How to Build a Simple, Sturdy Chicken Tractor from an IBC Tote
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- čas přidán 7. 04. 2022
- It doesn't get much easier than this! In an hour or less, you can construct a lightweight, sturdy, weather-proof, super-simple chicken tractor from a used 275 gallon IBC tote, with barely any extra materials needed! I'll walk you through the steps, even the mistakes I made, while building this chicken tractor. It's not huge, but when your chicks or ducklings are too big for their brooder and need a safe contained way to get on the grass, a dozen or so will have plenty of room in this until they're ready for a big coop or a grow-out pen. You can find used IBC totes easily between $50 and $100 dollars. Food grade is preferred, but more expensive. Some people will clean them for you, or you can save some money by cleaning them yourself. If it's not food grade, make sure you know what was in it before cleaning it out or using it for animal shelters!
Materials required:
$50 ~ $100 - 1 275 Gallon IBC tote (square cage rails preferred)
$22 - 25 feet of 3' wide chicken wire (this is enough for 2 chicken tractors!)
$12 - 6 stainless steel hose clamps (3/4" - 1 3/4" size)
$10 - 140 pack self tapping sheet metal screws (I used #10 x 1" and only needed 6 of them)
$10 - 100 pack (used about 50) UV resistant 8" zip ties
Total project cost for a single tractor: ~$100
Tools used:
Ryobi cordless drill
Ryobi cordless angle grinder
Scissors (or knife)
Level (or yardstick, broom handle, anything to help draw a straight line)
You'll have enough plastic bladder left over for a waterer, planter, animal shelter, or other creative ideas as well as a nice sturdy metal pallet.
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That looks like it would make one hell of a green house cover for a garden too.
Great idea! You could build raised beds to this exact dimension, then line the cage with some greenhouse film, and pop them off and on as needed!
I love that idea!! I wish IBC totes were less expensive in my area. For now PVC arches over raised beds is a lot cheaper. But I am going to keep this idea in mind. :)
I would leave the 4” half sections you initially trimmed off and then use that to screw onto a 2x4 or 2x2 pressure treated frame to skid on the ground.
Makes it more real when we see your mistakes. It shows everybody that it's ok to figure it as we go along .
Thanks for watching! Hopefully you got an idea from it!
Thanks for sharing the video. I found learning through trial and error helps to think out of the box.
I have 24 pullets that need to outside and conveniently have 2 totes. I love creative alternatives.
I'm thinking rabbits. Great job!
Good idea! It would work great for bunnies to get some fresh grass! I would cover the bottom with chicken wire to keep them from digging out, and cut a door in the back side that is only plastic to access the bunnies!
Three trips to Home Depot for a single project--just like me! Bumble on, my friend. This was the best DIY video I've ever seen! Show your troubles; make it real...
Thanks! 1 year later the only modification I made was adding a 2x4 across the bottom back where it was only plastic (no frame) - the plastic started curling up a little creating a gap, so I secured it. other than that, it's still chugging along when we need it.
I have been thinking about making a chicken tractor out of our totes and was wondering why I had not seen any one doing it then this popped up 👍
Glad you found us! Good luck on yours!
Thanks maybe when I make it I can make a video and I will put a link to your original
Thank you for leaving the brainstorming and re-thinking in the video. I learn from my mistakes more than my successes, so seeing your process helps ! Great project!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
So now you need some pvc pipe on the bottom to help glide the coop as it will help it to slide and glide over the rocks and bumps. You can also turn the extra pipe into a gutter to provide rain water and a feeding system.
good idea, thanks for sharing!
I like it! Thanks for taking the time to post this vid!
I like to see you bumble through your projects!!!!!!
Thanks! just doing what I do best! (the bumbling that is)
A clever idea!!! Thanks for sharing!! That would actually stay on the ground in Oklahoma! At our farm in NWOK we have to make sure things won’t blow away!!! Great job!
Thanks, glad you like it! It's holding up to our wind great so far. It wouldn't be hard to stake down if needed.
