--- title: "Chicken Tractor Design: Mobile Poultry in Permaculture" description: "How to design and build a chicken tractor: space per bird, the four main designs, how often to move it, and where mobile poultry fits in a permaculture system." image: https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp0375-hero-chicken-tractor-20260724-134523.webp --- [Skip to content](https://growperma.com/blog/chicken-tractor-design-mobile-poultry-in-permaculture#main-content) [![GrowPerma Logo](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/icon-512.png?width=40&height=40&name=icon-512.png)](https://growperma.com/) - [Blog](https://growperma.com/blog) - [About](https://growperma.com/about) [Join the Weekly Dig](https://growperma.com/newsletter) - [Blog](https://growperma.com/blog) - [About](https://growperma.com/about) [Join the Weekly Dig](https://growperma.com/newsletter) ![Pencil-crayon illustration of a wooden A-frame chicken tractor on green backyard pasture with red and brown hens foraging beside a vegetable garden](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/images/gp0375-hero-chicken-tractor-20260724-134523.webp?width=1200&height=520&name=gp0375-hero-chicken-tractor-20260724-134523.webp) In This Article Table of Contents ![Peter Vogel](https://growperma.com/hubfs/Peter%20Vogel%20Portait.png) Peter Vogel Peter Vogel is the founder of GrowPerma, bringing together evidence-based gardening advice with permaculture principles. When he's not writing about companion ... [Permaculture Foundations](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/permaculture-foundations) July 24, 2026 # Chicken Tractor Design: Mobile Poultry in Permaculture A chicken tractor is a small floorless pen you slide onto fresh ground every day or two, so the birds scratch, eat weed seeds and insects, and drop manure exactly where you want fertility. Size it by bird and by move interval: **1.5 to 2 square feet (0.14 to 0.19 sq m) per broiler and 2 to 3 square feet (0.19 to 0.28 sq m) per laying hen when the pen moves daily**. Twenty broilers on daily moves therefore want 30 to 40 square feet, which is a 5 by 8 foot (1.5 by 2.4 m) pen. Andy Lee and Pat Foreman named the tool in their 1990s book *Chicken Tractor: The Permaculture Guide to Happy Hens and Healthy Soil*, and Oregon State University Extension has since put field numbers behind it. The appeal is doing four jobs with one element: fewer weeds, fewer pest insects, richer soil and a basket of eggs, without spending every weekend tilling and hauling fertilizer to get there. In a nine-week field trial, OSU researchers found that broilers in a moving tractor [significantly reduced total weed cover both inside the pen and in the adjacent orchard row](https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9320-chicken-tractors-moveable-flocks-help-manage-orchard-pests). Specialists at [The Poultry Site](https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/sustainable-poultry-production-overview-part-ii) describe these floorless field pens as inexpensive shelters moved daily, with no litter inside because frequent moves keep birds off their own manure. Get the design right and a chicken tractor becomes one of the hardest-working elements in your whole system. 1.5 to 2 sq ft Space per broiler Inside a moving tractor (0.14 to 0.19 sq m) Every 2 to 3 days Typical move interval Daily for dense broiler pens 2.5 lb Manure per broiler Over its lifetime (1.13 kg) 8 birds For a 20 by 80 ft orchard OSU worked example Here is what this guide covers: - How much space each bird actually needs inside the pen - The four main tractor designs and which one fits your garden - How often to move it, and why the move interval matters more than the pen itself - A weekend build sequence with real dimensions and costs - Where a tractor belongs in a permaculture layout, from garden beds to food forest Key Takeaway A chicken tractor is a floorless, movable pen that turns chickens into a soil-building tool. The design details that matter most are **space per bird, move frequency, and predator-proof mesh**, in that order. Get those three right and the rest is carpentry. ## How Much Space Does Each Bird Need? ![Pencil-crayon close-up of a brown hen scratching and foraging for insects in soil, showing why chicken tractor space per bird matters](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp0375-float-hen-foraging-20260724-134539.webp) Space per bird is the first number to settle because it drives everything else: heat stress, manure load, and whether birds can behave like birds. For