Chicken tractor

A chicken tractor is a lightweight, bottomless coop and run built as one movable unit, small enough to drag, roll, or wheel to a new patch of ground every few days. Instead of chickens ranging freely or staying confined to one fixed run, a tractor brings fresh grass, bugs, and forage to a small flock on a rotating basis while still keeping them enclosed and reasonably protected.

This rotation gives real benefits: fresh ground for foraging, some natural pest control on lawns or garden beds as the flock works through insects and weeds, and none of the mud and bare-dirt buildup that a stationary run develops over time in one spot. Most tractors are sized for a small flock rather than a large one, since a bigger tractor gets heavy fast and harder to move on uneven ground.

The tradeoffs are real too. A tractor is generally less predator-proof than a permanent, well-fortified run since it is built light enough to move, and it works best on relatively flat, mowable ground rather than steep or heavily wooded terrain. A common mistake is leaving a tractor parked in one spot far longer than intended, which erases the fresh-ground benefit and lets waste build up just like a stationary run would.