Raising Chickens
Guides on raising chickens for eggs and meat, including predator protection and mobility solutions.
Put Your Chickens To Work with a Simple Chicken Tractor
Published June 2, 2015
Chickens aren't just for meat and eggs. If you're used to buying bland, factory-farmed eggs from de-beaked chickens in tiny cages, the price of good eggs can be startling. The same goes for pastured chicken meat compared to cheap supermarket poultry. A simple chicken tractor lets your flock earn its keep — tilling soil, eating pests, and fertilizing as they go.
What a Chicken Tractor Does
A chicken tractor is a lightweight, movable coop with no floor. You slide it across your yard or garden, and the birds scratch up weeds, gobble down insects, and deposit manure directly onto the soil. It turns chickens into a mobile cleanup and fertility crew while keeping them safe from predators.
Building a Simple Design
The basic tractor uses a wooden frame covered with chicken wire or hardware cloth, plus a small enclosed shelter at one end for shade and roosting. Handles on one side and wheels or skids on the other make it easy for one person to reposition daily. The whole structure is low and sturdy — heavy enough to stay put in wind, light enough to drag across the lawn.
Benefits of Pastured Poultry
- Richer eggs: Hens on pasture produce eggs with deep orange yolks and more flavor.
- Better meat: Pastured birds develop firmer texture and superior taste.
- Free labor: The flock clears spent garden beds, scratches up pest larvae, and spreads fertilizer without a drop of fuel.
- Predator protection: A well-built tractor keeps raccoons, foxes, and hawks out while the birds work.
Keeping Your Flock Safe
Predator protection starts with sturdy materials. Use ½-inch hardware cloth instead of chicken wire for the lower walls, bury the edges or add a skirt to deter digging, and secure all doors with latches that raccoons can't manipulate. Move the tractor near the house at night if predators are persistent in your area.
With a simple chicken tractor, your birds stay healthy, your soil improves, and you get exceptional eggs and meat — all while the flock does the heavy lifting.