broilers kept in a moving pen most of the day, aim for at least **1.5 square feet (0.14 sq m) per bird, with 2 square feet (0.19 sq m) preferable in hot weather**. That range comes straight from the OSU orchard study, which split the difference between Joel Salatin's tighter pasture densities and modern welfare guidance. Laying hens need more room because they perch, nest, and dust bathe. Plan on 2 to 3 square feet (0.19 to 0.28 sq m) per hen inside the tractor. For context, the [Certified Humane laying-hen standard](https://certifiedhumane.org/wp-content/uploads/Standard_LayingHens-2023.pdf) requires 1.5 square feet (0.14 sq m) of indoor space per hen in an all-litter house, and a generous 108 square feet (10 sq m) of outdoor space per bird for pasture-raised certification. You do not need to hit certification numbers in a backyard, but they make a useful welfare floor. | Bird type | Space inside tractor | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Broilers (meat) | 1.5 to 2 sq ft (0.14 to 0.19 sq m) | Larger end for hot climates and heavier weights | | Laying hens | 2 to 3 sq ft (0.19 to 0.28 sq m) | Extra room for perching and nesting | | Salatin field pen | ~1.6 sq ft (0.15 sq m) | 10 by 12 ft pen, about 75 broilers | Sources: [Oregon State University Extension EM-9320](https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9320-chicken-tractors-moveable-flocks-help-manage-orchard-pests), [Certified Humane Laying Hen Standard](https://certifiedhumane.org/wp-content/uploads/Standard_LayingHens-2023.pdf), [The Poultry Site](https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/sustainable-poultry-production-overview-part-ii) Resist the urge to crowd more birds in. With US summers getting hotter, most backyard growers now build bigger pens with fewer birds. A roomy tractor you enjoy moving beats a crowded one you dread. ### What size chicken tractor do you need for 20 chickens? Every published figure is a rate per bird, never a pen size, so you have to do one multiplication. Take the rate above, multiply by your bird count, and pick the build whose footprint covers it. For 20 laying hens on daily moves that is 40 to 60 square feet, a 6 by 8 ft or 6 by 10 ft pen; for 20 broilers it is 30 to 40 square feet, a 5 by 6 ft or 5 by 8 ft pen. | Birds | Broilers, daily moves | Laying hens, daily moves | Build that covers it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 6 | 9 to 12 sq ft (0.8 to 1.1 sq m) | 12 to 18 sq ft (1.1 to 1.7 sq m) | 4 by 4 ft (1.2 by 1.2 m) | | 10 | 15 to 20 sq ft (1.4 to 1.9 sq m) | 20 to 30 sq ft (1.9 to 2.8 sq m) | 4 by 8 ft A-frame (1.2 by 2.4 m) | | 20 | 30 to 40 sq ft (2.8 to 3.7 sq m) | 40 to 60 sq ft (3.7 to 5.6 sq m) | 6 by 8 ft to 6 by 10 ft (1.8 by 2.4 to 1.8 by 3 m) | | 25 | 38 to 50 sq ft (3.5 to 4.6 sq m) | 50 to 75 sq ft (4.6 to 7 sq m) | 6 by 10 ft to 8 by 10 ft (1.8 by 3 to 2.4 by 3 m) | | 50 | 75 to 100 sq ft (7 to 9.3 sq m) | 100 to 150 sq ft (9.3 to 13.9 sq m) | 8 by 10 ft to 10 by 12 ft (2.4 by 3 to 3 by 3.7 m) | | 75 | 113 to 150 sq ft (10.5 to 13.9 sq m) | Split into two pens | 10 by 12 ft Salatin field pen (3 by 3.7 m) | Sources: areas are the per-bird rates in the table above multiplied by bird count; the 4 by 8 ft A-frame and 10 by 12 ft Salatin pen are the builds described later on this page. **One caveat that explains why published pen sizes disagree by a factor of three.** Those rates assume the pen moves daily, so each bird stands on clean ground every morning and the footprint is coop and run at once. A tractor that moves once a week is the flock's whole world for seven days, and backyard practice there runs looser, nearer 4 to 10 square feet (0.4 to 0.9 sq m) per hen. Decide your move interval first, then size the pen. ![Pencil-crayon illustration comparing three chicken tractor designs: wooden A-frame, cattle-panel hoop, and lightweight PVC frame on grass](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp0375-body1-tractor-types-20260724-134524.webp) ## Which Chicken Tractor Design Should You Build? Four designs dominate US backyards and small farms. They trade weight, durability, and cost against each other, so the right pick depends on your terrain, climate, and how strong your back is on move day. The **Salatin-style field pen** is the classic: a low frame roughly 10 by 12 feet (3 by 3.7 m), built from 2x4 lumber and wire, holding around 75 broilers and weighing about 200 pounds (90 kg). Cheap and sturdy but heavy, you drag it with a dolly. The **cattle-panel hoop** bends a livestock panel over wooden skids into an arch. The