Chicken Tractors For Old People - AMA S5:E2
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- čas přidán 1. 04. 2019
- How the Suscovich chicken tractor design can be modified to accommodate someone who is a little older.
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John. I just have to give you a huge thank you. I own Opia Farm and we are on our 4th year of chickens. I raised chickens in the past for meat. Changing to adapt to pastured poultry was a fun and amazing adventure thanks to you and your channel. You are so well spoken and your videos are so helpful. My family and I hope to come down to your farm this summer to visit. Camp Roads Farm here we come.
Just because you are young does not mean you have to work harder, try working smarter with a good full time wheel design so that when you do get older you can still do the work and not having back problems.
I'm one of them old folks too, and maybe just a little lazy too. But to be fair, my chicken tractor is quite a bit heavier than yours is. It started out like one of yours, but then I added a small coop inside of it to the back half. It's just 3/8" plywood "D" shaped pieces at the back and center, a 1/2" hardware cloth floor 2' off the ground, and fiberglass roofing panels around the outside, on a two cattle panel hoop. Then there's a pretty light and short ramp, and a couple of light nest boxes, straw, a roost, etc. I was keeping in mind to try to keep it light, but kept adding a few things in spite of myself, lol. Oh two little solar lights too, a motion one by the door, and one like a jar with the solar light lid on the roof, and the jar part in the coop - it usually runs to midnight or so in the winter. I'm kind of tuff for an old guy and could move it by myself if I had to, but didn't enjoy it. Two people could move it pretty easy, but I don't have help all the time. Then one day I had a bright idea; the front wasn't so heavy to lift, it just sucked lifting and pulling at the same time. The back, where the coop is, is heavier. It wasn't too bad to lift one corner to put on a wheel, then the other, but I also found it much simpler to move the whole tractor in the morning before I let the chickens out of the coop part - no chicken feet to worry about if they were still shut up stairs. However, that made it all 12 hens and a rooster heavier too. The easy solution that I figured out was a two pneumatic wheeled dolly. I saw one on sale at HF for $29 and decided to give it a try. It works great, I stick it under the back and it works like a five foot long crowbar, I push the top of the dolly all the way to the ground, and it lifts and holds that end up while I put on two larger wheelbarrow wheels. (Chickens could get out under here, but they are still shut in upstairs). Then I take the dolly to the other end and stick it in the middle under the walk in door, lean it back to lift, then pull. I only have the one tractor, but even with several, like John has, one dolly would do, even on those smaller wheels in back. Also this dolly is sweet when I haul feed bags around, take out the trash, and I put a five gallon bucket of water, and a partial five gallon bucket of feed/grain mix (with lids) when I walk out to where the chickens are. Usually I'm just moving a few feet, and the dolly works fine, especially downhill, but occasionally, I have to move it all the way back to the high end of the pasture - then I have two eye bolts and a length of chain short enough that a loop of it holds the front of the tractor 8" off the ground while looped over the ball of my SUV, this is when it's especially nice to have the flock still shut in their 2nd story coop.
Great chicken tractor, need to make 3 more this year. Love em.
YOU are John Suscovich? Man I had a picture in my brain and it was a LOT older than you! Love your tractor plans. They were SO useful. I will be buying your other books as well.
Love it! More farm tips for seniors!
Currently I don't have any trouble as they are but yes I do wonder when lifting it up to put on the wheels will get to be a problem. So thanks again.
The lifting is what trips me up as well. My husband put larger wheels (from my daughters old 12" bike!) on the back but you have to lift it really high in the front to get it to sit on them and roll. Since he is 6'4" its no problem for him, I am only 5'6 and it's quite challenging for me. I am the one who moves it every day, so my daughter and I came up with our own solution.
I've got a bad back and did the same thing. Works great!
Hi John! I've been gone for too long and it's great to be back!
I have found one of the ways with chicken tractors of doing a four wheel design you could have them slightly raised off the ground however use a locking wheel mechanism so that you can lock it in place and wont roll if something comes along to bump it.
John, I always wondered if you could put on Tires like a mower that raise and lower? rather than taking them off and on???
We actually have 8 axles on ours so we can move the tractors forward/backward then switch wheels to other axles for left/right direction. This is super great for using the tractor in tight spaces like lawns.
Also have back problems. Thanks for the video.
I found that having wheels on the front corners and a dolly in the back I can then push the tractor forward which is easier for me than dragging it backwards.
You can use toboggan skies .
Hey Josh, can you give me some idea of what your average cost of chickens is and what your cast to process and package to market? You have inspired my wife and I to get started.
I found a running stroller and I am going to use the tires from it!
John, can you make it taller so those with back injuries dont have to hunch over and strain the back?
If you keep a shovel handy it will also work well ...