Garage Chickens Upgrade to a Tractor
An update on the chicks that started out in our garage. Finally, they are roaming on Carrington.
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I wrote this update mid-August but life has been a touch crazy for the past 4 weeks. So, here you go!
As with most things that we set out to do, managing to get our garage chickens off of our rented property and onto Carrington has taken far longer than we planned.
That’s the thing with trying to do everything on a budget, as I’m sure you know. Months ago, I asked around for anyone who could make us a chicken tractor. The first quotation I received was for an exorbitant amount and so, I had to bide my time, searching for someone who would make it within our budget. Finally, we found a local welder who would give it a go. It took 3 weeks for me to see the ‘final’ product and this is what he delivered:
For those who don’t know what a chicken tractor is…
A chicken tractor is a moveable chicken home that usually has an open bottom, so the chickens can scratch and eat from the ground. It works well with regenerative farming methods, because the chicken poop fertilizes the land and they aerate the soil as they scratch for snacks.
Evaluating the Chicken Tractor
I asked him to not put a bottom on the cage, probably seven times. However, it arrived with a mesh wire floor.
I asked him not to add legs, but he did.
The laying area is supposed to be enclosed. This detail was missed and so the chickens won’t have a dark place to roost at night.
And I think the laying boxes are far too small for the girls to lay in.
But on the flip side, we finally have something to work with. The welder will return to remove the flooring and cut off the legs, so the chickens won’t be able to escape. And I’ll ask him if it’s possible to extend the laying boxes a bit. I’ll probably buy some thick black plastic to cover the tractor at night, to make it a dark space and to shelter the hens against cooler weather.
Furthermore, this tractor is supposed to be able to house 20 chickens. I think the measurements are a bit wonky and we’ve ended up with a tractor that should only house around 10 chickens. But I know how to solve this issue …
After years of seeing American regenerative farmers using flexible chicken fencing, I finally spotted it on Takealot and promptly ordered 100 meters. Having this fencing means that I can open this chicken tractor door out into an enclosed space under the Msasa trees on Carrington and let the chickens free range. The chickens can roost in the cage at night and when it’s time to move them onto a different spot, the flexible fencing will just move with the chicken tractor.
Where we are up to
The chickens are around 9–10 weeks old, so we are about 3 months from them starting to lay eggs.
However, they weigh in at around 1.5kg, so we are about 1kg off sending some to freezer camp. I’m sad that this batch hasn’t had to change to free range much. While we’ve been waiting for the chicken tractor, we’ve been taking them out the garage daily and letting them roam around a section of our garden.
Still to be figured out
I’m not sure if we received any roosters in our batch of chicks. If not, I need to ask around town to see if someone will sell me a Sasso rooster. I will also be contacting some people who know way more than me about roosters and hatching eggs.
I’ll also need to see if we can order an egg incubator, because Sassos tend to be more interested in free ranging than sitting on their own eggs.
Do you have any questions about this chicken journey we are on? I will answer them in the comments.