The term 'chicken tractor' may conjure up images of a chicken tooling around the farm atop a tractor, but a chicken tractor is really just a type of chicken coop.

A chicken tractor is also called a portable chicken coop or a chicken ark. This small portable coop is one of the quickest and easiest types of chicken coops to build. It serves two basic purposes: keeping your chickens safe and allowing them to roam about the yard.

Keeping Your Chickens Safe

By keeping your chickens inside a tractor or chicken coop you can protect the baby chicks from other predatory birds. You can protect the entire brood from dangers like dogs, cats, and foxes. You can also make sure they stay on your property and don't wander off.

Allow Your Chickens to Roam

A chicken tractor is light and portable. It can be drug around your yard so your chickens will always have fresh grass and dirt to scratch around in. Even large chicken tractors can be easily moved about by attaching tires to one end. Letting your chickens dine on bugs and worms will help them to be healthier and give them a chance to exercise.

Chicken tractors are usually built A-frame style with a minimum of wood so they are fairly lightweight so they can be moved easily. The A-frame is covered in wire to keep the chickens in and the predators out. There is no bottom to a chicken tractor since the idea is to let the chickens have unfettered access to the dirt and grass.

Building a chicken tractor is not too difficult to do. You could use these chicken tractor plans or simply make up your own design if you are handy at building things.

Chicken Tractor Plans