I find the bumbling helpful. It's part of the process. It also makes me feel less stupid as I have done exactly some of what you've done building things from scratch, made out of scrap, with what's on hand trying NOT to make yet another trip to the hardware store.
Thanks for watching! Hopefully, with more experience comes less bumbling!
I like your idea and learned a lot watching your video. Looks like the cage may be steel. There are self-tapping screws made for tapping through steel. They cost more but are worth it. Keep on keeping on.
You do you Sir. You have more, done more than most people (including myself).
Keep enjoying yourself and being a good Man. Salute!
Continue doing it the way you are that's how we all learn
Awesome! Well done with a Happy Rooster! Beautiful homestead, by the way. I loved seeing your lake so close! 😍
Thank you! We are truly blessed.
Brilliantly done. Pure genius. I like it raw 😊
Thank you! This year I did add one new board across the back/bottom - the plastic was starting to curl in a little creating a gap, so I screwed a 2x4 across the bottom and then screwed the plastic into it to have a solid ground piece. Other than that, it's still functioning as originally built
@@FromtheRootsUp We are going to build one and will send you a pic when completed 🙂
I enjoy the ingenuity of the design, and can't wait to see updates.
My mobile coop is a Suscovich style tractor, but it is heavier than I prefer. My mistake was using reclaimed pallet wood, which was mostly hardwood.
Thanks! we've built wooden ones in the past... they can get heavy! this one is light partially because it's aluminum, but also because the design limits the size. I'll be building one more for sure and already thinking of small ways to tweak it.
You could spread the two pieces apart and put metal bars in between. And extend it
This is a really great idea! I have been wanting to put a chicken tractor together for a while but was unsure because of the weight. I am not able to lift too much. This will be perfect.
My life is a series of bumbles and cobbling so this video made me feel normal ☺️ Keep doing what you're doing 👍
Thanks so much! I hope this works out for you too. Let me know if you come up with any clever modifications!
Thank you so much!!! I have an IBC toat and need a summer system for my hens, I think I can do this!!
You can do it!
Really good idea. Keep making videos this way. It shows your thought process and if you make a mistake, it's one less we have to make. That being said and with my advantage of hindsight here are a couple things that I think might help
1- Pre-drill the first Layer of the frame, I don't think you will gain that much structural advantage by going through the fourth wall, plus youwon't have a screw showing to get a hand sliced up on.
2- washers on the plastic will insure the IBC plastic doesn't tear out if yo get critters jumping on it to get at their lunch.
3- Go ahead and zip-tie the chicken wire to the bottom rail from the IBC end forward and get all that snugged down before tackling the end
4- You might want to add a hatch to birds in and out of.
5- A five gallon bucket with a pvc pipe and watering nipples could be added.
Thanks for a great idea
All good thoughts! Thanks for your insight on this!
Great job thank you for sharing this
Thank you! And thanks for watching!
Great idea!
Thank you!
Nothing at all wrong with bumbling around during a build video, it keeps it real. I have several of those totes. Hanging around, and we've been meaning to redo our chicken tractors, this video gives me some ideas. I would probably add a door to get birds in and out, and a way to water/feed them. Shorter self tapping screws might have been better, only need to go through plastic and one wall of metal - second wal opens opportunity for rain to come in and begin to rust. Thanks for the video, keep it up.
Thanks for watching! Hope it helped give some ideas!
Hello! New sub to your channel! Found you on homesteaders of YT. That’s a great idea using an IBC tote. I was just looking at using one for a shower in our shipping container build. So many neat things that you can make out of other things. Thanks for sharing this.
sub'd you back! thanks for joining, looking forward to seeing your progress and success as well! These totes are so handy, lots of ways to be creative with them! Thanks for watching!
Even if you're using self tapping screws, through that many layers, drill pilot holes through all of them first, when working aluminum.
Great idea and video.
thanks for the tip!
Loved your solutions, just need a neighborhood hardware store. Worm clamps if the same width and type can be daisy chained to extend them as long as needed. The black wire ties have a higher uv light resistance and the white seem to have very little. The white become brittle quickly and the black take a lot longer. Clever idea and solutions.
