YEAR ROUND Chicken Tractor & Coop IMPROVES Your Ground & Health of Chickens

[@MelissaKNorris]

Thanks for watching this video and I hope it provides information for providing a chicken tractor and coop set-up for your homestead. Do you already use a chicken tractor?

[@jeffdustin]

What do you think of Justin Rhodes' Chickshaw. Have you seen that?

[@TheLeisamarie]

We use A-frame tractors here too and they are awesome! Always learn something from your channel!

[@stevieray7203]

We live in a mountainous area so unfortunately not possible for us 😒

[@heartright8833]

We just got our chickens last week and I hope to finish building our chicken tractor tomorrow. We also have a lot of old pasture that we are wanting to put under some cultivation. I'm really hoping these chickens can help.

[@lanakuyava6901]

Very informative, thank you! In 29years of keeping chickens we never used chicken tractor... Maybe,we should try it 😊

[@denisepinkston7160]

We have 4 hens. Our coop is smaller. We have only moved it a couple of times. They are just over a year old. We use organic layer feed. Where it was last year over 10 tomato plants came up from scraps we fed them. They were cherry tomatoes but growing in the compost they are as big as my palm. Having chickens is a learning experience for our family. My husband grew up on a chicken farm. I love your videos. I learn from you.

[@beerbuzz62]

You were so awesome Melissa the chicken tractor looks amazing I hope it’s working well for you

[@ceepark114]

My husband is in the process of building a metal tube chicken tractor 10x10. It will serve the meat chickens for a short time then we will put the layers in for the summer/fall time. I can't wait to use it.

[@susannah_hb4388]

That has to be one of the best looking moving coop + tractor I’ve seen.

[@sophiadelaird7375]

Lol

[@leonanderson4727]

That portable chicken coop is a great innovation for having to go in and shovel the chicken poo out of the pen. Furthermore moving it around every few days would evenly spread it on the yard and save having to load it up onto a truck bed and then shovel it off. The chickens would be a lot happier , cleaner and healthier. Yes, We had the same problem with coyotes robbing the chicken coop. Grandma had a habit of looking out the window to see if she could spot them. We also had a sand bin in the cellar where we keep the potatoes, turnips and carrots. However, everybody bought big freezers for preserving the food and canning became a thing of the past. I sure miss it all!

[@robinhazeslip1800]

Have seen the tractor in past video, sooooo glad u explained how u made it!!😃

[@terrycarefoot4038]

Awesome I never thought about a coup on top. Very cool

[@CRAZYMIDDLES]

I love your channel!! Great videos!

[@barbaralugibihl9536]

My husband is working on a chicken tractor for our freedom rangers. Ours will be more like a mobile coop, as we will contain them in portable fencing.

[@tilmonhensley443]

Great job girl, Such a great video you have made, Love the chicken tractor. Looking forward to more of your great videos.

[@leslieharvath6682]

Hi Melissa, love your videos & newsletters! Thank you for educating us. We're hoping to retire to So. Dakota (or somewhere similar) in the next 10 years, so you are my mentor in making that move. Watching your chicken tractor made me think of Joel Salatin's method of rotating 3 groups on pastured land: small (chicken), medium (pig/goat), and large (cow) to keep the land and grasses healthy. There was another man (if I'm recalling correctly, from So. Africa) who also promoted this system to restore drought land in Africa. I'm looking forward to making our own coop tractor when we move from our concrete jungle!

[@LandElevated]

We love your channel. It gives us a lot of ideas about what we can do when have our own farmstead. These ideas will inspire our customers, and we’ll be pointing them in this direction. They’ll love your content, too! Keep going :)

[@evahefty6986]

We have a chicken tractor for exactly the same reason: foxes and jackals (not to mention the neighborhood dogs). We had a rural guesthouse, the grass looked fantastic, and the guests loved to interact with the animals. Now that we moved to the hillside, it's parked under the cherry trees because the rough terrain doesn't allow for much movement. They share a piece of land with our (ornamental) sheep.

[@Maria-cx3ys]

Hi Éva, do the foxes not dig under the coop? Ours did so we now have repurposed a high tunnel with wire dug underneath all around.

