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I tried chicken tractors, and they held the chickens okay, but they didn't help the beds that much. You know young animal's manures are not as rich as older animals manure is. I did not find that the chickens tilled the ground at all. They simply sat there, waiting to be fed, I did notice that for caged young chickens it kept them, separated, cleaner, and friendlier, but didn't do much for the garden. Again, these were baby chickens, too young to go free, and too big to need a brooder.

I plan to order a hundred this spring too, golly it is spring... okay in April, I plan to... and I will put them in tractors to grow... good for the chicks... but, they really do not till...

Has anyone else found the chicken tractor idea as good or bad?

What is a chicken tractor?

It's a portable chicken pen. The chickens have shelter from the sun / rain / predators but can free-range eat bugs, grain (put out for them by their human), etc. and leave their droppings on the ground.

Then, when that part of the ground is well-manured / debugged, the chickens are secured and the tractor moved to the next patch of ground.

I found one chicken-keeper's pictorial journal at

https://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/pictorialhistory.html

it gives an idea of the variety of tractors available to the resourceful / frugal chicken-keeper.

Cynthia H. (who wishes chicken-keeping was legal in El Cerrito)
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

Sounds like a good idea.

I did mine a bit different than the links.

I had 4x8' beds. And I ordered an assortment of chicks... These were some of all kinds.

Well, I built the tractors to fit over my beds, then I made small houses that fit at the end of the bed, not right over the bed, these had floors, and I ran lights to the little houses.

I sorted the chicks out, the ones that looked alike went here, and on and on, I had several different species.

I raised them there, until they were pretty good sized, then I needed the beds, so I moved them to open weed areas to begin new beds.

Finally, I turned the chickens loose.

But, I honestly did not see an improvement to the beds that the chickens were in.

Good for the chickens, and a decent way for me to sort them out.. but the beds were no better, and no worse.

To make this work, with chickens digging and eating the bugs in the soil, you need older chickens, perhaps a hen with her chicks.

I didn't lose a single chick, to predators, or anything. It just was alot of work, and not so great for my garden.

Due to ticks being very heavy in this one bed, it is the favorite playground of chipmunks, so I guess I know how they got there.

I transplanted into it on Wednesday, I had like 5-6 ticks on just one knee. So I had to use tape to get them off faster, if you remove them before they bite, you don't itch!

I thought that I knew where I got them, and today, I mulched that same bed, and I killed alot of ticks, I would lean down, and see ticks start crawling across the boards to me. Pick a new spot, no ticks, and soon they would be crawling down the boards, wonder if they smell mammals?

Anyhow, I went ahead and mulched it, then I brought in the big guns.. got them all set up and came inside to remove only 21 ticks, and I was fast not one bit me.

[img]https://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww281/Ozark_Lady/100_2876_phixr.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww281/Ozark_Lady/100_2874_phixr.jpg[/img]

I have the duck bed ready, but I had to come inside and remove ticks, although they hadn't bit, I can't handle the crawly sensation. And it was approaching noon and getting hot, and I was hungry anyhow. So ducks, won't get moved for a couple hours, just needs feed, water, and ducks added to that bed... and the harlequin bugs will be history!

It will be more work and less. I had the chicks on the back porch, so I could plug in their heat lamp, I have had them since the day, I found them raining down in the gazebo and never did find mom. That meant daily back porch washing, and was a mess. So, that will conserve water, since I don't have to clean the back porch daily...just one more time! At least, not from having a cage of chicks there!

I don't have expectations of them improving the soil, their job is: Eat ticks, and learn to call the garden home, and when I set them free, they will have had alot of exercise and be fast, and they will like ticks for dinner!

Ozark Lady, Your problem-solving ingenuity never ceases to amaze and inspire me.

Here is a scrap of information I can give in return for all of your wonderful problem solving: ticks find their prey (mammals) by sensing body heat. People run about 98.6 deg F (37 deg C), dogs are approx. 102 deg F (39 deg C). (I can't remember the normal temp for cats.) We present a large target and so do deer, another major source of ticks.

There are no perfumes, deodorants, soaps or what-not that will affect our body heat; ticks will still seek us out, the nasty little so-and-sos.

Cynthia

Hey, desperate times calls for desperate measures! I can't keep wild animals out, and I can't treat wild animals for ticks, so the answer is: Find someway to get the ticks ate, then the animals and me are not getting ate up! Tick free chipmunks and squirrels, equals ticks, not dropping out of trees on my head!

Wow, a chicken is 107-107.5 body temp! That should draw them, then the chickens will pick them off, and off of each other and eat them all up!

I have even seen ticks on lizards, so even the reptiles will thank the chickens!

Oh and I found 5 more ticks, but only one bit me.

so your plants are protected under the milk jugs right? What are the PVC pieces for? Just for the birds to shelter in?

Our kitties were originally barn cats and lived in the horse barn with their mom and sibs. When a hawk or vulture flew overhead, they scooted in the barn or under the shed without needing any signal from the Mama cat. When they first came home with us, they ran for cover when the ceiling fan was turned on.

I was looking for something for them to shelter in, that bed is part time in the sun, and mostly shade. But, also, I do believe it will rain again, someday! But, I didn't want to shade the plants.

They can also get up on top of it, and if a snake should get into the cage, it could make catching them difficult for a snake. For me, they think I am mama so they come right to me.

Yes, I plant new transplants and immediately put on a cloche, the plants were in them anyhow, so I figure the chicks can't hurt them at all. When the plants grow enough to push off the cloche I know it has rooted and adjusted well, and I may wait, when the first plant gets out, see if the chicks bother it or not.