I agree, you went pretty fast when showing the end result, which made it very hard to follow. I'd like to build one myself using your idea. would like to see a full shot (not moving) of each section. I could figure it out from there. Thanks.... GREAT idea
What a great, brilliant chicken coop/tractor! - Your design is so well thought out - thank you for sharing this. More and more people are wanting and needing to have chickens - this tractor allows them to move around - eating greens, spreading the compost - thank you for sharing this. If we all share we can build a good quality of life! Wishing you joy!
I would like to add to this. As a secondary source of water, put rain gutters around the roof, have the rain gutters flow into a bucket mounted high, let it gravity feed that pvc pipe mentioned above. The trick would be to stop the flow when the pvc trough is full so it does not flood and end up on the ground and drain your bucket dry.
I have two suggestions or options to consider. 1. Instead of a garden hose automatic water filler, you could install a standard roof gutter to drain rainfall into your nipple water bucket. Install a layer of window screen on top of the gutter to keep out debris. 2. The feeder could be a tapered trough so the feed falls closer to the inside edge. Great design, I'm sure I can use most of it on mine... thanks.
I live in northern Missouri, I have never lost a chicken to the cold and have used similiar chicken tractors for six years now. Chickens have a feather coat. I don't have experience with colder regions, the coldest it usually gets here is in the single digits.
Love your tractor ideas.We make similar watering systems with a small bucket for our rabbits, except, instead of the toilet float we use an evaporative water cooler float that attaches through to side of the bucket at the top. Not sure the difference in price, but it would seem to be better to come through the side of the bucket and not the bottom. Saw your post at TSP forum!
It freezes at night but it usually thaws when the sunlight hits it in the daytime. If it stays freezing for several days we use rubber bowls for water till it warms up. Will be testing a heated version of the waterer next winter.
man of all the tractors i seen i love yours the best with the toilet thing for an automatically water shut off n you nesting boxes out of buckets i might have to take some these ideas and put them into my own very good video man
Hello J L. Thank you very much for this nice informative video. I just started following you. I live in Turkey and I want to produce laying hens that graze on pastures. I will benefit greatly from the guidance you showed. I am looking for an answer to a question that I am curious about. I using the number of 100 chickens as an example. In a strong pasture consisting of highly mixed and nutritious grains, legumes, green vegetables and some other vegetables, what should be the minimum area in square meters to feed 100 chickens in 2 days? Of course, I'm talking about a flat area where there is not even a single square meter of unused space. Thank you in advance, hoping you will answer this question.
There are wheels on the back of the Ultimate PVC Chicken tractor, lighter PVC tractors like my original design don't need them. My first PVC chicken tractor is over 8 years old and still going, and this Ultimate PVC Chicken Tractor is over a year old and still going. I think PVC is the perfect material for a mobile chicken tractor.
I know this is pretty old, but I am building a portable playpen, so to speak, for my girls modeled after your original design. It doesn’t have a coop-just the hoops covered in chicken wire. We have so many overhead predators that I can’t let them free range safely, so this will let me move them around the yard to get fresh grass and bugs everyday. I am having only one slight issue-when I pull the tractor around, the chicken wire digs into the ground and gets stuck or rips up the yard. How did you secure your chicken wire along the bottom edge? I have mine curled under the PVC and zip tied. Thanks!
I think it would work just fine, but not sure how it would save any money. I think the PVC would cost more than the bucket does. I do use PVC with caps for one waterer without a fill valve. I pull the top cap off the pvc which is mounted vertical and poor water in it, a hose comes out the bottom which is capped and goes to the bucket inside the coop. Makes it easier to fill the bucket when the tractor is in the boonies
I don't worry about it, if it by chance it rains on the food I dump it out and let the chickens clean it up. My chickens actually free range for most of their food, so I don't use the feed bowls much.
Where did you get the 4-way fittings for your project? I am working on a design similar to yours, but cannot locate the 4 way fittings like you have in yours.
Hi Joseph cant find directions cant find you web site tried all the differant addresses did a sewarch nothing please can you help. fox has now killed three chickens ugggg need to build one asap or we wont have any left thanks
Great design - this would be so much easier to keep clean. I'm wondering about the winter, how well do your birds make it through the winter with this design?
Chickens are amazingly resilient... I might combine this idea with a greenhouse and large compost pile for heat generation in the winter. I just love how easy this is to clean compare to my wood design which also weigh 300 pounds! Thanks!
Wow these are the best tractors I have seen by far. They are neat and clean and put together very tight and sturdy. I may try and make some like this. If you don't mind me asking what kind of investment would I be looking at,,, ballpark. Thanks for sharing.