[@evahefty6986]

@@Maria-cx3ys there is wire on the bottom as well.

[@gratituderanch9406]

We use a chckshaw and an electric net. Keeps my neighbors crazy German shepherds out, and they’ve tried... repeatedly. We have 14 ladies, and move them once a week. The can chill under the chickshaw, and uv zip tied 2 hog panels together and clipped plastic to it so there’s more rain/hawk protection. We do have some trees in our pasture, and we like to keep the chickens under trees if possible for added protection. We haven’t had any fatalities yet 🙌🏻 but we have had golden eagles, bald eagles and hawks present often watching... 😳 so far we like it. We just move the coop a few feet in the mornings, but my 9 year old daughter can move it, it’s light.

[@justsaying4195]

What is a chckshaw ; do a video so we can see it - thanks

[@gerardhoward3084]

Awesome video thanks

[@fridabengtsson2757]

Thank you for doing this video 😀

[@nativeceltbirdog1527]

Wonderful info!!

[@suewomack5528]

Using a hitch jack with a wheel at the front and both back corners. Jack all three up move it and drop it back down.. Also PVC pipe feeder that can be filled from outside if the coop

[@TheFlexiMexi]

Can't wait to build chicken tractor like yours(plus the improvement you mentioned lol)

[@apriljoymacatangay5790]

This is very nice. Thank you!

[@evolsome]

Oh, I really like that! I would paint that coop bright colors, but that's me there are colors all over my garden from cheap ( people return colors they don't like) paint found at Lowe's.

[@Michael29160]

Love the coffee cup

[@cherishedheritagefarm9233]

That was a fun video Melissa :) Andrea

[@mkshffr4936]

When you put hogs on pasture do you contain them in anything other than the pasture fencing? Do you run chickens over garden area too in order to fertilize and control bugs?

[@toddsherfey6236]

Love your sweater, it reminds me of someone from a long time ago.. love your channel. God speed

[@dsullivan6842]

Flattering can seem too overt sometimes but no harm done

[@rmd9032]

Classic beauty!!! Simply Gorgeous!!

[@natalievassallo5679]

Dear Melissa, I've just found your channel and I am so grateful for every info that you share. Kindly can you tell what you feed your chickens please? I am looking for organic pallets but in my country I can't find someone who sells them 😖 Looking forward for your reply Thank you Natalie 😊🌼

[@torreyself]

We are thinking of moving our chickens to a tractor and I love this design. However, we have weasels and (at least for a standard coop) if the fence is not in the ground some the just scoot right under. How is the bottom of your tractor protected?

[@MelissaKNorris]

Just with the chicken wire to the bottom board

[@lrfolkins6692]

Watching (lots) of your videos... What feed do you choose to make sure the chickens get their protein & calcium? Also, I like how you teach "how & why" you did something and still offer suggestions improvements options we newbies may not be able to think of. 💚

[@tomschutte4113]

Great job Melissa! Very practical. Some of your tips are like my farm/garden idol Joel Salatin (Polyface Farms). Super epic tractors! Keep up the great content!

[@MelissaKNorris]

That is a high compliment, Joel and his farm is an excellent model!

[@kellyvanasse5757]

Thank you for this video! I have laying hens in a stationary coop but my neighbor convinced me I needed meat chickens, they poop A LOT!! He has a chicken tractor too so I was very interested in your video. So, with meat chickens do I still need to have a roosting/laying area??

[@MelissaKNorris]

No they're not old enough to lay eggs by the time you butcher

[@kellyvanasse5757]

Ok good, makes it a lot easier than. Thank you!

[@miqf914]

Thanks for the video. I am a new subscriber and saw your coop in another video and wondered about its specs. I feel you on the need to have something lighter to move and bottomless to keep from having to clean the floor, which was a problem we had with a chickshaw-style tractor. Right now we have a small movable coop which we surround with electric netting. Only problem is hawks and kites. 😑 So now we put the netting really close together, tips practically touching forming an A-frame tunnel. Seems to be working for the moment. About your beef cattle, do you have them on intensive rotational grazing? I am too new to your channel to have come across any such videos yet. Thanks for your time.