Very good idea. I might build some when I'm settler in ny new place, but I think that the netting would be better om the outside of the IBC cage due to the safety of the burde within. And some sort of a service door for food and water would be a good thing.
a lot of similar comments, and of course good ideas. glad my idea helped, thanks for watching!
I would add the chicken wire on the outside. Reason being that predators will be coming from the outside and the frame will help hold it. But from the inside it will be easier to push in, aka dead chickens
That is a good idea. If you're really concerned about predators, you shouldn't use chicken wire at all tho, hardware cloth is much stronger and they can't reach through it. So far our LGD is keeping the predators away and our wire hasn't been tested.
I liked the trial and error to understand the rational of decisions
Thanks! I like when people share 'why' as well.
Great Idea. Been looking for something like this. Would be curious as to how you access the inside to manage the birds and manage to food and water.
Sprinkling feed in through the wire right on the ground works fine... part of the purpose of a tractor is to give them grass/ground to scratch on, so they find the feed just fine. a bowl dish for water is easy to fill through the cage as well, but I'm looking for a waterer I like, that mounts to the cage, and can be filled from the outside. When I find a solution I really like, I'll add a video about it. I'm just raising up one end and reaching under to catch birds (with someone to help as needed) but plan to cut a door into the back end (plastic only end) later.
Drill pilot holes smaller then the screws. Pvc pipe or those dollar tree pool noodles on the bottom edges will help it glide better when moving.
Great tip! We've gotten a lot of similar suggestions, and it's a great idea
The heavier the tractor gets the more important it is to keep it mobile. Since this one is so light that my youngest daughter can move it with one hand, I like keeping it light and simple.
I think I would have my local welding shop make a rectangle bottom frame and just attach the cages to that. Then it would withstand all the daily moving.
Lol! That’s how we roll … figure out what we need a piece at a time and multiple trips to lowes!
I figure, eventually, I'll have all the "spare" (wrong) parts stockpiled so I have my own Home Depot and can stop making the trips! Thanks for watching!
I moved out into Spencer, Oklahoma, when the wind stops blowing in Oklahoma is when you know it gets flippen hot, where did you resource your IBC totes been looking for several for myself, you have a great idea here for a chicken tractor, light weight and very strong, very portable,
I found mine from someone on Facebook Marketplace... they're readily available but sometimes too far of a drive to make it worth-while. I came across someone about a half-hour away from us that gets IBC totes and 55-gallon barrels (some with bung holes, some with full lids) and I saved their info. Craigslist is another good resource. Thanks for watching!
The weld lines of square tubing are often harder to drill through especially with self tapping screws at least that's my experience with steel tubing, which is not aluminum... Enjoyed the video!
good tip! I won't have the option of changing the direction when screwing them together the way I did in this video, but I am going to use some of the scraps I cut off and test this theory... there may be times in the future that just going a different direction will make a big difference!
When drilling holes in metal, oil is usually applied. The lubrication is a cooling effect on the cutting surfaces of the bit.
When using a self tapping screw the same effect can be obtained by "feathering" the tool, allowing the bit/tapper to cool. Allowing the screw to cut longer and through more surfaces without burning up the cutting surface of the screw/tapper.
Did you go back later and add anything for the chickens to 'roost' on under the plastic shelter piece?
I have not added a roost for them yet, but a 2x2 furring strip could easily be screwed right to the plastic or even through the aluminum cage and into the strip.
How are you putting food and water in without an opening on the top? Great video get more space by pulling the plastic badder out to the second rib and fasten it there . Use 2 2x4s for securing the extended bladder and ease of moving around.
that's a great idea to increase space! for food and water I keep it simple. we're watering in a dish right now, so we just pour water into the dish, goes right through the cage. also feed goes right onto the ground... they're learning to scratch anyway, so it's super simple.
As someone who has designed and built chicken tractors, (I use PVC pipe for the structure), I understand the trips to the hardware store. I have been using mine for three years and I have some concerns about your particular design, it is ingenious.
