A Tractor!

No, not that kind of tractor!  (Though that is high on my wish list!)  This weekends’ project will be to build a chicken tractor for my friend to whom I gifted 3 hens.  They are helping with her flea problem and feeding her decently already, but these little girls are too adventurous for their own good.

My friend lives in a normal neighborhood in a town that will allow up to 3 back yard chickens in her well fenced back yard.  This is exactly what she has now, with one pretty red Red Star hen, one fluffy white White Giant, and one sleek black Black Giant.  Her little dogs (a Chihuahua with more names than you can shake a dog bone at) and an Italian Greyhound who is so damn ugly he’s cute, have learned to be respectful of the girls.  They are each outweighed by even a single hen, so they have reason to be respectful! 

It isn’t her own sweet little dogs that pose the threat.  It’s the adventurous spirit of Lucy, Ethel and Jemima. This adventurous spirit has landed Jemima in the neighbors’ yard without dogs, and Ethel – poor Ethel – she found a secret chicken portal into the other neighbors’ yard with hound dogs in it.  (It’s amazing how all animals seem to find secret portals into their own universe – or at least the wrong place!) 

Ethel did come out of the scrape alive, but a little worse for wear.  She was bloodied and lost some feathers and had to spend a couple of days in the chicken hospital (a crate in the bathroom, which I am assured now smells like a hamster cage) getting Neosporin on her wounds.  She is back with her flock now, but already looking for new ways to explore uncharted (to her) territory.  Our answer will be a chicken tractor.  It's moveable, and fully fenced even over the top so they can't get out and marauders can't get in!

Pictures to come when this adventure in recycled wood starts!  We will be using recycled pallet wood to create this new hen hut that will protect the girls from themselves and marauders!