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Joel Salatin Chicken Tractor Plans

June 12, 2011 by brenda 17 Comments

Joel Salatin Chicken Tractor

We just processed our first batch of chickens for the summer. This year we are doing about 300 birds. My husband built a chicken tractor like Joel Salatin’s last year.

We wanted to share with you the rough plans that my husband drew up inΒ Visio to go with Joel Salatin’s Pastured Poultry Profits . The book describes how to build the chicken tractor in Chapter 10, The Pen, but in a paragraph form. My husband used that paragraph to draw up these plans.

You’ll need to read Pastured Poultry Profits to fully understand how to build it, but we’re hoping these plans will help you get a visual. These plans are not intended to replace Mr. Salatin’s awesome book! πŸ™‚

 

Joel Salatin Chicken Tractor Plans (pdf)Β 

Joel Salatin Chicken Tractor Plans (Visio)

(Use the plans inΒ Visio if you would like to modify them yourself)

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Animals, Farms

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeri Fay

    June 12, 2011 at 5:17 pm

    I am confused… a chicken tractor? What is it used for? Are you selling chicken?

    Reply
    • brenda

      June 15, 2011 at 8:27 pm

      Yes, we sell chicken! πŸ™‚ We are chicken farmers–at least, we raise a few hundred a year. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Gelatts

    March 5, 2012 at 9:15 pm

    I am interested in how you package your birds for the freezer. Do you have a picture?

    Reply
    • Brenda

      March 6, 2012 at 8:43 pm

      I don’t have a photo right now, but we use plastic bags with hog rings. We are not totally satisfied with this, because the birds seem to still get some freezer burn after several months. We’d love to find another solution! Thanks for asking!

      Reply
      • Old Country Boy

        January 29, 2015 at 6:44 pm

        A friend, who is now passed on, was a butcher. For his own use he rapped meat in plastic then with several layers of news paper. I do this now with good results. My local Rural News is made with heavy paper. Works very well, also I use paper flour and sugar bags.

        Reply
  3. Laureldc

    May 1, 2012 at 2:59 pm

    How many chickens do you keep in each tractor? How often do you move your tractor?

    Reply
    • brenda

      May 2, 2012 at 7:10 pm

      We keep up to 100 (usually around 80) in the chicken tractor & move it once per day. Thanks for asking!

      Reply
  4. Roz

    June 28, 2012 at 2:28 pm

    YES! We need to build this right now and even though I have Pasture Poultry Profits, this makes it so much easier!

    Reply
  5. Pam Barone

    May 11, 2013 at 8:44 am

    Duh, you don’t need to buy a book or software to build a chicken tractor. You can draw a square and go to the hardware store. If you’re using a saw, you will also be using a carpenter’s square and simple math.

    Reply
  6. Kansas

    June 13, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Thank you so much! I have Joel’s book but was looking for the plans. Now I’d just like to be able to find his photos in colour, the b&w’s aren’t that great for my old eyes. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  7. Robert

    August 14, 2016 at 6:03 am

    Thank you. I’m using the plans now. How did you frame out the two doors on top?

    Reply
  8. Traci St Claire Johnson

    March 8, 2018 at 2:20 pm

    Not to be rude but seems to be too many chickens for the space. I know they enjoy being outdoors but again, too many per square ft.

    Reply
    • Ray Nelson

      April 24, 2018 at 4:15 am

      According to Joel Salatin you get optimum growth between 50 and 85 in one of his tractors. Above 85 and they are too crowded and don’t gain weight. Below 50 and they run around too much and they don’t gain as much weight. He is raising Cornish Cross so it might be different for different breeds.

      Reply
  9. Angela Kumlin

    March 12, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    Is there wire mesh on the floor? If so what size holes? Can one person pull it to move it?

    Reply
    • brenda

      March 22, 2018 at 7:10 pm

      Hi Angela, nope, no wire mesh on the floor. Yes, one person can pull or move it. It IS heavy though, and it’s a bit of a chore. But it’s doable! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  10. Gary Villines

    April 25, 2018 at 6:50 pm

    Do you have a rough estimate on total cost to build? Not labor wise, just materials. Thanks!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. » Blessed Little Thistle says:
    June 26, 2012 at 9:55 am

    […] out I just got a 150 lb nudge. So, add “order Freedom Rangers” and “build a Salatin style chicken tractor” to the never-ending to-do […]

    Reply

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