Back in July during a trip to NJ Dann stumbled upon a Garden design incorporating a chicken tractor when he and Lou Zampitella were supposed to be looking up restaurant menus. Little did Dann know at the time what he had done. The wife's wheels started turning which is never a restful sign. Permaculture/ Sustainable design you say? Chickens and Veggies together? and a winter home for the ladies to boot? My first thought - We can build that, no, we must build that!
Much of July was spent with me plotting and planning - literally. I measured areas of the yard, got out my graph paper, cut various shapes and moved my cut-outs here and there on the paper until I found the perfect layout. Late into the evening one day in August Dann and I transferred my graph paper design by pounding in the stakes and used string to outline the garden beds. The beds are 12 feet long by 4 foot wide with 2 beds per V shape.The next day, I started digging out the bed frames. Followed by a day of laying rock in the beds.
Remember, this was August in NY. And vacation time for me. Unfortunately Dann couldn't take any time off. So I worked mornings while it was cooler and typically rested by early afternoon in my trusty hammock. The rock laying was as far as I could go myself and quite honestly I was exhausted after lining all the beds. So it was time to call in the big guns - Dann - for the framing. Fortunately framing was timed perfectly with the weekend and Dann's availability!
After the framing was complete, Dann was kind enough to line the beds again with rock on both sides so I could save my arms for the next task... adding soil and compost to the beds.
The design is currently in the shape of a sunset, as the beds (aka rays) face east. I feel this is very fitting to our location on top of a hill with beautiful sunsets all year long. And, you may have noted I said currently in the shape of a sunset. We have room to grow to incorporate a full "sun" should the mood strike us!
With the beds complete, the next step was to build the chicken's main house. The design calls for the main house to be in the center of the garden with doors leading out to each of the raised beds. A tunnel will be attached from the main house to the tractor which will be built to rest inside one of the raised beds. The chickens will then be able to run between the home and the tractor as weather, predators and their mood suits.
House construction took a few months as it was done all by Dann primarily on weekends. The house is were we strayed completely from the design we had seen online. Knowing the ladies would be in the house for the better part of 4 months due to our weather we wanted to provide them opportunity to roam a little during that time so we built a lower level that is encased in wire fencing that is buried so predators cannot dig their way in.
Dann used scrap 2x4's that we had in the garage for framing, scrap board from the local hardware store for "insulation" and then pallet boards for the siding. A day lamp and heat lamp were installed, along with a feeder and waterer. Roofing material from an old chicken tractor was used to top it all off. On November 4, 2011 the ladies moved in.
The first few days were a bit rough. They had never used a ladder before so navigating up and down was not a talent for several days. Food treats were laid here and there to help entice them in the direction we wanted them to go and after a week they have mastered their new home!
Now all that is left is to enclose the bottom so they can roam below during the winter. Hopefully the weather will stay on our side and we will be able to get the framing done before a serious snow fall comes.
Once Spring arrives our plan is for the ladies to run on 4 beds while we grow on the other 4 beds. Garlic has already been planted in 2 of the raised beds and winter greens were planted in another though I'm not stressing about building a cold frame so once the snow comes these greens are done for the season. Winter Rye was planted in 4 beds where the chickens will have access all next year. Come spring we will fence in the whole area. We are in talks about letting the ladies have full reign of their half of the garden vs building a new tractor to fit the beds. My concern, as always, is predators so more to come on this.
Now to go help with the snow fence....
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