On St. Patrick’s Day, Andrew and I went up North of Bellefontaine with Mom and Dad to look at chicken tractors. If you google chicken tractors, you will find plans, kits, and ready to purchase units ranging from completely junkie to Martha Stewart-better-than-what-many-people-live-in luxury.
We bowled down the middle and got a serviceable, cute tractor that can hold six chickens. Mom and Dad got the same one so we got a deal on buying two. Dad dropped ours off Thursday and here it sits, waiting for chickens, and the actual chickens will be another post.
A chicken tractor is, as you can see, a mobile unit combo of coop and run. Every two days or so, we have to move the chicken tractor around so they can have fresh range. At dusk, they all trot into their coop and you can shut the door in on them to keep them safe from predators. Even though the run chicken wire top to bottom, a raccoon could easily tear through it, maybe even an enterprising mink, but with the door shut and the pull to open it from the outside, the chickens will be safe.
I’m excited at the prospect of taking care of animals again, I mean, yeah I take care of the cats, but you know, farm animals. Dad has raised chickens before, and I’m reading up on it, and my pal Jay is helping me too.
We’ll be keeping the chicken tractor in the orchard area, pointed towards Stowe’s field. On evenings when we’re home, I’ll let them out an hour or two before sunset so they can really free range. They will love Stowe’s field, getting clover, choice grasses and of course, lots and lots of bugs.
On Friday night, Andrew and I did see a fox run down our yard along the board fence. But unless the fox can snatch a hen during those dusky free ranges...they’ll be safe. Look for a post soon about the forthcoming chickens.
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