What is important to your tractor?

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Easy accessibility is a definite must! I hate, HATE having to wedge myself into my doghouse coop to feed/water Lily and her chicks. And cleaning it out is pure ****.

I would say ease of moving, we have a monster tractor about the size you described and it is made out of metal tubing. It is heavy and sometimes difficult to manuver.
Also able to get into it in different areas to catch birds, and feed/water them.

Oh good topic. We are still trying to perfect the chicken tractor that works the best for us. We have 2 different styles and each has pros and cons. Here's a pic of one we made for my bantam cochins. There's a door in the back to collect eggs and makes cleaning easier. The problem though the space inside is small. We have a small roost inside and its only good for 4 birds. I also decided to hang their feeder under the house part so it could be out of the rain (when I put it inside the house there just wasn't enough room and they made a mess of it). I wish there was a way to get to the feeder from the back now. It isn't too small to climb inside but that sure would have made feeding easier. All things considered it turned out great for a first attempt. I like the big door in the front and that its big enough for me to get inside and catch birds if I have to. It is a bit heavy but not impossible for me to move by myself.

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I will have to take a pic of our other tractor. It is a different style and what I use for my young birds growing that dont need nest boxes yet.

As well as ease of cleaning/moving/access, top of my list is a dry shelter that stays dry no matter where the wind blows from, and that the chickens will actually use!

Schipperkesue wrote:As well as ease of cleaning/moving/access, top of my list is a dry shelter that stays dry no matter where the wind blows from, and that the chickens will actually use!

ah now that is the rub isn't it Sue? Out here the rain usually comes sideways so it would almost make more sense to have sides than a real roof, ha ha!

mirycreek wrote:

Schipperkesue wrote:As well as ease of cleaning/moving/access, top of my list is a dry shelter that stays dry no matter where the wind blows from, and that the chickens will actually use!

ah now that is the rub isn't it Sue? Out here the rain usually comes sideways so it would almost make more sense to have sides than a real roof, ha ha!

You bet!

Acrtually the best solution seemed to be a triangular prism shape in which the top half was shelter with a door in the bottom and a little ramp.

Sue

Raised house is a big one for me. So it doesn't kill the grass if let in one place too long. Plus gives them a shaded spot in the run. A pop door for chickens to use if they get to range the yard. I have one tractor that has a door that they can get out of but can't get back in augh. Plus easy of catching.

I have one (sort of) tractor that is used in the summer for mature birds, not just growing out.

Ease of collecting eggs! I didn't account for it and must stretch to get them. Learn from my mistake! Save yourself!

That is starts!!