Chicken | Maples Miscellany

Just to add a little narrative on how I build the chicken tractors.

Start with the 10×12′ frame. The 10′ end pieces should raised slightly to help pull the tractor over clumps of grass.

Add diagonal corner braces. Not sure that size matters.

Hoop 2 sections of cattle panels. They will overlap slightly.

Assemble the door.

Cut the door frame and attach to base and hoop
Put in rear vertical and diagonal supports. Add something on the end bottom for additional shelter. This will go to the most windward side, west for me. Top is just covered by the tarp and can be raised for additional air flow.
Cover the hoop with chicken wire, 3 passes of 4′. Overlap slightly.

Cover the ends & door with chicken wire.

Surround the perimeter with 2′ hardware cloth (optional). I do this to prevent predators from reaching in through the chicken wire and grabbing birds sleeping near the edge.

Add 2×4 fencing to ends. This is added to ensure K-9 type/size predators cannot force through chicken wire.
Attach door and latches

Cover 2/3 with tarp, wrap extra around back.

When things feel right.

I’ve been considering taking raising chickens to the next level, raising and selling pastured non-GMO chickens. For the past year I’ve raised 5 batches of chickens using my local feed mill grain. I processed some of these, but had most processed for me; all were for immediate family. Late last week I checked to see if I could get some chickens to raise for sell. The breed I wanted was out of stock.

This week, off a whim, I checked and my breed was back in stock. That night my boys came to me and asked how they could raise money for the Scout Jamboree in 2017. I made them a business proposition contingent on getting processing lined up and non-GMO feed. In the next two days everything fell into place and Brothers M. Poultry was born.