Backyard chickens are more popular than ever. And chicken aficionados have discovered a wide range of tools, structures, and methods of care that make the job easier and more rewarding. Perhaps one of the least known, and oddest sounding of these is the chicken tractor.
The term "chicken tractor" may conjure visions of The Little Red Hen driving a John Deere through her fields of wheat, but this simple and helpful device is actually a great way to use "chicken power" in your yard and garden. And for everything you need to know about the joys and rewards of keeping backyard chickens, don't miss the workshop "The Egg and I: Backyard Chickens 101" on Saturday, March 17th. The pictures included here are come from the home where the workshop will be taught. This workshop is only offered once a year, so sign up right away.
In essence, a chicken tractor is just a bottomless pen that chickens are kept in, and in which they scratch the ground, eat weeds and bugs, and spread their own manure. The tractor keeps them in one place, since they'll tend to wander all over without it. But from there, the variations are endless. The structure can be as simple as a few hoops of PVC quickly thrown together and covered in chicken wire, or as complex as an entire moveable coop, complete with food, water, roosting poles, and laying boxes. Chickens can spend a few daylight hours in a tractor, or stay in the same spot for weeks. But in all cases, the chicken's tendencies to eat plants, scratch the ground, and deliver that famous high-nitrogen fertilizer, enriches the soil and helps the gardener in many ways.
To consider the benefits of chicken tractors, and whether one is right for you, look for the definitive book on the topic, The Chicken Tractor, or browse the many design ideas at Backyard Chickens and Modern Farmer.
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