+Ann Dennis I have a breeding flock of Americanas and they do lay well. I have not had any go broody yet. One thing I have noticed about them is they scratch more than the other breeds I keep. I use them in the cultivator tractors to clean up between rows of crop. They do this job better than other breeds.
Hi, I love your video and your setup, (eventhough I don't get everything, I 'll ask my Aussie husband to help me with that if necessary ;) that is so inspiring and it seems so much lighter than wood or steel so I'll copy your system and have a pain free back thanks to you!!! Thank you so much for sharing your ideas! If you have a moment, could you please write a link where I could buy some ''nipples'' to make a clean simple watering basket for my chicken? I 'm going to watch your other videos right away and give them a thumbs up! Thanks Florence (french)
Yes, I have had a flock of chickens living in this tractor since it was built in 2011. Might not work well if you live further north but in Missouri it works fine. I don't insulate it from the cold.
Metal conduit would weigh too much to easily move by hand. I do use metal pipe for a lot of farm projects, but PVC is the best material I have found for chicken tractors.
I loved this design so much I started to build one today. My only question is how did you get the 1/2 inch crosses not to break. As soon as I stated to bend my sticks over, my cross would break. I snapped 2 and decided to stop the build until I get this figured out. Any insight would be appreciated.
While bending do not apply the pressure to the cross, bend the pvc pipe and hold on each side of the cross to keep the pressure off the cross. Once you get it bent and it is in place the pvc will form to the hoop shape and naturally want to stay bent, but you have to get it there. Also the warmer pvc is the easier it bends, so its best to build in the warm sunshine. I set mine in the sun to soften before bending. Hard to describe in writing, good luck with your tractor. -Joseph
I didn't keep track of expenses but the Ultimate tractor isn't the cheapest one to build. It has a lot of extra features built into it. There are simpler tractors to make, My original chicken tractor cost less than $200 and has the same footprint (5'x14'). If you are on a budget you might look at something along those lines. The ultimate cost's twice as much to build.
That is what I have heard, my mixes however hatch many more clutches of eggs than the banties I have. I had a Jersey giant that hatched three clutches of eggs last year and raised them up, one after another!
I wouldn't build the main frame out of 1", it is too light and weak. I built my frame from 2". The hoops coming up from that are 1". I used four way crosses at the top of each hoop to make the backbone running across the top.
Thank you, 1. I don't, i dump the bowls when they are full of water. If it rains for a long time they could be fed in the coop. It is usually windy when raining here so an overhead cover wouldn't work. 2. I have a metal pipe inside the back piece of PVC, the bottom corner of the coop has the four way fittings so the pipe can go right through. I welded studs to the end of the pipe to attach the wheels.
www.jlmissouri.com go to the chicken page towards the bottom and there is a rough list of parts. I don't have plans but it is pretty easy to copy when you get the general idea.
I have the best gaurd dogs. Never lost a chicken at night. The tractor is wired in, and the only way a critter could get to the chickens is to dig, which would attract my dog and be a poor choice. I thought about putting a door to the coop, but decided against it.
They are sometimes in the chicken tractor when I move it, and will run ahead to get to the unspoiled grass, although sometimes you get a bird brain who will get rolled over, so you have to move it slowly.
If you have found any of my videos helpful please use my Ebay affiliate link: ebay.us/pOuT1d
I agree, you went pretty fast when showing the end result, which made it very hard to follow. I'd like to build one myself using your idea. would like to see a full shot (not moving) of each section. I could figure it out from there. Thanks.... GREAT idea
Thanks
What a great, brilliant chicken coop/tractor! - Your design is so well thought out - thank you for sharing this. More and more people are wanting and needing to have chickens - this tractor allows them to move around - eating greens, spreading the compost - thank you for sharing this. If we all share we can build a good quality of life! Wishing you joy!
You did a superb job on designing the coop.
I am so impressed with your creativity and ingenuity.
Thank You
This is the nicest chicken tractor I have ever seen!
Thank You
Nice job... Big advantage is that it seems light-weight.
Pretty light for being a land yacht.
brilliant. lightweight. great design. functional. inspired.
Thanks
I used google to search PVC with four-way joints and came up with lots of sources. Good luck.
Your ideas show your inventiveness and problem solving skills! Thank you for sharing
+Drapeta Berry Thank you
Thank you for putting this on RUclips. I think it is good and practical design
I wish I could live like this my house and nothing else for miles..nyc is crazy...I envy u bro...lol..nice video
Thank You, but I do have neighbors, they are just a lot further away than yours.
