Question 1

What is a chicken tractor?

Accepted Answer

A chicken tractor is a mobile coop (or pen) that lets you move your flock to fresh pasture regularly. The name comes from the idea that chickens 'work' the land as they go: scratching, foraging and fertilising as they move. Moving the coop every day or few days lets each patch of ground recover before the birds return. Tinkera's Meat Chicken Tractor is the traditional bottomless design — it sits directly on the pasture so birds have direct grass access, with a front-mounted electric winch for easy daily moves. The Chicken Trailers work on the same rotational principle but are fully enclosed mobile coops on wheels, suited to laying hens from 50 to 1150 birds.

Question 2

What is a rollaway nesting box and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

A rollaway nesting box is a laying system where, once a hen lays an egg, it gently rolls away from the nest into a separate collection area — away from the hens. This keeps eggs clean, reduces breakage and makes collection faster. All Tinkera nesting boxes use a rollaway system. The CT50 and CT100 have individual rollaway trays; the CT250 through CT850 commercial models feature a central collection aisle with a 500mm-wide conveyor belt.

Question 3

What's the difference between a chicken trailer and a meat chicken tractor?

Accepted Answer

Chicken Trailers are fully enclosed, wheeled mobile coops for laying hens. They're designed for long-term housing — the flock lives in them, and they move periodically for pasture rotation. They can include nesting boxes, automatic doors, solar-powered controllers and feeding and watering systems, ranging from the CT50 to the CT1150. The Meat Chicken Tractor is a bottomless mobile pen for meat breeds, not layers. It sits directly on pasture for constant grass access (with an inbuilt raised level for when the ground is muddy) and is moved daily using a front-mounted electric winch. It holds 60-80 birds and is designed for the shorter production cycle of meat chickens.

Question 4

Why is pasture rotation important for poultry?

Accepted Answer

Moving your flock to fresh pasture regularly — rather than keeping them in one fixed area — gives the land time to recover between visits. As the birds forage, they fertilise the soil and break up surface compaction. The rotation prevents bare, overgrazed patches and reduces the parasite load in the flock, since larvae on the ground die off before the birds return. Done consistently, rotational grazing builds healthier soil over time, produces better-quality eggs from birds with access to fresh forage, and reduces the need for chemical inputs. It's one of the core principles behind regenerative poultry farming, and the reason mobile coops exist.

Question 5

How does mobile poultry equipment support regenerative farming?

Accepted Answer

It makes rotation practical. You can't easily rotate a fixed coop. Mobile coops — whether a Chicken Trailer on wheels or a Meat Chicken Tractor — let you move the flock as often as needed without the labour of dismantling and rebuilding temporary housing. Tinkera's equipment is designed around this idea. The trailers are built to move regularly. The winch on the Meat Chicken Tractor makes daily moves a one-person job. The Feeder Trailers and IBC Water Trailers move with the flock so the whole system relocates together — minimal labour, consistent results.

Question 6

Do Tinkera products come assembled or flatpack?

Accepted Answer

Most products are supplied flatpack for assembly on-site. Galvanised steel components arrive cut, bent and ready to bolt together — no welding required. For customers in New Zealand, products ship flatpack from Australia and are assembled by Tinkera's local NZ contact. Get in touch via hello@tinkera.com.au to discuss NZ delivery and assembly lead times.

Question 7

Do you ship to New Zealand?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Products ship flatpack from Australia to New Zealand, where they're assembled by Tinkera's local NZ contact. You get Australian-made equipment, built and ready to use, without the complexity of shipping a fully assembled trailer. Get in touch at hello@tinkera.com.au to discuss your requirements and lead times.

Question 8

Where are Tinkera products made?

Accepted Answer

Tinkera products are designed and built in Australia. The business is based in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, and all equipment is engineered and fabricated here before shipping to customers across Australia and New Zealand.

Question 9

How do I get a quote or place an order?

Accepted Answer

Use the contact form on the website or email hello@tinkera.com.au. Oliver and the team reply personally — usually within a business day — to discuss your setup, confirm the right product and work through pricing.

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