What Is A Chicken Tractor?

A chicken tractor is a moveable chicken coop on wheels. The chickens have access to the ground beneath and as they dig for bugs they “work” the soil similar to a tractor. 

Most chicken tractors consist of a coop and a run area for the flock. Tractors can be of many materials, the most common being wood. The run has a frame and is usually covered in chicken wire.

Some tractors have wire on the bottom of the frame as well, so the chickens can still get to the ground, but still be safe from predators digging under the coop. 

What Is The Purpose Of A Chicken Tractor?

The purpose of a Chicken Tractor is to keep your flock safe while still providing them with fresh bugs and grass. There are many predators that will quickly wipe out your flock if they are allowed to free-range.

Keeping your flock locked up in a run can deprive them of new and different bugs and plants that are needed for a healthy and happy flock.  A chicken tractor helps to solve both of these issues. 

What Are The Advantages Of A Chicken Tractor?

The main advantage of a chicken tractor is predator protection. I went with a chicken tractor after losing two flocks of chickens in my suburban backyard.

We just had another hawk attack recently after just letting them out for a few minutes. Keeping my flock locked up means that they remain safe, but can still forage and graze.

Another advantage is knowing where your eggs are for collection. Free-ranging chickens are sometimes free laying chickens, and I have even found eggs in my daughter’s toy storage. 

Chickens help keep bug populations down by ingesting them, and they will til and fertilize your yard for free! Grass too tall, just move your tractor there and your chickens will cut the grass for you, saving you time and energy.

What Are The Disadvantages Of A Chicken Tractor?

Some chicken tractors can be difficult to move on your own, meaning they will stay in the same area making them useless. Even easier to move tractors still need to be moved few days, so there is a physical labor disadvantage to a tractor.

Chickens will still need access to a dust bath and many tractors don’t have space for one.

I have yet to see a tractor with a bath installed, that can be moved with the tractor, so you will need to provide a dust bath for the flock.

How Much Does A Chicken Tractor Cost?

The average price range for a chicken tractor is $200-$2000, although they could run up to $4000 for a really fancy tractor. Building a tractor yourself will cut costs, with most builds costing $100-$500. 

Where To Buy A Chicken Tractor?

Depending on where you live you may be able to find a chicken tractor locally. Check with your local tractor supply or feed and seed. Looking online for a tractor? Amazon and Wayfair always have tractors for sale on their site.

My recommended and current chicken tractor is the Omlet Eglu. 

How Many Chickens To Put Inside One Chicken Tractor?

Chickens need 2-3 square feet of space per chicken in the coop area. Bantam chickens require less space but still about 2 square feet.  A 32in x 32in x 25in coop would hold 1-4 birds depending on breed and a 26in x 39in x 37in coop could hold up to 10 birds.

Larger coops hold more birds, but when looking for ease of movement for a chicken tractor the bigger and heavier the coop is the harder it is to move. 

Will Chickens Lay Eggs In A Chicken Tractor?

Yes, chickens will lay eggs in a chicken tractor. This makes collecting eggs even easier, especially if you have a nesting box inside. The hens will lay eggs in the nesting box saving you from searching for eggs.

How Often to Move a Chicken Tractor?

A mobile chicken tractor needs to be moved at least every three days. After three days all of the grass underneath the coop will be gone and so will the fresh bugs.

Moving the chicken tractor often keeps the flock happy and healthy.

Optimally the chicken tractor should be moved every day and the more chickens you have the more frequently it needs to be moved.

What to Look for When Purchasing a Chicken Tractor

The number one thing that you want from a chicken tractor is mobility. A wheel lift will make moving the tractor easier. Without a wheel lift, the coop will put more downward force onto the wheels, causing them to sink into the ground.

Wheel lifts also allow for the chicken tractor to sit down flush with the ground once it’s lowered, keeping your chickens in and predators out. 

Your tractor should have a coop in it if you plan on keeping the chickens in most of the time. Coops provide safety for the flock, keeping them away from any animal that could tunnel under the frame.

Chickens like to sleep off the ground so they will most likely prefer an elevated coop with a roosting area. Elevated coops also provide extra grazing ground for the chickens and more protection from the sun and rain.

Construction material also matters. Stay away from thin compressed wood, unless you want your tractor to rot quickly.  Heavier wood will also make moving your coop harder. I’ve seen tractors made of PVC pipes and metal as well. Plastic coops are also becoming more popular.

The ease of cleaning the coop is another factor when looking at coops. Having a pullout tray that collects the droppings makes cleaning much faster and keeps droppings from building up in the spaces that you can’t get to.

Once again here, I have found that the Omlet Eglu is the easiest coop to clean. 

Want Add Some Extras To Your Chicken Tractor?

You can add extra features to your chicken coop making it even easier for you and better for your chickens. Lights and automatic doors make getting your flock in the coop a breeze and gives you the option of not trekking outside at night to close up your coop.

Chickens can get bored and stressed in the tractor during the winter and rainy seasons, leaving them feeling cooped up. Keep your flock happy in their run by adding a few pieces for their “hentertainment”.

Adding a chicken swing, pecking toys, even a treat ball will give your chickens some relief from boredom.