Brilliant! Best one I've seen so far. I especially like the feed and water designs.
Thank You
I am going to try for a complete list of materials and a video this spring. Thanks,
I would like to add to this. As a secondary source of water, put rain gutters around the roof, have the rain gutters flow into a bucket mounted high, let it gravity feed that pvc pipe mentioned above. The trick would be to stop the flow when the pvc trough is full so it does not flood and end up on the ground and drain your bucket dry.
I would like to know how you make your doors. How did you get the hinge on it...great design
Regular screw go right into PVC
I have two suggestions or options to consider.
1. Instead of a garden hose automatic water filler, you could install a standard roof gutter to drain rainfall into your nipple water bucket. Install a layer of window screen on top of the gutter to keep out debris.
2. The feeder could be a tapered trough so the feed falls closer to the inside edge.
Great design, I'm sure I can use most of it on mine... thanks.
+jerkyturkey007 We are in the process of adding a cistern to our house and I do think adding water catchment to the tractor is a good idea.
Awesome practical features.I will be using this design for my backyard coop.Thank you so much for sharing this.
Thank you
Awesome video, love the bucket brooding buckets
Thanks
I live in northern Missouri, I have never lost a chicken to the cold and have used similiar chicken tractors for six years now. Chickens have a feather coat. I don't have experience with colder regions, the coldest it usually gets here is in the single digits.
Great coop design!
breker19er Thanks
That coop is brilliant
You, sir, are brilliant. job well done.
Thanks,
Outstanding design...!
1. How to you kept the food dry in the rain?
2. How did you affix the wheels to the large PVC?
Great job! My girls are going to love it. This is the best one I've seen. Thanks for posting.
Dan Matthews Thanks,
Good video Joe
very nice for a portable option, thank you for the info. great design and functionality.
Thanks,
Interessant ist vor allem, wie der Tractor versetzt wird.
Really enjoyed watching your video. Thank you.
Thanks
In your first tractor how did you make the holes in the bottom larger pipe to fit in the bent pipes? Thanks.
I like your lawnmower weels lol
Love your tractor ideas.We make similar watering systems with a small bucket for our rabbits, except, instead of the toilet float we use an evaporative water cooler float that attaches through to side of the bucket at the top. Not sure the difference in price, but it would seem to be better to come through the side of the bucket and not the bottom. Saw your post at TSP forum!
I drilled holes in the larger pipe with a paddle bit. I did that with both tractors and it works well.
Very clever design..
Do youeat your chickens when they get older or just raise them for eggs?
Excellent!
Thanks
It freezes at night but it usually thaws when the sunlight hits it in the daytime. If it stays freezing for several days we use rubber bowls for water till it warms up. Will be testing a heated version of the waterer next winter.
Do you add heat lamps during winter how do birds do no insulation in tractor
Very nice! The design and functionality is great. I need to get one of these.
+sean poulk Thanks
How are you keeping the 1/4 line from freezing in the winter? Or do you even use it during the winter?
Hello are those chickens safe at night from raccoons or fox didn't see door on roosting opening thanks jim love your video
Awesome!! I loved watching. You are genius! I am wanting to start keeping some chickens.
+Pam Harlow Thanks, Chickens are the gateway animal to homesteading.
My chicken coop arrives Saturday morning. I am so excited!!
man of all the tractors i seen i love yours the best with the toilet thing for an automatically water shut off n you nesting boxes out of buckets i might have to take some these ideas and put them into my own very good video man
Thanks, Copy anything you like, thats why I am putting it out there.
I love this simple design thanks
How is this rollable with the pvc base? I wouldn't think pvc of that length would be able to hold the whole load and would bend or break.
I like the Rhode Island Red Chickens there a good layer as well to eat
Yes, I do as well
Nice coop. Well thought out.
Thank you
Good job, thank you
That is one nice and well designed chicken tractor. What diameter pvc is the bottom frame please? Thanks, Greg
I use 2" pvc for the bottom. I might try a larger pipe on another tractor to compare. Thanks
Hello J L. Thank you very much for this nice informative video. I just started following you. I live in Turkey and I want to produce laying hens that graze on pastures. I will benefit greatly from the guidance you showed. I am looking for an answer to a question that I am curious about. I using the number of 100 chickens as an example. In a strong pasture consisting of highly mixed and nutritious grains, legumes, green vegetables and some other vegetables, what should be the minimum area in square meters to feed 100 chickens in 2 days? Of course, I'm talking about a flat area where there is not even a single square meter of unused space.
