We had been throwing the idea of getting meat birds around for a while and just decided to take the plunge out of nowhere 2 weeks ago. Previously we had thought about raising them in our neighbors barn but really wanted them at home on our little acre for various reasons. After a little research my husband fell in love with the idea of a tractor coop to pull around the yard and last Sunday we (he lol) started putting our tractor coop together.

I had a cattle panel that was to be used for a new trellis laying out back and we thought that it would make the perfect frame for our coop. Bobby cut the cattle panel down the middle using a grinder making two different sections. We then used the two sections to make an oval shape frame held together by wire ties and our coop had a shape to start building around.

  • Cattle panel
  • Cattle panel cut down the center

Now what?

  • After the panels were wire tied together at the seam he used smaller zip ties to attach chicken wire all the way around the outside of the structure, trimming off the extra at the top.
  • He then put the piece of rebar through the sides to help sturdy up the coop and to give us handles to move the coop around; this was one long piece that went all the way through the center and out the other side.
  • From there we decided to use some irrigation tubing that I had laying around for hula hoop material to make the dome shape for the top of the coop end that would be covered with the tarp. This was reinforced with small sections of fern stripping.
  • Then to start building the frame on top. We would attach the chicken wire to this frame for encasing the top on the end that would not be covered by the tarp. He used fern strips and wire tires and got creative with this layout. Also keeping a section framed off that would be a hinged access panel on top.
  • Once the top of the frame was complete he started adding the chicken wire. We used a staple gun to secure the chicken wire to the fern strip frame.
  • Zip tie holding chicken wire to cattle panel.
  • Fern strip frame for the top with hinged access door.
  • A view of the top.
  • Chicken wire stapled to the frame.
  • Wire tires holding the irrigation tubing and rebar in place.
  • Using bungee cords we secured the tarp to the irrigation tube dome and rebar.
  • Added the hinges to the access panel.
Side/back view of bungee cords holding down the tarp.
  • Lastly we decided to spray paint the fern strip frame to help preserve it for longer use.

We wanted to use as much as we had available on our homestead as possible but we did have to purchase some materials. At the end of the project we had a pretty nice tractor coop and upcycled some materials around the homestead without spending a fortune to get our meat birds started..

Here is the complete list of materials and tools we used in the making of our tractor coop.

MATERIALS: This is what worked for us but can be modified to use the materials you have on hand.

  • Cattle Panel
  • Chicken Wire
  • Zip Ties/Wire Tires
  • Tarp (8×10)
  • Bungee Cords
  • 1×2 Fern Strips
  • Hinges
  • Rebar
  • 1/2 in. Irrigation Tubing
  • Spray Paint (optional)
  • Screws
  • 1×2 Fern Strips
  • Chicken Wire and Cutter

TOOLS:

  • Staple Gun
  • Small Hand Saw
  • Grinder
  • Needle Nose Pliers
  • Wire Cutters
  • Wire Twister