How do you access the birds with no opening? Second, I have had my share of run ins with predators and maybe the wire should be placed on the outside of the base cage. Third, the unit may not be heavy enough to handle the Oklahoma wind, especially lately with the excessive wind we have been experiencing the last couple of years. I have a small homestead near Enid. Designing is wonderful fun.
Thanks for watching, and I hope the idea helps with your own designs! I've had many similar comments, and plan on recording an update video soon to explain why most of these are not issues for us, but everyone has different needs for different circumstances. Aerial predators cannot get in, and our guard dog has successfully kept the 4-legged kind away so we have not had issues. If someone is concerned about predators then putting the wire outside might help, but if bigger importance would be don't use chicken wire at all... hardware cloth would be much stronger and too small for snakes. you would also need to cover the bottom to fend off predators. We have experienced high winds since building this (60mph+) and as yet have had no issues, it's heavy enough for it's low height to not be affected... but here in OK we know winds can move a whole house, so at some point you have to accept some risk. As far as accessing the birds, I don't need to access them because of what I use tractors for... I'll explain that more in my update video. Thanks again for watching!
Drill holes all the way threw and use coat hanger to run threw it chuck both ends in the drill and twist till it’s tight
Not a bad idea, thanks for the tip! (It would be another trip to home Depot because all our coat hangers are plastic 🤣)
So...how do you get a waterer in and out of it on moving days without the birds getting out (assuming you lift it up)
There's no door-
On this one, yes, I just lift it up. I'm watering from an open dish, easy to fill from the outside, which also means I only have to raise a corner of the tractor up a few inches to slide it out. My next one will have a door, but I wanted this design to be as simple as possible, and it hasn't been a problem. I will make a video showing it in action when I set aside some time to do it. Thanks for watching!
This is a great idea, however here in Australia the foxes would be right under that, in the middle of the day too, they're bold as fuck these days. Another idea I've seen from other videos is to get a 2 ft wide length of stiff mesh and attach it around the edges, so it can fold up like a flap for movement, but then lays flat on the grass so when the foxes try to dig they're standing on it
Yes, this design is susceptible to digging (or even lifting/prying as it is not very heavy.) depending on your predators, the flap idea you suggested is great!
Now you've got me thinking "what else would make a good chicken tractor frame?"
Be creative and have fun! If you come up with a good idea I'd love to hear it! Thanks for watching!
Great idea,what was your reasoning for putting the chicken wire on the inside?
Just being able to sandwich it between the plastic shell in the back, and grab the frame for moving around without grabbing wire, and ease of installation. A fair argument can be made that being on the outside will keep predators from pushing it in... but honestly, if predators are a problem for you, don't use chicken wire at all... use hardware cloth, and on a tractor this small and light, wrap the bottom as well (and create a door for access) or at least stake it down good. If all I did was move the wire to the outside it wouldn't come close to stopping something like a coon. Our LGD keeps critters away, so I was shooting for cheap, simple, and lightweight. Thanks for watching!
Squirt doesn't seem to like it a lot. lol
you should of left some over hang of the chicken wire to fold outside the cage sides to prevent predators from digging under .. also they need roost
Good thinking! If predators are a problem, covering the the bottom helps, and I would also upgrade the chicken wire to hardware cloth (the smaller square-holed wire)... it's stronger and thing like raccoons can't reach through it like they can with chicken wire.
Add some wheels or casters, through the bottom cage frame.. for transport around your yard
You certainly could! This is so light, it's really easy to scoot around all by itself, but if you start adding things like a roost, a nest box, etc... little wheels will start making a bigger difference!
I am in Minnesota on open ground. I am worried that if I build too light the chicken tractor would get blown over. We can get some very high winds. 100mph recently.
We get strong winds in Oklahoma too, and so far it hasn't been an issue, but I don't think we've seen 100mph 😬. If I were having wind issues with this design, I would stake it down at the corners. Thanks for watching!
you the right idea but you bolt both halfs together where the hole at the bottom of the tote cage when using chicken wire you need to use wire cutters the wire the self taping screww you can use to hold plastic insert
you should try cutting chicken wire with an angle grinder sometime (especially if you already have it out for other parts of the project!)... so fast and easy! Thanks for watching!