University of Kentucky's poultry program calls the [hoop pen built with cattle panels an easy and relatively inexpensive portable housing system](https://afs.mgcafe.uky.edu/extension/poultry/housing), and it gives you headroom to walk in. The catch: standard panel mesh is wide, so add a layer of hardware cloth to keep raccoons and weasels out. | Design | Weight | Best for | Watch out for | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Salatin field pen | ~200 lb (90 kg) | Larger broiler batches on pasture | Heavy; needs a dolly | | Cattle-panel hoop | Moderate | Walk-in height, snow and wind loads | Add fine mesh over wide panels | | PVC or aluminum frame | Light (~80 to 150 lb) | One-person daily moves | Less predator resistance and UV life | | A-frame | Light | 4 to 8 backyard layers | Low internal volume | Sources: [The Poultry Site](https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/sustainable-poultry-production-overview-part-ii), [University of Kentucky Poultry Housing](https://afs.mgcafe.uky.edu/extension/poultry/housing), [Regenerative mobile coop overview](https://www.happyfarmer.store/blog/mobile-chicken-coops-for-regenerative-farming/) Lightweight **PVC or aluminum** tractors win on mobility. Aluminum is rust-free and easy for one person to move daily, though it gives up some durability and predator resistance, so reinforce joints and mesh. The little **A-frame**, a triangle over a 4 by 8 foot (1.2 by 2.4 m) base, is perfect for a handful of backyard layers. Why This Works: Stacking Functions In permaculture, a well-designed element earns its keep by doing several jobs at once. A chicken tractor tills, weeds, fertilizes, controls pests, and produces food from the same footprint. That is stacking functions in action, and it is why one modest pen can replace a tiller, a bag of fertilizer, and an insecticide sprayer. You can read more in our guide to [stacking functions in the garden](https://growperma.com/blog/stacking-functions-in-the-garden-one-element-multiple-uses). ![Pencil-crayon scene of a homesteader sliding a lightweight chicken tractor to fresh grass, leaving a strip of fertilized scratched soil behind](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp0375-body2-moving-tractor-20260724-134530.webp) ## How Often Should You Move a Chicken Tractor? Move frequency matters more than the pen itself. Move too seldom and you get burned grass, muddy manure, and coccidiosis risk; move on schedule and you get even fertilization and healthy birds. For dense broiler pens, **daily moves are the benchmark**. The OSU orchard trial moved broiler tractors **down the rows every two to three days**, which suited their lower stocking density. Stocking density per acre sets your flock size. OSU offers a clean worked example: a home orchard of 20 by 80 feet (6.1 by 24.4 m) is 1,600 square feet, about 0.04 acre. Multiply by a commercial density of 200 broilers per acre and you land on **roughly 8 chickens** to manage weeds and insects in that space. 1 Set a fixed move time Morning works well. Tie the move to a daily habit so it never gets skipped. 2 Move one pen length Slide the tractor forward its own length onto fresh ground. Birds learn to walk with it. 3 Check for stragglers Glance underneath the trailing edge so no bird gets caught as the pen slides. 4 Top up food, water, and shade Reposition waterers in the shaded section and confirm the tarp still blocks midday sun. Why This Works: Rotational Grazing Frequent moves mimic how wild flocks and grazing herds pass over land and move on, never lingering long enough to foul it. Each strip gets a short, intense pulse of scratching and manure, then a long rest to recover. That pulse-and-rest rhythm is the same principle behind managed rotational grazing, and it is why a moving pen builds soil while a stationary run destroys it. ![Pencil-crayon infographic of chicken tractor design specs: space per bird, move daily, nitrogen boost, and pest control, in GrowPerma earth-green colors](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp0375-infographic-specs-20260724-134535.webp) ## How Do You Build a Simple Chicken Tractor in a Weekend? ![Pencil-crayon close-up of hands using a cordless drill to assemble a wooden chicken tractor frame with hardware cloth mesh](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp0375-float-building-20260724-134541.webp) A basic 8 by 10 foot (2.4 by 3 m) tractor is a one-weekend project and costs roughly $80 to $250 depending on whether you buy new lumber. You need pressure-treated boards for the skids, untreated 2x4s