17 Free DIY Chicken Tractor Plans You Can Make Today (With Pictures)

Keeping your own chickens at home has tons of benefits: free eggs daily, pest removal for your garden, and consistent, high-quality fertilizer. In order to keep them safe from predators and protected from the elements and for you to have easy access to their eggs, you’ll need a decent tractor for them to roam around in. So why not learn how to build a chicken tractor of your own? This is an inexpensive and easy-to-build project and can even be constructed using parts you may already have lying around your yard.

A tractor is a simple lightweight structure — usually with wheels — to house your chickens in. You need to move it to a different spot in your yard every day, so the chickens can have access to new ground to scratch around in and eat from, as well as add fertilizer to the ground behind them. Another benefit is that they’ll get organic grubs and insects to eat so you don’t need to feed them as much, so you’ll get beautiful, nutrient-rich eggs.

Chicken tractors can be as simple or complex as you like, according to your budget, skill level, and the number of chickens you need to house. There are tons of different DIY plans out there to choose from, free of charge. We’ve found 17 different plans to help you find the right tractor for your needs and get started building today!

The 17 DIY Chicken Tractor Plans

1. 4×10 Hoop Tractor From Backyardchickens.com

This 4×10 hoop tractor plan from backyardchickens.com is a simple design that is portable and easy to build. It has PVC hoops to hold the wire mesh, making it light and easy to move on your own. It also has an easily accessible coop attached to the back to provide protection from the elements, with a hinged roof for easy access to eggs.

2. Simple Hoop Tractor From Fresheggsdaily.blog

This simple yet functional tractor plan from fresheggsdaily.blog utilizes several items that you may already have in your backyard, like PVC hoops, thin wood beams, and plastic sheeting. With all the materials at the ready, you can easily build this function tractor in a day or less.

3. Tractor and Coop With Wheels From Backyardchickens.com

This tractor plan from backyardchickens.com has a built-in coop and heavy-duty wheels to make it easy to haul across rugged terrain. It’s also built from mostly reclaimed parts, so it won’t cost you much to put together.

4. Little Egg Factory From Backyardchickens.com

This stylish tractor plan from backyardchickens.com has wheels and handles in the design for easy moving. It has a loft in the apex, with an incorporated ramp for the chickens to keep dry and warm in, and one side of the loft roof opens for easy access inside. This tractor is fairly complex in its construction, so it may take more time and expertise to build.

5. Mobile Coop From Backyardpoultry.Iamcountryside.com

This mobile coop from backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com is more than just a tractor. It is a functional chicken coop on wheels, with a small ramp for entry and exit. While it provides sufficient protection from predators and weather, it will not keep your chickens confined to one area like a fenced tractor will.

See also: 10 Free DIY Mobile Chicken Coop Plans You Can Make Today

6. Chicken Menagerie From Backyardchickens.com

This chicken menagerie plan from backyardchickens.com is a great looking and highly functional tractor plan. It has an incorporated coop section, with wheels and a strong handle to help you move it around. It also has egg baskets attached to the coop’s nests for easy egg access.

7. The “Chicksaw” From Abundantpermaculture.com

The “Chicksaw” plan from abundantpermaculture.com uses the premise of a rickshaw, which puts the tractor’s weight and center of gravity onto two large wheels. This design makes it easy to move massive amounts of weight on your own. It also has a hinged roof for access to the chickens and eggs and a nifty removable handle that you can use to prop up the roof lid when it’s open.

8. Pallet Tractor From Instructables.com

Learning how to build a chicken tractor by instructables.com is cheap and easy to build, utilizing old pallets in its construction. There is an easy-to-follow video, taking you from start to finish in building an eco-friendly and functional chicken tractor.

9. Large Tractor and Coop From Instructables.com

This large tractor and coop combination plan from instructables.com is 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet high and can easily house up to 14 chickens. It is inexpensive and easy to build and includes wheels to easily haul it around on, as well as an egg basket attached to the nests for easy egg access.

10. Lightweight PVC Tractor From Grit.com

This PVC tractor plan from grit.com is lightweight, cheap to build, and simple to assemble and disassemble. All you’ll need is PVC piping, mesh wire, and an old tarp, and you can easily make this effective tractor in a day or less.

11. “The Roadhouse” From Backyardchickens.com

The “roadhouse” chicken tractor plan from backyardchickens.com is a 4×10-foot, A-frame, tractor-and-coop combination, with a cleverly designed hinged ramp that can be folded up when moving. It also has a convenient nest-box door that can be easily accessed from the top.

12. Simple A-frame Tractor From Instructables.com

This A-frame tractor plan from instructables.com is about as simple as it gets. It uses easy-to-find and inexpensive materials, and you can build it in a day or less. The upper part of the A-frame has two nesting boxes that are accessible from the two outside ends, and it can comfortably accommodate around five chickens.

13. Barn Tractor From Backyardchickens.com

This barn tractor plan from backyardchickens.com is a great-looking tractor-and-coop combination. It has panels that can access the inside of the coop from behind and from inside the run itself. It is a large tractor that may be difficult to move on your own, and it may require a few days to construct.

14. Simple Chicken Tractor From Simplyresourceful.Blogspot.com

This is a simple tractor plan from simplyresourceful.blogspot.com that will take you less than a day to construct. It has a hatch at the back for easy egg access and attached handles to help you haul it around. It is the perfect tractor if you only have a few hens to keep and limited space in your yard.

15. Hen Hideout From Backyardchickens.com

The Hen Hideout plan from backyardchickens.com  has four heavy-duty wheels, which make it easy to move around on your own. It uses PVC piping, which makes it lightweight and easy to construct. It will give you enough space for up to five hens.

16. Bicycle Chicken Tractor From Grit.com

This unique tractor plan from grit.com uses old bicycles to lift it and help you easily move it around. It is simple to build and fairly lightweight, and it will put to use any old or unused bicycles you may have hanging around!

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17. Reclaimed Chicken Coop From Backyardchickens.com

This coop-and-tractor combination from backyardchickens.com uses reclaimed wood and fencing that can be found lying around your yard or cheaply purchased. It consists of three different levels: a coop at the top for nesting, a roosting area in the center, and a scratching and foraging section on the bottom.

Summary

There are a variety of creative ways to construct a chicken tractor. From the most basic of structures to an elegant chicken menagerie, there are designs here to suit every budget. Hopefully, we’ve helped you find the one to suit your unique needs, so you can get started building today!

You might also be interested in: 11 Free DIY Chicken Feeder Plans You Can Make Today

Featured Image Credit: reijotelaranta, Pixabay