Facilitators-Handbook-For-Permaculture

294 Facilitator’s Handbook for Permaculture Workshops

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Field activity : Build an animal tractor

Method : Practical construction activity

Tools : See preparations below

References : PC Book MOD 10 - Animal Systems

Objective : Participants design and construct a chicken tractor

This tractor can be used for chickens, ducks, or pigs, but you will need to adjust the size

of the tractor and the amount of materials needed accordingly.

For this exercise the facilitator should preferably have experience in constructing an

animal tractor or at least in using bamboo and bamboo constructing. Making an animal

tractor can be a fairly long process, especially as more than 1 tractor will have to be

made if it is a large group of participants and every participant is to be included in the

process.

Preparation

• Collect enough materials for making 1 animal tractor per 10 students.


• For a chicken tractor of 3m x 4m collect 4 large bamboo poles.


• Other materials needed will include:
  
  
  • Grasses, rattan, hammer, nails, string, wire, etc for binding the bamboo
    together.
  
  
  • Grass, coconut leaves, or plastic sheeting to attach as a roof for shade and
    protection from rain.
  
  
  • Old fishing nets to cover the tractor to prevent escapes or intrusions.
  
  
  
  


• Animals to put in the tractors (chickens, ducks or pigs).

Running this exercise

• With the whole group: Discuss the basic principles and techniques of animal
  tractor design including the best size and shape.


• Decide where the animal tractors will be used.


• Then ask the participants to divide into smaller workgroups - Each
  group can then construct their own animal tractor.


• Once the tractors are completed, the groups can put their animals into the
  tractors to trial and test the results.


• Suggest that the participants monitor and document the effects of using the
  tractors during the remainder of the workshop.

See PC Book MOD 6 – Home and Community Gardens, PC Book MOD 10 -

Animal Systems, and other exercises in this book for reference and ideas.