WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A CHICKEN TRACTOR - HOMESTEADING FAMILY

If you're looking to buy one or DIY chicken tractor, here are all the things to look for...
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Our family raises and puts up all our own meat chickens for the year, and we like them to be as healthy as possible. To do this, it means allowing them to free-range, peck around, and scratch for bugs and other insects. But it’s also important that our flock is protected from the elements and from nature.
In this video, we’re sharing how we let our chickens free-range while keeping them safe in what Josh has coined the “Idaho A-Frame Chicken Tractor”.
He’s also sharing all the important aspects to consider when building or buying a chicken tractor of your own.
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MORE ABOUT US!
WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: bit.ly/HFWelcom...
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#chickentractor #chickencoop #joelsalatinchickentractor #meatchickens #backyardchickens

[@RobinwoodFarmLLC]

This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. You should put the plans out there and I’ll gladly pay for them!

[@debsenritchedrefuge603]

Great helpful info! This 60+ yr old Mama is building my first tractor for my first 20 Cornish cross chicks coming May 21st all by myself since my son is in Alaska working for the summer! I'm sure missing him! You have a nice operation there! Blessings ❤️

[@joshmk27]

I always appreciate your down to earth common sense information. Favorite youtube channel!

[@RenaissanceEarCandy]

I bought a chicken tractor but I'm having a hell of a job teaching the chicken too drive it. His little feet can't reach the pedals

[@davidhobbins3636]

🤣

[@nexusfg]

No nonsense. Straight to the point. Everything you need to know. Your channel is a wealth of information. Thank-you!

[@thepreparedqueen]

Josh!!! Thank you so much! After watching you in this video I made a rabbit tractor and a chicken tractor for my older heritage hens. I'm making an a frame for my meat chick's and my turkey chick's that are coming. I'm also making a bigger laying hen tractor for when those ready to lay chicken get here. Gotta make more rabbit tractors too!

[@SarahPerine]

I really like your design. I'm making some Suskovich with metal roofs but I might try a few your way and compare!! Thank you!

[@surrenderbend6828]

Hmmm. Think making a chicken tractor for in between your garden rows to weed would work? Haven’t seen one but with your talents, knowledge and skills you could design one Just a thought. Thanks for your vid .

[@moniquechurchill6857]

I've seen people make long narrow tunnels of 1/4" wire and wood or plastic pvc pipe that may or may not be connected to a portable coop and the chickens would take care of bugs and weeds in between and around the perimeter of veggie garden. Might work.

[@carriagehousetrailers]

This is by far the most well thought out design I have seen. The durability combined with functionality and accessibility are great. Great work brother!

[@FermentedHomestead]

Great information! We built the hoop tractors out of the cattle panel and I’m realizing it doesn’t meet our needs, it’s surprisingly heavy and difficult to move!

[@cynthiafisher9907]

Fermented Homestead Good to know, I was just thinking I would build one. Hmmm...

[@BootsandBountyHomestead]

We just built one and I'm so excited to get our egg layers in!! Glad to hear we've done it right, lol. Thanks and great timing!!

[@truebluefarm6317]

What a great channel! Loved the video. Chicken tractors are definitely the way to go. We started off with a fenced in chicken yard(still use it to start chicks) and being that we live in the Pacific Northwest it became very muddy and manure covered. Because of that we dealt with fly strike. Keeping the chickens on the move with a chicken tractor is a good way to avoid this issue.

[@TomWylie]

Thanks, this was helpful! I was surprised to see you used primarily 1x2 material, but it's good to see they're holding up well!

[@maritarosander9996]

Thanks 🙌

[@karenlyle322]

Great information 😀

[@eileenpalumbo6578]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@JFAM077]

Would you be willing to share plans for this build? I tried to build one and it was a disaster so I went back to the salatin style but I know it’s not great for North Idaho

[@tomadd8165]

nice design. what metal do you use for the roofing? can't find aluminium sheeting here and i feel like regular roofing metal would be too heavy to move. yours does look quite light when you move it...

[@olivergroce4216]

I live in west Texas. Tried having chickens and had more rattle snakes than Weeds in the garden. Any ideas how to keep snakes out of the chicken coop? Thank you very much

[@reformvideos4303]

Great question!

[@surrenderbend6828]

There is a you tube guy that builds custom coop(not tractors) and he used fine mesh wire and had it extend about 3 feet outside the coop, on the ground to keep snakes and predators out , hope this helps . > Carolina coops episode > See our new upgrades to our most popular coop

[@cynthiafisher9907]

Oliver Groce I watch a guy hating East Texas and he uses scrunched or rolled up plastic bird netting to catch and keep out snakes. They somehow get tangled up in it and can’t get out and die. I don’t have any experience with it myself, no snakes to deal with.

[@tazman8271]

Pigs..... they eat snakes, and are immune to snake bites

[@chrisbuttrill]

Snake wire. It is too small for the snake to come through.

[@tazman8271]

Okay, love your channel. If I include feed for both species, can I house meat chickens and meat rabbits in the same tractor at the same time?

[@bettinaripperger4159]

No you can not . They occupy the same place. If you want to do that please look up Raken house with Joel Saltin. His son did something that you might be interested in

[@naturalgramma7907]

We have some 5 X 6 & 6 X 10 models that are easily to move around gardens! #aluminumchickentractor from #naturalgramma RevHank & Laura Reid

[@dwalsh4027]

What are the 2 circle tattoos Josh has on his Lt hand ? A symbol ?

[@brookelarson699]

Do you have plans for this?

[@ericduty917]

just found your channel. great video. subbed

[@GillbillyJR]

What stops a predator from digging underneath it?

[@kitchentimewithshannonbakk4139]

Can the chicken tractor go on that your drain field?

[@bettinaripperger4159]

Sure -as long as they don’t have direct contact with Septic water

[@RoseFelton]

I would love to do this, but our backyard is on a slope. So, no place to put it.

[@RoseFelton]

@Karrie Dee The assymetric idea sounds good. Can't do the terracing as I am almost 74 yrs. old and my husband is handicapped. Thanks for the ideas.

[@ohske]

👍👍👍👌❤❤❤

[@bonitacancion2010]

I feel like your video title is improperly worded. I expected options to be presented and there was only one

[@laurarojas1386]

Can you make a video on how to kill chickens? thank you

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Hey! This is the closest we have: How we put up 1400 lbs of chicken in 1 day: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGLCgZqlo91ogc0