[@MelissaKNorris]

We rotate our beef cattle between the pastures about every 2 to 3 weeks in the summer

[@miqf914]

@@MelissaKNorris thanks for your response.

[@beatrizbrugarolas8061]

* omg the vibe *

[@love2can]

Melissa do you use the tractor for meat chickens and laying chickens? Hubby and I are on. 2 1/2 acres and want both types but we were told it works best for meat chickens only. Obviously it is working well for you w/laying chickens.

[@MelissaKNorris]

Yes the meat birds are in another tractor without a coop on it

[@love2can]

Does moving your layers on a regular basis negatively affect their egg laying?

[@lieslstewart7881]

Do you need any kind of ventilation in the coop part? We are getting ready to build one and heard you need venting?! And I thought chickens need a ramp, but your chickens just "flew" right up. :) much that I don't know, but your emails and videos are WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for always sharing your knowledge!!! There is just something peaceful about watching your videos or listening to your podcast. Prob because it's a way of life gone by for many, yet I feel it's in our souls for some reason..... prob because our purpose in the beginning was to rule and reign over this gorgeous earth God gave to us. 😊❤️

[@MelissaKNorris]

They've never needed a ramp and the whole they fly into provides the venting plus the door in the back isn't airtight either I'm so glad you enjoy the videos and podcast!

[@ronburhans5788]

Question...how many square feet of chicken tractor space do I need for 50 meat chickens?

[@amandahess1346]

How large is the coop itself and how many chickens comfortably fit in there? What breeds do you have that live in such tight quarters so well?

[@MelissaKNorris]

We have 9 chickens in it. They need 4 square feet per chicken and the tractor alone provides 80 square feet. They really only go in the coop at night to roost and sleep. We have Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex and an Olive Egger, I've also had Silver Wyandottes.

[@PinkeyDeviSokhiyaEditzSanatani]

Very nice video 👌🙋‍♀️💖💖💖💖 Hi new friend 🙋🙋🤗🤗💕

[@binamom2797]

how do you keep preditors out from digging into the coop?

[@MelissaKNorris]

We've never had any signs of digging from predators.

[@codyrussell8343]

We are very interested in doing this great idea for a coop. Just curious, what did you use for watering the chickens? It looks homemade but very smart. Thank you so much and take care!

[@janarinehart6888]

Love your video. Do you ever have problems with critters getting into the coop? I am afraid to get some chickens because of the many coyotes and raccoons, and possums in our area. Have you had any problems with them getting inside the coop?

[@MelissaKNorris]

No, we have raccoons and possums but none have tried to get in

[@maggiescalf5312]

we have those same predators and a lighter coop (we can move ours without a machine) and so far nothing has messed with them! I have heard of putting down electric wire about 6 inches from the ground around the coop but I probably wouldn't bother with that unless it became necessary.

[@MidwestGirl]

If Audrey Hepburn were a homesteader....... :)

[@dsullivan6842]

She ain't lying to exploit vernacular

[@amykinnell2837]

Some hay in the nest boxes may encourage the hens to use them.

[@MelissaKNorris]

They tend to kick it out but I do put it in

[@katysudlow7334]

You live in a northern climate, correct? We live in MN and are tempted to change from a stationary coop to a chickshaw or chicken tractor like this but... not sure how feasible it is for the chickens in the winter. Last year they weren't fans of the snow and pretty much stayed in the run all winter even though we would open the door for them. Just wondering what you do for that since it's hard to find homesteaders that deal with winters for their animals. :)

[@MelissaKNorris]

Yes northern climate usually our lows are around 10 degrees Fahrenheit for a few weeks in the winter but more averaging in the 20's and 30's

[@yonatmayer]

Thanks, I have this same question. Is the only difference in the winter that you add the tin to close it up more?

[@katysudlow7334]

@@MelissaKNorris Ah, thank you. Yes we get to the -20*F in January or February at least a couple times... They are hearty enough, a little bit of frostbitten comb, and a lot of snow. We would obviously keep in stationary during the winter. Thank you for your response!