for the frame, hardware cloth, a tarp, screws, and hinges for the door. Build the base first: two pressure-treated runners with the front edges shaped to rock slightly so they glide instead of digging in. Frame the box on top, arch a cattle panel over it or peak an A-frame, then staple hardware cloth over everything. Add a tarp across part of the roof for shade, cut an access door, and attach a rope at the front for pulling. Reinforce the pull points and door corners with gusset plates so the frame survives years of dragging. ## Where Does a Chicken Tractor Fit in a Permaculture Design? Because the pen is mobile, you place chickens exactly where their work is needed. In spring, park the tractor on a fallow bed so birds scratch out weeds and add fertility before you plant. In late summer, move it under fruit trees to clean up dropped fruit and the pests hiding in it, a job the OSU study documented directly. This is classic permaculture zoning: intensive elements live near the house in zones 1 and 2, and you shift the pen seasonally to wherever it does the most good. Our [guide to integrating chickens into a food forest](https://growperma.com/blog/food-forest-and-chickens-integrated-animal-systems) goes deeper on the orchard side, and the broader [permaculture foundations](https://growperma.com/blog/permaculture-foundations) pillar ties these patterns together. The manure math is real. The [University of Georgia Extension](https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/B1245/maximizing-poultry-manure-use-through-nutrient-management-planning/) estimates a broiler drops about 2.5 pounds (1.13 kg) of manure in its life and a layer 20 to 30 pounds (9 to 13.6 kg) per year, with 40 to 70 percent of the nitrogen becoming plant-available within six weeks. Spread across moving strips, that means steady fertility; park birds too long on one bed and you overload it. Bedding you rake out of the sheltered end is a different matter, because it is far too concentrated to go straight onto a planted bed, and it belongs in [a compost bin matched to the volume your yard actually produces](https://growperma.com/blog/best-compost-bin-picks-for-every-yard) for a few months first. For more, see our overview of [chickens in permaculture](https://growperma.com/blog/chickens-in-permaculture-pest-control-composting-and-eggs). Common Mistake to Avoid Do not leave a tractor parked in full sun without shade and airflow. Poultry extension specialists list [shade, water, and ventilation as the three basic summer needs](https://poultry.extension.org/articles/poultry-management/managing-backyard-chickens-during-extreme-summer-temperatures/), and a low pen on bare ground can turn deadly hot fast. Keep much of the pen as open mesh, tarp only part of the roof, and track where the shadow falls at midday, not just at breakfast. Key Takeaway Treat the tractor as a placement tool, not just housing. **Move it to the job**: fallow beds in spring, orchard rows in late summer, pasture the rest of the year. Match flock size to the area using the simple acreage math, and let soil tests tell you when a bed has had enough. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the point of a chicken tractor? It puts the birds where the work is. A fixed run concentrates scratching and manure in one patch until the ground is bare; a pen you move spreads the same scratching, pest control and fertility across a strip of garden or pasture and lets each strip recover. You get weeding, insect control, manure placement and eggs or meat out of one element, and you move it to whichever bed or orchard row needs that work this month. ### How many chickens fit in a chicken tractor? Allow 1.5 to 2 square feet (0.14 to 0.19 sq m) per broiler and 2 to 3 square feet (0.19 to 0.28 sq m) per laying hen inside the pen, on daily moves. An 8 by 10 foot (2.4 by 3 m) pen is 80 square feet, so that rate puts 26 to 40 hens in it. Most backyard growers keep 8 to 12 hens in a pen that size instead, because they move it weekly rather than daily and the pen has to serve as coop and run for the whole week. Match the number to your move interval, not to the floor area alone. To match flock size to a garden or orchard, divide your area in square feet by 43,560 to get acres, then multiply by 200 birds per acre. ### How often do I need to move it? Daily is the benchmark for dense broiler pens, and some growers move twice a day near slaughter weight to avoid burning the grass. Lower-density garden tractors can go every two to three days, the interval the Oregon State orchard trial used. Move