Lookit What Mrs. Goon Built

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Lookit What Mrs. Goon Built

Posted: 4/5/2006 3:57:37 PM EDT

It's a "Chicken Tractor"

One side

The other side

The base theory is it is a chicken coop that can be
moved around to various spots on the lawn.
The chicken filth will fetilize the lawn as it's moved around,
and, the chicken get fresh bedding with each move.

There are nest boxes lineing each short side, with hinges

to open up and, get the eggs.

There is that green indoor/outdoor matting in each box so
they can be pulled out and sprayed off.

If you have never had fresh eggs, you don't
know what your missing.

The downside of this is that you still have to use feed.
(which is still way cheaper than eggs these days)

OTOH, if you let them out during the day and, then, close them back
in during the night, there is only minor feeding involved.

For the record, we own

(5) Buff Orpingtons
(6) Austral Orps
(1) Jersey Giant
(3) Acunas
(2) Wellsummers

Mrs Goon made the whole thing out of about 30% new materiel and, 70%
scrap stuff we had laying around.

Oh..and "Hershey" our rescue dog that has found a home gaurding "his" chickens.

Posted: 4/5/2006 3:58:28 PM EDT

[#1]

your wife is cool.

Posted: 4/5/2006 3:59:41 PM EDT

[#2]

Cool.

If I had some land I would have chickens.

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:00:06 PM EDT

[#3]

I swear to god she is.

I failed woodshop.

She researched it, figgured it all out and, did it.

I was only around for the heavy lifting.

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:02:26 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Cool.

If I had some land I would have chickens.

Get some land.

With a family of 5, we get enough eggs to do B-fast every morning,
plus augmenting our rescue dog food.

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:03:53 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I swear to god she is.

I failed woodshop.

She researched it, figgured it all out and, did it.

I was only around for the heavy lifting.

"I'm not real smart, but I can lift heavy things."

(Nice job on the hotel.)

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:07:27 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I swear to god she is.

I failed woodshop.

She researched it, figgured it all out and, did it.

I was only around for the heavy lifting.

"I'm not real smart, but I can lift heavy things."

(Nice job on the hotel.)

That is just about right!

I helped her hold the long boards and, helped her move it over the fence.

I will relay the compliments.

She liked your garden, BTW..We're laying in our raised bed right now.

Clay soil sucks

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:20:20 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
She liked your garden, BTW..We're laying in our raised bed right now.

Clay soil sucks

Not to hijack your thread, but one time my Dad was able to plant a garden inside a fence where there used to be chickens. Our neighbor had raised chickens for years and finally got rid of them and the fenced area was empty.

You can only imagine how that garden grew in that rich soil.

Give your chickens a chance to fertilize a plot for you. You will be amazed at the results.

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:27:01 PM EDT

[#8]

Great idea. How do you move it around?

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:28:46 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Quoted:
She liked your garden, BTW..We're laying in our raised bed right now.

Clay soil sucks

Not to hijack your thread, but one time my Dad was able to plant a garden inside a fence where there used to be chickens. Our neighbor had raised chickens for years and finally got rid of them and the fenced area was empty.

You can only imagine how that garden grew in that rich soil.

Give your chickens a chance to fertilize a plot for you. You will be amazed at the results.

On top of that one.

Matter of fact, Mrs. Goon said that you should get a couple
of chickens in a mini-tractor and space your rows out slightly
for them to fertilize

Swear to god, she mentioned that not 5 minutes before I
re-checked GD.

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:30:28 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Great idea. How do you move it around?

You just pick up one side, move it, then
the other.

Mrs Goon is 5'4 130, and, she can do it by herself.

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:35:11 PM EDT

[#11]

Sounds like a keeper.

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:35:57 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Cool.

If I had some land I would have chickens.

If I had some Land I'd sell it and buy a KFC

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:38:30 PM EDT

[#13]

Fresh chickenshit is hot with nitrogen, and can burn plants. Be careful.

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:40:08 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Fresh chickenshit is hot with nitrogen, and can burn plants. Be careful.

On top of that.

That's why you move it every three days or so.