[@rebeccamercer4160]

Good morning, do you have any trouble with snakes? Thanks

[@MelissaKNorris]

No we only have gardener snakes here

[@pathfindergeorgia1117]

We had free range kitchens in Georgia but we are moving into the Tillamook National Forest to property we own. As you mentioned coyote are a problem with that can you have chickens in a stationary coop without being free range or in chicken tractor?

[@MelissaKNorris]

You can but then you have to shovel and clean it out often

[@amykinnell2837]

I have mine in a stationary coop with no floor. Put down wood chips, leaves, old hay & you don’t have to shovel. Throw in some kitchen scraps, grass, etc & chickens scratch it all together to make great compost. Then just have to shovel the compost when you need it.

[@marcielliott9700]

Bobcat took 3 in last couple of days...where my daughter helps a lady.

[@tracyfrye3955]

Do you keep them in a different coop in the winter?

[@MelissaKNorris]

Nope, just put a thicker litter on the floor and extra tin as wind blockers

[@navarra4]

Do you cut your chickens wings so they can’t fit away

[@MelissaKNorris]

No

[@renatara9026]

If you add much bigger wheels, like bicycle wheels with bearings, it would be a lot easier to move the coop.

[@maggiescalf5312]

I also had to mourn the loss of free range hens. Not necessarily because of predators, but because they wonder over to the neighbor's property and tear up their lovely landscaping and poop on their back porch. Naughty girls. We tried the best we could to move their run around the coop to different spots but they tear it up so fast that they every option turned to bare ground. I'm sad they get less room to roam, but glad that they get lots of fresh grass every day, are protected, and are leaving the neighbors alone. I'd like to consider adding a run around it so that I can move it once a week instead of every day. But we would have to net the top since they are escape artists. We will move them back to the main coop once the garden burns up (in Texas, that's by August). I'll let them tear up the garden before prepping it for fall.

[@PAFloridian]

Did you say you have plans? If not, do you? I'm no carpenter but that idea for a chicken tractor. Thanks

[@MelissaKNorris]

No plans we just put 10 foot 2x4's with 8 foot 2x4's 2 feet tall for the bottom part and set the A-frame on top of that.

[@PAFloridian]

@@MelissaKNorris Thank you

[@kan-zee]

A bit off topic ...from chicken tractors , but here goes .. . .....been Feeling overwhelmed with all the Varieties of Soil Mixtures / recipes best for a garden Would love to know which of your veggies do well with what Soil recipe/ mixture. . This is a Listing of Ingredients that many KZbinrs are covering . Native soil Top soil Manure (cow / chicken / Sheep / Mushroom COMPOST ..etc) Compost Humus Worm Castings/ Worm Tea / . Sand Azmite Rock Dust small Pebbles . Peat Coconut Coir Vermiculite Perlite Bio-Char . Fertilizer Bone Meal Blood Meal Epsom Salt Egg shells Coffee Grains . Mulch (leaf / twig / sawdust / etc )

[@MelissaKNorris]

I use our native soil (which includes our native top soil) and add aged chicken/steer manure once a year with compost from our leaves, grass, and other compostable items from the kitchen/yard

[@dadawesome784]

Is there anything you can’t do?

[@robertadunaway7030]

I'm surprised they don't need a warmer shelter during your winters. I would love to have chickens but "farm animals" are a NO from the city.

[@maggiescalf5312]

I've heard hens are surprisingly cold-hardy! sounds like it's time to leave the city ;)

[@markhellwig1448]

Paint the coop, before it roits away

[@lesterteachman7277]

you need to put wire under the cage dogs dug under the cage and got all mine

[@MelissaKNorris]

We've had this for several years now and haven't had any dog issues, our dog does a pretty good job of guarding the homestead.

[@4KrystylRose]

Chicken wire will not withstand coyotes. You have to have something stronger or you will lose them again.

[@MelissaKNorris]

We've had this flock in this tractor for 5 years now with no loss

[@PAFloridian]

Try not to step on a chicken :-)

[@Forest_Actual]

You soooo need a wireless mic lol

[@WyrdHag]

I can't help but finding the CLICKBAIT titles written in CAPITAL letters such an annoyance. 🙈 It's so... 'murican.

[@Julian-zy1em]

Do you have a single sister as pretty as you....and if not...can I clone you?????