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Chicken Tractor

Learn about the innovative chicken tractor method and its benefits for garden preparation, weeding, and pest control. Discover various types of chicken tractors, considerations before adopting this method, and essential components like feeders, water retainers, nesting boxes, and roosting perches. Understand the advantages of nutrient-rich soil for planting and natural pest control that chicken tractors offer. Explore the practicality and effectiveness of chicken tractors for urban areas. Dive into this comprehensive guide prepared by L. Robert Barber and Ilene Iriarte for the Guam Cooperative Extension Service and Guam Department of Agriculture, with funding from various organizations.

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Chicken Tractor

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  1. Chicken Tractor Prepared by: L. Robert Barber, & Ilene Iriarte For: Guam Cooperative Extension Service & Guam Department of Agriculture Funding provided by: United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, Administration for Native Americans,, & Sanctuary Incorporated

  2. Objectives • What is a chicken tractor? • How does the chicken tractor address the problems of garden preparation and weeding? • Describe various types of chicken tractors. • Benefits of having chicken tractors.

  3. What is a Chicken Tractor? • A chicken tractor is basically a mobile floorless chicken pen. • A light weight easily moved pen. • It provides shelter, nesting and roosting area and contains water and feed sources

  4. Benefits of Owning a Chicken Tractor • You get nutrient rich soil, ready to plant in three to four weeks. • Soil stays relatively weed free for about 3-4 months. • A form of pest control • Chickens add fertilizer to your soil • A steady supply of eggs, and meat.

  5. Considerations before adopting the the Chicken Tractor Method • How much are you willing to spend on the chicken tractor? • How many chickens do you plan on keeping • How much area do you need to cover?

  6. Preparation, Tilling, and Weeding. • Chicken tractors keep the chickens confined to one specific area. • Natural feeding behavior is focused on plant and insect life in the soil within the area. • One chicken clears about 3-4 square feet in about 2-3 weeks. • Their manure is concentrated and mixed directly with the soil providing nutrients for the garden bed.

  7. Benefits of Owning a Chicken Tractor.

  8. Different Types of Chicken Tractors: wood tractor

  9. Different Types of Chicken Tractors: PVC tractor.

  10. Different Types of Chicken Tractors: Light Metal Tubing (Modified Canopy)

  11. Feeders: Buckets with no lid. Vertical slits on each side about 2-3 inches wide by 6-8 inches high. Hang feeder off the ground. Other components of the chicken tractor:

  12. Water retainers: Plastic container so chickens have access to water. Place water containers outside the pen so they can reach through Prevents chickens from getting inside Hang water retainers on the side of the tractor. Other components of the chicken tractor:

  13. Nesting Boxes: Boxes can be made out of a bucket without a lid. Can be made out of wood nailed together to resemble a box with an entrance. Use either shredded paper, straw, grass or wood chippings for lining inside the nesting box. Other components of the chicken tractor:

  14. Roosting perches: Inch in diameter bar. Run the roosting perches through the side fencing. Tie them on if the gaps are big enough. Other components of the chicken tractor:

  15. Side shade: To provide chickens with shade all day long. Strapped half way on the top sides of the chicken tractor. Types: Tarp Wood Woven coconut fronds. Other components of the chicken tractor:

  16. Conclusion • Chicken tractors are mobile pen which keep chickens confined to a small space. • The natural feeding behavior is used to the maximum advantage in the target area, clearing it of weeds • The manure fertilizers the soil • They are ideal for urban areas, chickens in tractors do not bother neighbors plants, and if frequently moved it doesn’t smell

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