more often in wet or heavy soils to avoid mud and disease. ### Does a chicken tractor really save money on feed? Only modestly. Pastured-poultry growers report that birds get roughly [5 to 10 percent of their daily intake from foraging](https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-much-feed-do-you-save-by-free-ranging.575230/). The bigger payoff is free weeding, pest control, and fertilizer, plus better eggs. Treat feed savings as a bonus, not the main reason to build one. ### What is the best material for a chicken tractor? There is no single winner. Cattle panels give strength and headroom, aluminum stays light and rust-free for daily moves, and pressure-treated wood is cheap and repairable but heavier. Many growers mix them: wooden skids for durability, lighter framing above, and fine hardware cloth over any wide mesh to stop predators. ### Will a chicken tractor protect birds from predators? Partly, and only if you build it well. A floorless pen keeps birds contained but sits open to the ground, so bury the edges or add an apron of mesh, and cover wide panel gaps with hardware cloth. Oklahoma State Extension also recommends keeping grass short around the pen and removing brush that gives predators cover. A compact A-frame on a 4 by 8 foot (1.2 by 2.4 m) base works well for 4 to 8 backyard layers. Get the Weekly Dig One practical permaculture guide a week, written for gardeners who do this on weekends: permaculture design for real backyards. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time. [Join the Weekly Dig](https://growperma.com/newsletter) [Browse All Guides →](https://growperma.com/blog) ## Resources - [Oregon State University Extension EM-9320 — Chicken Tractors: Moveable Flocks Help Manage Orchard Pests](https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9320-chicken-tractors-moveable-flocks-help-manage-orchard-pests) - [University of Kentucky — Poultry Housing (hoop pens with cattle panels)](https://afs.mgcafe.uky.edu/extension/poultry/housing) - [The Poultry Site — Sustainable Poultry Production Overview, Part II](https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/sustainable-poultry-production-overview-part-ii) - [The Poultry Site — Sustainable Poultry Production Overview, Part III](https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/sustainable-poultry-production-overview-part-iii) - [University of Georgia Extension — Maximizing Poultry Manure Use Through Nutrient Management Planning](https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/B1245/maximizing-poultry-manure-use-through-nutrient-management-planning/) - [Poultry Extension — Managing Backyard Chickens During Extreme Summer Temperatures](https://poultry.extension.org/articles/poultry-management/managing-backyard-chickens-during-extreme-summer-temperatures/) - [Certified Humane — Egg Laying Hens Animal Care Standards (2023)](https://certifiedhumane.org/wp-content/uploads/Standard_LayingHens-2023.pdf) - [Oklahoma State University Extension — Protecting Small Poultry Flocks From Predators](https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/protecting-small-poultry-flocks-from-predators) - [Mother Earth News — Are Real Free-Range Eggs Better?](https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/free-range-eggs-zmaz07onzgoe/) **Tags:** [Permaculture Foundations](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/permaculture-foundations) ## Related Articles ![Clump of Egyptian walking onions with tall hollow stalks topped by purple-red bulbil clusters, several arching over to root where they touch the soil](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0550-hero-walking-onions-20260908-071512.webp?width=400&height=220&name=gp-0550-hero-walking-onions-20260908-071512.webp) 8 Sep [Permaculture Foundations](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/permaculture-foundations) #### Egyptian Walking Onions: The Allium That Replants Itself Peter Vogel ![Mature black locust tree in full white flower beside a split-rail fence on a homestead, with honeybees working the fragrant blossoms](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0547-hero-black-locust-tree-20260908-063327.webp?width=400&height=220&name=gp-0547-hero-black-locust-tree-20260908-063327.webp) 8 Sep [Permaculture Foundations](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/permaculture-foundations) #### Black Locust: Nitrogen Fixer, Fence Post, Invasive Problem Peter Vogel ![Mature multi-stemmed perennial kale plant with woody base and blue-green leaves in an autumn garden bed beside