If ya look in that one picture youcan tell where it was.

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:46:08 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Sounds like a keeper.

She is

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:48:38 PM EDT

[#16]

don't take this the wrong way Goonboss, but stuff like that is why many of us actually prefer to live in a neighborhood with a HOA

(but it's cool that your wife builds things!)

Posted: 4/5/2006 4:50:59 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
don't take this the wrong way Goonboss, but stuff like that is why many of us actually prefer to live in a neighborhood with a HOA

(but it's cool that your wife builds things!)

No offense taken at all.

If I wanted to pay for people telling me
how to live, I'd move to a place where I could do that.

We're just country folk out this way

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:01:07 PM EDT

[#18]

MrsGoon's chicken catcher ROCKS! Patty
PS Thanks for the sigline, I'm trying.

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:05:40 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
MrsGoon's chicken catcher ROCKS! Patty
PS Thanks for the sigline, I'm trying.

'Twas nothing. I know you are.

Yeah..She's great. She can do stuff with tools.

I got her a portable tablesaw last anniversery.

She'd execute me if I got her jewelry.

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:13:55 PM EDT

[#20]

Sweet!
I've been trying to decide between a tractor or a much larger and more expensive fixed coop. I'm not sure I can get away with a tractor in Virginia,since we have colder winters.
I've got a small grazeable plot for our planned chickens already,and had planned on tying them in with my garden and deer food plot.
(as an aside, +1 for avoiding HOAs. I moved here to avoid them.)

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:22:44 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Sweet!
I've been trying to decide between a tractor or a much larger and more expensive fixed coop. I'm not sure I can get away with a tractor in Virginia,since we have colder winters.
I've got a small grazeable plot for our planned chickens already,and had planned on tying them in with my garden and deer food plot.
(as an aside, +1 for avoiding HOAs. I moved here to avoid them.)

Try putting the tractor on top of hay bales.

You tarp off two sides and, assure flow-through.

The chickens will scratch in the hay and generate heat.

They do that further north than VA.

You don't move the tractor during the winter.

The Hay will make super compost in the spring.

Put the tractor on the south side of a standing building.

These tips are relayed from mrs. Goon.

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:25:19 PM EDT

[#22]

Looks good, now you go make my breakfast pizza.

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:29:40 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Looks good, now you go make my breakfast pizza.

Where do you think the eggs came from?!

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:32:37 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Try putting the tractor on top of hay bales.

You tarp off two sides and, assure flow-through.

The chickens will scratch in the hay and generate heat.

They do that further north than VA.

You don't move the tractor during the winter.

The Hay will make super compost in the spring.

Put the tractor on the south side of a standing building.

These tips are relayed from mrs. Goon.

Interesting, I'll have to look more into this.
Could you post the dimensions or link for the plans? I've got some designs that I found online,but this one has a nice integration of the nesting area with the feeding pen.
I'm thinking of going with Rhode Island Reds. As with black rifles, stock up before they ban 'em! (avianflu is coming)

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:43:36 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Quoted:

Try putting the tractor on top of hay bales.

You tarp off two sides and, assure flow-through.

The chickens will scratch in the hay and generate heat.

They do that further north than VA.

You don't move the tractor during the winter.

The Hay will make super compost in the spring.

Put the tractor on the south side of a standing building.

These tips are relayed from mrs. Goon.

Interesting, I'll have to look more into this.
Could you post the dimensions or link for the plans? I've got some designs that I found online,but this one has a nice integration of the nesting area with the feeding pen.
I'm thinking of going with Rhode Island Reds. As with black rifles, stock up before they ban 'em! (avianflu is coming)

Mrs Goon made this up on the fly, (Alot of it)
The nest boxes have a slope so the eggs roll down to the doors.
She's a GD genius.

[email protected] is her email.

She recommends against RIRs, becasue they are agressive and, don't forrage
particularly well.

Buff Orpingtons and, Austral Orps are robust layers and,
more calm.

One or two RIRs might work out, just to give the flock some "up"
like our Acunas do..."Easter Eggers".

Fell free to email her.