"We have only one rule here - to act like a gentleman at all times." - Robert E. Lee

 

Building a Chicken Ark (or Chicken Tractor)

Is it a "Chicken Ark" or a "Chicken Tractor"? Although this type of chicken shelter is commonly referred to as a "Tractor" in America, I have never been able to call it that without thinking of something big and green that has "John Deere" painted on the side. For that reason, I call this an ark. Call it what you will, it is a popular way to house a small number of chickens. This one holds our 6 hens and 2 roosters. These are Buff Orpingtons, which is a very large breed. They are generally free to roam about during the day and are locked up at night to protect against predators. Overcrowding can cause some pretty nasty problems, so be careful not to put too many into a small space.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the advantages of this design are:

Disadvantages of this design:

Notes:

  1. The ridge piece extends beyond the ends to hang things from or for decorative reasons. If you try to lift the ark by the ridge piece, you put too much stress on the structure. It can be done, but it is not a good practice.
  2. Be sure to file the edges of the galvanized steel panels and round the corners. They can be very sharp.
  3. The photos show a water system using a hanging 5 gallon bucket. This was only used for a short time before being replaced with a self-contained water system. It just was not reliable enough.
  4. A heavy duty cordless screwdriver is absolutely essential to build this. Don't try hammer and nails - it isn't worth the aggravation.
  5. The end with the sheet metal door is used for access to the feeder. The other end (not shown clearly in these photos) has a wire mesh door that is where the chickens normally move in and out during the day. This is locked up each evening to protect against predators.

 

Step by step photos


Side pieces are cut as one piece so that all cuts match exactly.
After cutting, use a wood chisel to make the notch where the horizontal 2x4s will fit.
Use a spacer below the top ridge for strength and alignment.
Plywood gusset plate screwed in place.
Middle horizontal brace screwed in place. Be sure that you are doing all of your assembly on a flat level surface.
Rough assembly. While the A-frames are screwed together, the horizontal pieces are just a friction fit at this point.
Almost all 2x4s will have some twist and warp - even after you have carefully selected your wood. use C-clamps to hold the frame together while you screw it together. Use a countersink bit so the screw heads will be flush with the surface. Set the torque adjustment on your drill just heavy enough to do the job. With long screws, a high torque drill can wring a screw in half.
The 1" x 2" galvanized mesh is far stronger and longer lasting than common chicken wire. It isn't cheap, but it is well worth the price.
Use clamps to hold the wire in place while securing it. The first version used fencing staples hammered in. These were later removed and replaced with a 1" x 2" strip of wood that was screwed down to secure the wire. This worked much better than the staples.
End view of the galvanized steel panels. Normal roofing practice has the screws on the ridge rather than the valley to prevent water leakage. Since the ridges are horizontal, it doesn't matter, so we did it this way.
Note the way the end pieces are tucked in at the bottom.
Nest box shelf also serves as a support for the feeder. The shelf is not screwed down, but rests on pins protruding from the 2x2s that it rests on. This allows for cleaning if needed. The roost is a 2x2 going from end to end and braced in the middle.
This is the basic side panel. It is built from a sheet of galvanized steel (cut to whatever width is needed). The framing is done with 2x2's and assembled using Simpson Strong-Ties. The sheet is secured with screws as shown in a previous photo.
Close up of the center brace. The two long pieces extend the full length. The three short pieces are all the same size - they all fit inside the long pieces.
After the top section is attached with hinges, the edge of the galvanized steel panel is folded over and screwed down. Be sure to leave enough if you want the top edge covered like this.
The side panels are secured with a door latch. This makes it very easy to remove the sides for access to the inside.
The end pieces are cut out using side-cut sheet metal shears. Trying to do this without the proper tools could be very frustrating. Either borrow or buy the right tools for the job. Use a large piece of cardboard as a pattern before cutting the metal.
Finished and sitting on the wheels. Once the wheels are fit into the notches cut on the bottom 2x4s, it rolls quite easily.
Top vents shown open. Experience has shown that these probably aren't needed as long as it is located in a shady place. The top ridge is covered with a ridge piece designed for the purpose and purchased at the same place as the steel panels.
All doors open and the side panels removed. This shows how easy it is to get to anywhere inside for cleaning and maintenance.
Finished ark showing the current watering system.
   

 

 

 

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