A-frame chicken tractor plans: sizes for 2 to 7 hens

How long an A-frame chicken tractor has to be for your flock and what the 10 ft tractor for 5 hens takes to build, calculated by the engine behind CoopCut plans.

Tractor size by flock

An A-frame tractor is a coop loft and a run in one frame, 5 ft 6 in wide and 5 ft 6 in tall, that you move to fresh grass every day. CoopCut makes it 8, 10 or 12 ft long, whichever is the shortest that gives your flock the coop floor and run space of the extension rules. Mild climate:

Flock	Tractor	Coop loft	Run under it	Lumber	Plywood	Hardware cloth
2 bantams	8 ft x 5.5 ft	4' x 3' 6 7/8"	40.7 sq ft	16 boards	3 sheets	39 ft
3 bantams	8 ft x 5.5 ft	4' x 3' 6 7/8"	40.7 sq ft	16 boards	3 sheets	39 ft
4 bantams	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	48 ft
5 bantams	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	48 ft
6 bantams	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	48 ft
7 bantams	12 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	61.7 sq ft	19 boards	5 sheets	61 ft
2 standard hens	8 ft x 5.5 ft	4' x 3' 6 7/8"	40.7 sq ft	16 boards	3 sheets	37 ft
3 standard hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft
4 standard hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft
5 standard hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft
6 standard hens	12 ft x 5.5 ft	8' x 3' 6 7/8"	61.7 sq ft	20 boards	5 sheets	50 ft
2 large hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft
3 large hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft
4 large hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft

In a cold-winter climate each bird gets 1 sq ft more coop floor, so some flocks need the next length up:

Flock	Tractor	Coop loft	Run under it	Lumber	Plywood	Hardware cloth
2 bantams	8 ft x 5.5 ft	4' x 3' 6 7/8"	40.7 sq ft	16 boards	3 sheets	39 ft
3 bantams	8 ft x 5.5 ft	4' x 3' 6 7/8"	40.7 sq ft	16 boards	3 sheets	39 ft
4 bantams	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	48 ft
5 bantams	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	48 ft
6 bantams	12 ft x 5.5 ft	8' x 3' 6 7/8"	61.7 sq ft	20 boards	5 sheets	53 ft
7 bantams	12 ft x 5.5 ft	8' x 3' 6 7/8"	61.7 sq ft	20 boards	5 sheets	53 ft
2 standard hens	8 ft x 5.5 ft	4' x 3' 6 7/8"	40.7 sq ft	16 boards	3 sheets	37 ft
3 standard hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft
4 standard hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft
5 standard hens	12 ft x 5.5 ft	8' x 3' 6 7/8"	61.7 sq ft	20 boards	5 sheets	50 ft
2 large hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft
3 large hens	10 ft x 5.5 ft	6' x 3' 6 7/8"	51.2 sq ft	18 boards	5 sheets	46 ft
4 large hens	12 ft x 5.5 ft	8' x 3' 6 7/8"	61.7 sq ft	20 boards	5 sheets	50 ft

How many hens fit

At most 7 bantams, 6 standard hens (5 in a cold-winter climate) or 4 large hens. For more birds the form will not make a tractor plan; pick the lean-to or the walk-in coop instead.

The 10 ft tractor for 5 standard hens

End elevation of the A-frame chicken tractor for 5 standard hens: plywood coop end with a vent at the peak, hardware cloth below the loft, the loft floor 20 in up, wheels on both sides, 5 ft 6 in wide and tall — End elevation: the coop end in plywood, hardware cloth under the loft, wheels on both sides.

Side elevation of the 10 ft A-frame tractor: the plywood-covered coop loft over part of the length, hardware cloth over the rest, the hinged access side and handles — Side elevation of the access side.

Size: 10' x 5' 6", 5' 6" tall; coop loft 6' x 3' 6 7/8" (21.4 sq ft), 20" off the ground.
Run under and beside the loft: 51.2 sq ft.
2 nest boxes, 12 x 12 in, and 3.7 ft of roost; a hatch and ramp down to the run.

Rule	5 standard hens need	This tractor gives
Coop floor	4 sq ft x 5 = 20 sq ft	21.4 sq ft
Run	10 sq ft x 5 = 50 sq ft	51.2 sq ft
Roost length	8 in x 5 = 40 in	45 in (1 x 44 1/2")
Roost height	top of bar about 20 in	20" above the floor
Nest boxes	1 per 4 hens = 2	2, 12 x 12 in
Vents (always open)	309 sq in (1 per 10 of floor)	508 sq in
Pop door	12 x 14 in	12" x 14"

Materials and framing

Material	Buy
2x4 pressure-treated	2 x 10 ft, 1 x 12 ft
2x4	1 x 8 ft, 1 x 10 ft
2x3	3 x 8 ft, 6 x 10 ft, 4 x 12 ft
1/2" exterior plywood (4 x 8 ft)	5 sheets
1/2 in hardware cloth, 48 in wide	46 ft

A-frame cross-section of the tractor: two rafters meeting at the ridge, the loft joist across them, the base rail and the cut angles — Every rafter pair is cut the same; pairs under the loft get a loft joist, pairs over the run a collar tie.

Build order in the plan, 10 steps:

Cut the parts
Base
Raise the A-frames
Loft floor and ties
End wall and partition
Sides
Nests, roost, hatch
Run end door and mesh
Wheels, handles, paint
Use

The full plan for this tractor is 10 pages: every piece with its length and angle, the cut list, plywood cutting diagrams, the shopping list (wheels, handles, hinges, latches) and the steps in detail.

Size a tractor for your flock: the drawing, size and lumber count are free; the full plan is $29.99.

Before you build

A CoopCut plan is guidance for a backyard hobby building, not an engineered or stamped drawing.
Check your local building code, zoning, setbacks, permit and HOA rules before you build.
A tractor is not built to carry snow: park it in a sheltered spot for the winter and give the hens a bigger shelter in deep cold.
Lumber is listed at actual size; measure your own boards and plywood before you cut.

Get a tractor plan sized for your hens

See my coop free

Questions

How many chickens fit in an A-frame chicken tractor?

CoopCut's A-frame tractor takes at most 7 bantams, 6 standard hens (5 in a cold-winter climate) or 4 large hens. For bigger flocks a walk-in coop with a run gives them the space the extension rules ask for.

How long should a chicken tractor be for 4 hens?

For 4 standard hens in a mild climate CoopCut makes it 10 ft x 5.5 ft: a 6' x 3' 6 7/8" coop loft and 51.2 sq ft of run. 4 large hens get the same length.

Can I use a chicken tractor in winter?

It is not built to carry snow. Park it in a sheltered spot, brush snow off, and in deep cold give the hens a bigger shelter.

How much hardware cloth does a chicken tractor need?

Between 37 and 61 ft of 48 in wide 1/2 in hardware cloth, depending on the length; the 10 ft tractor for 5 standard hens takes 46 ft.