A Frame Chicken Tractor Free Plans: An Introduction
Are you interested in raising chickens at home? A chicken tractor could be just what you need! Essentially, a chicken tractor is a mobile chicken coop that can be moved around your yard or garden to provide your chickens with fresh grazing areas. This can be particularly beneficial if you have a small or medium-sized yard without enough room for a permanent coop and run.Fortunately, you don’t need to be a carpenter or spend a lot of money to build a chicken tractor. In fact, with a few basic tools and some easily available materials, you can create an A-frame chicken tractor using free plans that can be found online. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at A-frame chicken tractors and provide you with some helpful tips and instruction on how to build one yourself.
What is an A-Frame Chicken Tractor?
An A-frame chicken tractor is basically a triangular-shaped, lightweight coop that sits on a frame of wheels, making it easy to move around. The design of the A-frame coop is particularly suitable for smaller groups of chickens, as it provides plenty of space and adequate ventilation. You can either use a pre-made tractor or build one yourself using free plans found online.The main benefit of an A-frame chicken tractor is that you can move it regularly to a fresh patch of grass, which allows the chickens to feed on new vegetation and gives the ground time to recover from their scratching and fertilizing. This also helps reduce the risk of parasites and diseases, as the chickens are not confined to one area for an extended period.
Tools and Materials Needed to Build an A-Frame Chicken Tractor
To create an A-frame chicken tractor, you’ll need to gather the following materials:
- Wooden boards
- Chicken wire
- Chicken fencing
- Roofing material
- Door hinges
- Screws and nails
- Wheels
- Eye hooks
In terms of tools, you’ll need a saw, a drill, and a staple gun, as well as some basic measuring and marking tools. Once you have everything ready, you can begin constructing your chicken tractor.
Step-by-Step Guide to Building an A-Frame Chicken Tractor
Here is a basic step-by-step guide to building an A-frame chicken tractor:
- Start by constructing the frame of the trailer. You’ll need to build a base, two side panels, and a front and back panel. Cut all your wooden pieces to size, then attach them using screws and nails, ensuring that the frame is square and level.
- Cut and attach the chicken wire to the side and back panel frames. Be sure to staple it in place tightly, with no gaps for predators to get through.
- Add a door to the front panel, attaching door hinges to one side and an eye hook to the other to ensure the door stays closed when locked.
- Cut and attach the chicken fencing to the front panel, ensuring that it fully covers the front of the frame but allows the chickens to access the inside and outside of the tractor easily.
- Attach the wheels to the bottom of the frame on one side, ensuring they are evenly spaced and that there is enough clearance for the chicken tractor to move over obstacles.
- Finally, add a roof to the top of the frame, using roofing material of your choice. This will protect the chickens from rain and sun, making the coop more comfortable and usable throughout the year.
Conclusion
In conclusion, building an A-frame chicken tractor is a great way to provide your backyard chickens with a comfortable, safe and clean living space, while also allowing them to graze and move around freely. The process of building it yourself can also be a fun and satisfying project, requiring only basic carpentry skills and relatively cheap materials.So why not give it a try and build your own A-frame chicken tractor using free plans available online? Your chickens will love it, and you might even discover a new hobby or passion for DIY projects.
