The Food Forest

19.8.2012 | We have a new eggmobile!

chicken tractorWe are justifiably proud of our elegant eggmobile made from an old, rusting car trailer and pieces of unwanted colourbond and ridge capping. Also satisfying the Permaculture principle of ‘no waste’, chooks are delighted to contribute to the property’s sustainability as they busily eat insect pests and convert the freshly mown sweet corn patch into a fully fertilised seed bed, and lay eggs as a bonus!!!

Inside the coop is an ingenious device, a 'Grandpas' feeder', giving the hens access to wheat only when they hop onto the plate at the front of the feeder; their weight opens the lid of the feeder and when they'’ve had a feed and returned to foraging in the garden the lid closes, denying access to the feed by rats, mice and sparrows.

 

grandpas feederA watering system is on-board and the whole coop is secure from foxes when the trapdoors are closed at night. Outside access to the nesting boxes is another luxury feature of the WWOOFER-built chookommadation and means that no unnecessary energy is expended in collecting the eggs.

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