smaller annual kale seedlings](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0543-hero-perennial-kale-plant-20260907-142138.webp?width=400&height=220&name=gp-0543-hero-perennial-kale-plant-20260907-142138.webp) 7 Sep [Permaculture Foundations](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/permaculture-foundations) #### Perennial Kale: Varieties, Hardiness and How to Keep It Going Peter Vogel ![GrowPerma](https://growperma.com/hubfs/icon-512.png) Gardens That Work Like Forests — the smart-friend guide to permaculture for normal backyards. #### Explore - [Blog](https://growperma.com/blog) - [Companion Planting](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/companion-planting) - [Soil & Composting](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/soil-composting) - [Food Forests](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/food-forest) - [Permaculture](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/permaculture-foundations) #### Resources - [About](https://growperma.com/about) - [All Articles](https://growperma.com/blog) #### Legal - [Imprint](https://growperma.com/imprint) - [Privacy Policy](https://growperma.com/privacy-policy) - [Affiliate Disclosure](https://growperma.com/affiliate-disclosure) - Cookie Settings As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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A fixed run concentrates scratching and manure in one patch until the ground is bare; a pen you move spreads the same scratching, pest control and fertility across a strip of garden or pasture and lets each strip recover. You get weeding, insect control, manure placement and eggs or meat out of one element, and you move it to whichever bed or orchard row needs that work this month." }, "name" : "What is the point of a chicken tractor?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Allow 1.5 to 2 square feet (0.14 to 0.19 sq m) per broiler and 2 to 3 square feet (0.19 to 0.28 sq m) per laying hen inside the pen, on daily moves. An 8 by 10 foot pen is 80 square feet, so that rate puts 26 to 40 hens in it. Most backyard growers keep 8 to 12 hens in a pen that size instead, because they move it weekly rather than daily and the pen has to serve as coop and run for the whole week. To match flock size to a garden or orchard, divide your area in square feet by 43,560 to get acres, then multiply by 200 birds per acre." }, "name" : "How many chickens fit in a chicken tractor?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Daily is the benchmark for dense broiler pens, and some growers move twice a day near slaughter weight to avoid burning the grass. Lower-density garden tractors can go every two to three days, the interval the Oregon State orchard trial used. Move more often in wet or heavy soils to avoid mud and disease." }, "name" : "How often do I need to move a chicken tractor?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Only modestly. Pastured-poultry growers report that birds get roughly 5 to 10 percent of their daily intake from foraging. The bigger payoff is free weeding, pest control, and fertilizer, plus better eggs. Treat feed savings as a bonus, not the main reason to build one." }, "name" : "Does a chicken tractor really save money on feed?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "There is no single winner. Cattle panels give strength and headroom, aluminum stays light and rust-free for daily moves, and pressure-treated wood is cheap and repairable but heavier. Many growers mix them: wooden skids for durability, lighter framing above, and fine hardware cloth over any wide mesh to stop predators." }, "name" : "What is the best material for a chicken tractor?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Partly, and only if you build it well. A floorless pen keeps birds contained but sits open to the ground, so bury the edges or add an apron of mesh, and cover wide panel gaps with hardware cloth. Oklahoma State Extension also recommends keeping grass short around the pen and removing brush that gives predators cover." }, "name" : "Will a chicken tractor protect birds from predators?" } ] } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://growperma.com", "name" : "Home", "position" : 1 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://growperma.com/blog", "name" : "Blog", "position" : 2 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://growperma.com/blog/chicken-tractor-design-mobile-poultry-in-permaculture", "name" : "Chicken Tractor Design: Mobile Poultry in Permaculture", "position" : 3 } ] } ```