Thank you in advance, hoping you will answer this question.
Any problems with the PVC joints? I have been wanting to do something similar and that is the only part that concerns me.
Do you have the chickens all day long inside the tractor? Or just at night?
There are wheels on the back of the Ultimate PVC Chicken tractor, lighter PVC tractors like my original design don't need them. My first PVC chicken tractor is over 8 years old and still going, and this Ultimate PVC Chicken Tractor is over a year old and still going. I think PVC is the perfect material for a mobile chicken tractor.
Great work!
Thanks,
What area of the country do you live in ? Do those type walls keep them warm in cold weather ?
I know this is pretty old, but I am building a portable playpen, so to speak, for my girls modeled after your original design. It doesn’t have a coop-just the hoops covered in chicken wire. We have so many overhead predators that I can’t let them free range safely, so this will let me move them around the yard to get fresh grass and bugs everyday. I am having only one slight issue-when I pull the tractor around, the chicken wire digs into the ground and gets stuck or rips up the yard. How did you secure your chicken wire along the bottom edge? I have mine curled under the PVC and zip tied. Thanks!
Great ideas for sure ! Thanks
Thanks
I think it would work just fine, but not sure how it would save any money. I think the PVC would cost more than the bucket does.
I do use PVC with caps for one waterer without a fill valve. I pull the top cap off the pvc which is mounted vertical and poor water in it, a hose comes out the bottom which is capped and goes to the bucket inside the coop. Makes it easier to fill the bucket when the tractor is in the boonies
What is the height of the housing portion. I'm curious what is your slant.
Nice job. Do you think a cover is needed over the feeding area?
I don't worry about it, if it by chance it rains on the food I dump it out and let the chickens clean it up. My chickens actually free range for most of their food, so I don't use the feed bowls much.
Where did you get the 4-way fittings for your project? I am working on a design similar to yours, but cannot locate the 4 way fittings like you have in yours.
Hi Joseph cant find directions cant find you web site tried all the differant addresses did a sewarch nothing please can you help. fox has now killed three chickens ugggg need to build one asap or we wont have any left thanks
Looks good
+Daniel Jaramillo Thanks
strong work bud.
We have them mainly for eggs, but do eat the extra roosters.
Great design - this would be so much easier to keep clean. I'm wondering about the winter, how well do your birds make it through the winter with this design?
GregJoshuaW I have had some roosters with big combs get frostbite on the tips, otherwise no problems besides winter.
Chickens are amazingly resilient... I might combine this idea with a greenhouse and large compost pile for heat generation in the winter. I just love how easy this is to clean compare to my wood design which also weigh 300 pounds! Thanks!
Wow these are the best tractors I have seen by far. They are neat and clean and put together very tight and sturdy. I may try and make some like this. If you don't mind me asking what kind of investment would I be looking at,,, ballpark. Thanks for sharing.
What do you do with the chickens when you move the coop?
If you want setting hens try the Americanas. Green eggs, colorful, lay like crazy.
+Ann Dennis I have a breeding flock of Americanas and they do lay well. I have not had any go broody yet. One thing I have noticed about them is they scratch more than the other breeds I keep. I use them in the cultivator tractors to clean up between rows of crop. They do this job better than other breeds.
+Joseph Lewis I am surprised, my hens have to be discouraged from setting. They raised 18 for me this year.
what about winter?
Hi,
I love your video and your setup, (eventhough I don't get everything, I 'll ask my Aussie husband to help me with that if necessary ;) that is so inspiring and it seems so much lighter than wood or steel so I'll copy your system and have a pain free back thanks to you!!! Thank you so much for sharing your ideas!
If you have a moment, could you please write a link where I could buy some ''nipples'' to make a clean simple watering basket for my chicken?
I 'm going to watch your other videos right away and give them a thumbs up!
Thanks
Florence (french)
No need anymore : under ''Water nipple''... I have found some on the net... :)
Thanks, good luck with your Chicken tractor.
cool video
Do you leave them in this during the cold season? How would you insulate it from the cold? I live in town and need something about this size.
Yes, I have had a flock of chickens living in this tractor since it was built in 2011. Might not work well if you live further north but in Missouri it works fine. I don't insulate it from the cold.
I am not sure, I have 25 in there currently with no problem.
Very nice design. Why did you chose pvc over emt conduit?
Metal conduit would weigh too much to easily move by hand. I do use metal pipe for a lot of farm projects, but PVC is the best material I have found for chicken tractors.
