This tutorial shows how to make a chicken tractor safer from predators like raccoons, foxes, and possums. I used hardware cloth to make a skirt around the bottom of my mobile coop to keep my chickens safe.
Just building my first tractor this weekend. 10x10 out of pvc schedule 40. Very light. Have been thinking about digging predators a lot. Lost two birds to a fox when they went too close to a slough at the bottom of our hilly property. Going to try the wire skirt. Mu dad suggested covering the entire bottom but will first try the skirt.
I built an A-frame tractor similar to this. But I just used it on concrete until I had an actual chicken pen/coop built for them. But I would like to use the tractor different places---only it is so easy for predators to find a dip in the property and get into the tractor. The main one I worry about as they would only be in the tractor for so many hours during the day is snakes. I do have the apron around the chicken pen as well as the deer netting that snakes get hung up in. Just didn't know if that would work on a portable coop. You are the only video I found that dealt with preventing predators from entering a portable coop. So I think I will go ahead and attach an apron and the deer netting on the portable also and pray that works. Jesus bless. PS Your husband is strong....he was basically picking up how much lumber and pipe and wire all at one time. Awesome!!
I’ll make an updated video soon! I had the same issue, and I had to come up with another solution. I used wire to weave through through the mesh and essentially tie the hardware cloth to the lumber. I’ll make a video showing the detail.
Awesome! Looking forward to it. My fix is using carabiners (clips) to have the hardware “skirt” held up and when I’m done, unclip and lay 4x4 lumber onto.