So...now that you have had it for awhile. How do you like it? Anything you would do differently?
it works very well for my purposes... but everyone has different needs. once our chicks are big enough to leave the brooder they go to this tractor. when they're big enough to go in one of the bigger coops and/or free range some, they leave the tractor... it's not a permanent dwelling, so I don't need to access them regularly to collect eggs. feed and water flow right through the wire, and raising a corner to grab the water bowl for cleaning is quick and simple too. if I were tractoring meat birds all the way until butcher weight (which a lot of people do) I would want something bigger, or maybe several of these. I have considered enclosing the bottom with wire also, because a couple of times if it sat on uneven ground the smaller chicks could get out... but then I would need a door, and if they run to the other side and the only access is a little door, it would be frustrating to get them out, so I have put off making that adjustment and just try to be careful when I move it to not leave gaps.
@@FromtheRootsUp I have 4 older hens that my wife is attached to, doesn't want to eat her pets. So I'm thinking a small tractor like yours would be good for them in our garden.
You can double the size of your screw clamps by screwing one into a second one therefore doubling the size.
good tip! thanks for watching!
How do u water and feed them
I use a water bowl (like a dog would drink from) - it sits inside the tractor and I pour water straight into it through the tractor. supplemental feed gets tossed in into the ground so they can still scratch for it... but one of the big reasons to use a tractor style cage is to move it around the yard giving them access to grass and bugs and use less production feed. thanks for watching!
I was wondering why you didn't use washers under the screws? And you could have held the plastic part in with zip ties -- drill a hole on either side of a metal cross-member and run a zip tie through the holes and around the cross-member. I think I would have just zip tied the plastic shell on the end, not inside the metal frame, which would have added more square footage to the tractor. But overall a good chicken tractor, which gave me some ideas. I've been building chicken tractors out of rabbit-cage wire for years, basically they are just big rabbit cages without floors. I set a couple of scraps of plywood on top for shade/rain protection (if the wind blows those off, at least they don't flip the tractor over). These would be a lot sturdier than the rabbit wire, though.
didn't use washers just because I didn't think they were needed. if they come loose or pop out on me I'll have to revisit that. zip ties would also work but there is more strain on the plastic dragging the ground than the wire being zipped to the cage, so I wanted to make sure it was sturdy. a few people.habe mentioned extending the plastic for more room and I say if you want we'd the extra space, then go for it! the plastic is fairly flimsy, so it definitely needs reinforcement which probably means adding lumber which will start making the tractor heavier and it just slowly becomes less light, simple and easy to move. of course there are hundreds of ways to design these for all sorts of needs... so I'm glad my design has given you a different perspective. good luck on your builds and that is for watching!
Squirt doesn't look too happy with the new accomodation. - probably because he is alone in there and he wants back with his pack.
yeah, he was just modeling for me that day, he didn't want to be alone!
you need to make some kind of roost under cover and in run area
Good idea! My thought was primarily a grow-out cage when they're just big enough to leave the brooder but not quite ready for the bigger coop... but if you're keeping birds in this long-term, a simple roost would be a really easy add-on!
Should have used metal roofing screws
Zip ties would be simpler
I love the simplicity of zip ties! Unsure if they're sturdy enough to bind the whole structure together, sitting out in the sun, and being pulled around the yard... but they might have worked great! Thanks for watching!
Black Zip ties !
zip ties are the best! thanks for watching!
Check out this fence
Working great so far!
All you spent in gas, I hope your keeping the stuff you bought. Never know there may be another project and they may come in handy without another trip to town.
absolutely! we keep everything!
Next to put some retractable wheels on it.
Wheels would be an easy add-on for sure! Thanks for watching!
“In theory” HOSE CLAMPS are more temporary than bolts snd nuts.
yeah, it ended up working well, and I plan on leaving them until/unless they fail. If they fail I will want to be able to share why and how they failed. I like the idea (if they don't fail) because some cages are round rods instead of square and are a little more difficult to tap screws into. Time will tell. Thanks for watching!