I loved this design so much I started to build one today. My only question is how did you get the 1/2 inch crosses not to break. As soon as I stated to bend my sticks over, my cross would break. I snapped 2 and decided to stop the build until I get this figured out. Any insight would be appreciated.
While bending do not apply the pressure to the cross, bend the pvc pipe and hold on each side of the cross to keep the pressure off the cross. Once you get it bent and it is in place the pvc will form to the hoop shape and naturally want to stay bent, but you have to get it there. Also the warmer pvc is the easier it bends, so its best to build in the warm sunshine. I set mine in the sun to soften before bending. Hard to describe in writing, good luck with your tractor.
-Joseph
What's the length and width of the coop and how many chickens and guineas will it hold
The coop is 5' wide and 14' long. I keep about 10-25 adult chickens in it.
Joseph Lewis thank you plus how much would it be to make one because I'm disabled and don't get much coming in
I didn't keep track of expenses but the Ultimate tractor isn't the cheapest one to build. It has a lot of extra features built into it. There are simpler tractors to make, My original chicken tractor cost less than $200 and has the same footprint (5'x14'). If you are on a budget you might look at something along those lines. The ultimate cost's twice as much to build.
My chickens are usually free range, and only return to the tractor to lay eggs and for bedtime. While I am not home they stay locked up.
if you want hens that will set nothing beats the banties small but great at raising chicks!!!
That is what I have heard, my mixes however hatch many more clutches of eggs than the banties I have. I had a Jersey giant that hatched three clutches of eggs last year and raised them up, one after another!
how much do you estimate the entire thing weighs?
+aaro neous I have no idea, it is light for its size, but it still weighs plenty.
Great job. I like it.
Apox how much pvc did you use in total?
There is a rough list of what I used on my website on the chicken page. www.jlmissouri.com
how did u do the door entrance door?
Kyle Stroebel Sorry not sure what you are asking. Entrance door is made from pvc with chicken wire screwed down.
ok thanks.
how much do a something like this cost to build.
Around $300 for the Ultimate, a lot less for the Original style.
Do you have plans to build this coop available? Can you make it with PVC tubing? How much does it weigh?
Carole Christiansen At my website on the chicken page is a materials list. It is made of PVC pipe, and it is pretty heavy all done as it is 5' x14'.
What is your website URL please?
Carole Christiansen www.jlmissouri.com
*Great! I should send this to some friends-LOL*
*Get 50% Discount On Building A Chicken Coop CLICK HERE >>> **tinyurl.com/k3r7um9**
I wouldn't build the main frame out of 1", it is too light and weak. I built my frame from 2". The hoops coming up from that are 1". I used four way crosses at the top of each hoop to make the backbone running across the top.
Thanks you for your kind comments.
Thank you,
1. I don't, i dump the bowls when they are full of water. If it rains for a long time they could be fed in the coop. It is usually windy when raining here so an overhead cover wouldn't work.
2. I have a metal pipe inside the back piece of PVC, the bottom corner of the coop has the four way fittings so the pipe can go right through. I welded studs to the end of the pipe to attach the wheels.
Does anyone know where I can get the design to this chicken coop ?
www.jlmissouri.com go to the chicken page towards the bottom and there is a rough list of parts. I don't have plans but it is pretty easy to copy when you get the general idea.
Are you still selling these chicken waterers?
Yes, $26.99 + shipping, www.ebay.com/itm/Chicken-Bucket-Waterer-System-Nipple-Water-Automatic-Fills-By-A-Garden-Hose-Auto-/151229580007?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2335fc42e7#ht_824wt_1074
Nice
I would like to see a step by step video. Great video though.
It will happen some year, thanks
I think it is a good idea.
I have the best gaurd dogs. Never lost a chicken at night. The tractor is wired in, and the only way a critter could get to the chickens is to dig, which would attract my dog and be a poor choice. I thought about putting a door to the coop, but decided against it.
They are sometimes in the chicken tractor when I move it, and will run ahead to get to the unspoiled grass, although sometimes you get a bird brain who will get rolled over, so you have to move it slowly.
The website is listed in this video description, just copy and paste.
I think 25 is about the max occupancy. Probably be better to keep about 20 or less if you don't let them out.
The chicken wire goes over the hoops and is fastened on the bottom, so they cannot come out. So I didn't glue them.
How much would it cost me to build with PVC?
+Carole Christiansen There is a list of parts on my website. PVC is usually cheaper than wood as long as you keep the special fittings to a minimum.
how much to build
There is a rough parts list on my website, depends a lot on local prices. If you bought everything new probably run around $300
Usually once a day, sometimes it gets parked for awhile for various reasons.