Chicken Run!

[hippywife]

The husband took this short video clip with his camera after throwing a grass snake into the chicken pen. :rofl:

http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b163/hippywife/photos/?action=view¤t=MVI_0222.flv

These are 9 week old Jersey Black Giants.

[uppityperson]

1. Jersey Giants are BIG (duh). Cute chicks. If only they wouldn't yell..

"MINE MINE MINE" as they run away, perhaps the others wouldn't follow.

[hippywife]

2. LOL

They are too funny to watch. And they do seem to be doing that! :rofl:

[hippywife]

3. And now the chicken tractor!

Nothing fancy. My husband built it using some old left over cattle panels we picked up from a friend's farm and covered it in rabbit fencing. Put some plywood on one end to shade it a little and give more rigidity to the overall structure. Stuck a couple of lawnmower tires on the end. Voila!

Best part is...the chickens absolutely love it! Whenever it gets moved to a new spot, they immediately get busy hunting for bugs and nibbling on new vegetation. He also cut a gate into their pen and another in the side of the tractor so that while we're at work, they can go in and out of both at will. It also helps to get them back in the pen at night. They put themselves to bed at sundown so they just meander back into the pen and into the coop for the night.

[uppityperson]

4. That's a really simple tractor. I keep seeing fancy ones and getting intimidated.

Looks good.

[hippywife]

5. I was looking at all the ones

I could find on the internet and so was my husband. We usually prefer to re-use or re-purposed items that we already have around the place. So this was a great solution all the way around. :hi:

[japple]

6. Sheer genius! Hippy Husband seems like a real handy man

to have around the place. Keeps you and the chickens happy. Thanks for posting this very clever solution for combining chicken recreation with natural pest control.

[hippywife]

8. Can't take credit for it.

The chicken tractor is a Joel Salatin creation. But it is very ingenious. That man sure knows the right way to farm! :hi:
http://www.polyfacefarms.com/default.aspx

[Muttocracy]

7. very clever and practical! nt

[hippywife]

9. Thanx but see post #8.

We just pick up on good ideas and put 'em to use. :hi:

[murray hill farm]

10. The PO called yesterday at 7:30 AM

to tell me my baby chicks were in..10 fuzzy New Hampshire Reds. They are soooooooooooo cute...the little fuzzy butts..and fun to just watch. Happy Day for Mexicoxpat! They sure are little poop machines..hahaha! Fuzzy poop machines. I know I must be imagining it, but I actually think they have grown in the 28 hrs they have been here.

[hippywife]

11. I'm sure you aren't imagining it.

They seem to really grow a lot for the first few months. Then it seems to slow down and become less noticeable.

They are poop machines but I swear our two ducks poop more than our six chickens combined. LOL