Back to home depot 😂😂😂
every time...! 🤣
I would add a washer on the plastic side, so you don't pull thru the plastic and hold nothing
Someone else mentioned this as well, and if I would have thought of it I would have added them. The heads on the screws are pretty big, and if it ever pulls off I can add them. Good tip, and thanks for watching
Not suitable for Florida . I enjoy the low tractors and the economics of them but have turned away due to temps being too high for Cornish cross. I am building a high tunnel with cooling fan.
Yep, lot of different options to meet different needs. Keep your birds cool and best of luck!
Why not add plastic to side of cage instead of under 1/3 of it? Could've got bigger foot print an taller by cutting it for A frame style.
good idea and you can increase the real estate a little bit... it just takes a little more effort lining up your cuts on the corners to get good straight edges, and also you'd be cutting the plastic across the diagonal as well which means cutting through the cap. Not impossible... again, just a little more effort and extra steps. This was the simplest way.
I still feel you would have been better off using a bolt and wing nut to bind together. It's easier to drill thru 2 square tubes and bolting them together . Or just use hose clamps.
yep, I considered both, and the hose clamps ended up working. I might go back to the wing-nut idea next time just to compare. Thanks for watching!
Don't you think it is too low for chicken to run and fly
they're not supposed to run or fly in something like this. this isn't even intended for nesting and laying (but could be with some modifications). young chickens that need contained until they're big enough to free range or meat birds that just need to grow out do great in tractors. this gets moved every few days onto fresh grass
Seems like a good idea but it also seem like a waste of tote. So many things that you did would have been easier done by out means.
Example: Instead of trying to figure out how the crew hits, pre drill the holes, through tubing & plastic and then use a strip of 1x2 and sandwich the plastic using wood screws.
czcams.com/video/s8PzVw2xM3s/video.html
Did you happen to realize that two layers of chicken wire are much more secure than one??
yes, and hardware cloth is a great stronger option as well! Lots of options depending on your needs. Thanks for watching!
I can't understand why you don't just drill holes for bolts and be done.
Thank God for fast forward.
yep, lots of options, thanks for watching
@@FromtheRootsUp I was just being a smart ass...sorry.
Too make it easier why not put the chicken wire on outside of pen instead on inside it would reinforce the wire incase of predators getting on top
I can't think of a reason that wouldn't work... the only difference I can see would be aesthetics. If predators are a concern tho, you don't want chicken wire at all... many can reach through it and some can just destroy it. Switch to a hardware cloth for predator control, but you're right about moving it to the outside - the tote frame will reinforce it from being pressed in. We have a livestock guard dog that so far is keeping unwanted critters at bay so I can get away with chicken wire.
@@FromtheRootsUp I am following ur design mostly. Mine is for daily use to eat up and fertilize the grass some. Little modified. I made one cut dow the middle and added pvc pipe to sides for glider and few extra inches I know later have to change to wire but only had green plastic fencing from garden and place for water and food to hang from top easier move. Ty I have been trying to figure out nice build that would work for me👍👍
that sounds excellent! Love the tips!
No door? Chickens are going to scatter everytime you feed & water them.
Good observation, except feed and water both pour right through the cage, so I don have to lift it up (except to slide the bowl out for cleaning and they don't get out then). Thanks for watching!
Home Depot, whats that? If I need a hose clamp, bolt or screws, whatever, I just get off one of my parts vehicles or from my metal scrap piles.
You'll go broke going to the gov scrap piles, aka Home Depot
we scrap when we can, and buy the rest. thanks for watching!
Why not just weld the two pieces of cages together and call it done? Instead of fooling around with all these fastener things?
If I had a tig welder I would definitely do it that way. For myself, and anyone else who can't tig weld aluminum, this is a pretty workable solution. Thanks for watching! (donations appreciated 🤪)
You’re wearing me out…
I wear me out too! 😂 Thanks for watching.
Great idea!
Thanks for watching!