are getting 35 meat chickens to raise for personal consumption. I am wanting to make a lightweight hoop coop possibly made out of PVC pipe. I want to be able to move it by myself so that the birds will be on fresh grass daily. We are in Oklahoma so husband is concerned about storms blowing coop across the pasture. So my question is, what are some ideas to make a lightweight hoop coop that won't blow away with a strong wind? And also what would be the best wire? I am not a fan of poultry netting, it never seems to hold up. Any opinions on the PVC designs?

Gonna be an awful big structure for that many chickens to prevent aggression so even if the weight issue is resolved it could be a challenge for one person to move with our so very gentle winds (not). Typical white pvc will have a very short lifespan. The uv resistant pvc typically used for electrical conduit is much more durable. I think standard emt conduit will be your best choice. The next challenge will be lateral rigidity so it moves as one and not like a snake. I think the easy answer is free ranging with an electrical poultry net invest is a good coop to roost at night.

Here is mine I built it last week. It is cattle panel not pvc, it seems to hold up well to the central texas winds. I don't know if it will hold up to the Oklahoma tornadoes though. Just thought you might like to see it to get some ideas.

That's a great idea. Gonna look at it as a possible solution to the top of y tractor/coop combination.

 

[PD-Riverman]

The thing we need to all keep in mind I the original poster said She wanted to be able to Move It By Herself!!!

 

[Fairview01]

The thing we need to all keep in mind I the original poster said She wanted to be able to Move It By Herself!!!

So a tractor to accommodate 35 chickens to butcher weight would have to encommpass a minmium of 70sft (2sqft) to prevent overcrowding aggression during the later stages of growout. So thats a 7x10, 9xeight, or any other lxw dimension that equals 70. Ideally it should probably be closer to 100sft so even if it is light enough to move it is going to be quite large. Like carrying a full sheet of 1/4 inch plywood in the wind. Ain't heavy but a challenge. Knowing the construction challenges that will need be resolved during the #2 lead and big chief tablet design portion of any construction project saves a lot of money and those of us that live in OK or TX have learned to think of anything under a 10mph wind to be a calm day so light and big generally means it will be moved everyday out of your neighbors yard back into yours.

The operative word in the op information was pasture. Why not free range cut on feed costs and not have to move anything everyday.

 

[eggbert420]

My hoop coop can be moved with very little effort, my wife moves it every day.

 

[squirrelychick]

Thanks everyone, great suggestions. I do plan on letting them out during the day to forage. Just like a mobile structure for keeping feeding and bedding area clean as possible. And basically a structure to keep them safe at night.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thanks everyone, great suggestions. I do plan on letting them out during the day to forage. Just like a mobile structure for keeping feeding and bedding area clean as possible. And basically a structure to keep them safe at night.

Keep in mind the tractor can be built lite weight, it just needs to be heavy when its not being moved to keep it on the ground. Example---Picture this, Light weight tractor that has a cement block on each corner--that's Heavy. You can move the 4 blocks one at a time off, move the tractor then replace the 4 blocks one at a time----only take a minute longer.

 

[Kiki]

This is my first post on here. We are getting 35 meat chickens to raise for personal consumption. I am wanting to make a lightweight hoop coop possibly made out of PVC pipe. I want to be able to move it by myself so that the birds will be on fresh grass daily. We are in Oklahoma so husband is concerned about storms blowing coop across the pasture. So my question is, what are some ideas to make a lightweight hoop coop that won't blow away with a strong wind? And also what would be the best wire? I am not a fan of poultry netting, it never seems to hold up. Any opinions on the PVC designs?

Welcome to BYC!
PD River has a great idea!