A chicken tractor/rotating garden bed design
I really like junk mail. It's the canvas for many of my best ideas. And more than a few stupid ones.
The other night I had a dream. In it, I designed the following system. There was a series of double-dug beds with step-stone paths in between them, and a chicken tractor that could be pulled from bed to bed for clean up and fertilization.
Here's what it looks like:
I did a better drawing with the main pathway fixed and the stepping stones in place... but I can't find it. So this is the quick one I sketched during a church dinner.
Give me your thoughts - I'd like to hear them.
Labels: biointensive, chicken tractor, gardening
posted by David The Good @ 7:00 AM
10 Comments
10 Comments:
It sounds like an idea I've been kicking around in my tiny little brain as well.
I am now gardening in an area that housed 8 chickens for over a year and I can tell you that your idea is excellent (I miss my girls).
Great idea. The only issue might be that the chickens will finish any foraging quickly and might be on a different schedule than you are ready to rotate your garden beds. I keep my chickens in a shaded area that is not conducive to gardening.
Yes, I keep mine in the shade now too. I think the key of a rotating system would be to have more beds than this, and also have a backup place to run them if needed. Bringing them all the food scraps and some forage on thinner garden beds might help, too.
If you do it, send pictures!
Part of me is so sick of chickens that I never want to see another one in my life. The other part of me likes omelets.
Sir this is how I garden. I use "the scorched earth policy" the chickens scratch down to bare earth then I love the tractor. Works pretty good.
Sir this is how I garden. I use "the scorched earth policy" the chickens scratch down to bare earth then I love the tractor. Works pretty good.
Sir this is how I garden. I use "the scorched earth policy" the chickens scratch down to bare earth then I love the tractor. Works pretty good.
I like the ergonomics. Wheel base wide enough to roll on either side of the bed, so you can just lift up an end, roll over the bed, and let it down.
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