For Immediate Release:

Storm Damage Quickly Repaired

Nov. 2011 -- Geraldine called the other day to say her Happy Chicken Tractor took a direct hit from a large pine branch that snapped off and fell during our New England November "snowstorm of the century." The ridgepole was bent almost to the ground by the large limb.

She is in the neighborhood so we went over to check out the damage. Thankfully, no chickens were in the tractor when the limb came down. So we removed the ridgepole and the top two corner brackets. They pop right out. We replaced the ridgepole and brackets in a few minutes and the chicken tractor is as good as new and ready for the birds. Problem solved.

The Benefits of Frequent Napping

The Boss - (Our Chief Grumpy Guy) was in the corner office of our executive coop holding a high-level meeting (taking a nap). "Get in here," he roared suddenly, wiping the sleep from his eyes. The guys in the white lab coats (research department) jumped up from their pizza with a start.

"What is it sir? Shall we call 911? Is there an emergency?" "No, the Boss shouted. Get Traci on the line at MyPetChicken. Call Paul at Eggcartons.com."

"A conference call? What will he think of next," they muttered. "Get your pens. Get your napkins. Write this down," the Boss said.

(Apparently the gerbils in the Boss' head run faster when he is in high-level meetings, because here is what the Boss said.)

"The World needs a better waterer. Something that doesn't take up much space, can't be messed by chickens. Is easy to refill. Doesn't cost a lot (he's big on that one). "OK, OK the lab guys replied. We'll get right on it, sir! We'll start tomorrow."

"Never mind. Here it is. We are going into production! NOW!" the boss said. "No more tin cans, no more water dishes. No more ridiculously high prices. OUR NEW WATERER mounts right on the chicken wire or netting. It never touches the ground. It holds five quarts of water. If the coop is moveable (See Happy Chicken Tractor), it moves right along with it. Wont foul, won't tip over. It has a sippy cup that fills itself. Sell it for $29.95 (We've bought dirt that cost more) and tell UPS we won't pay more than $5 for shipping ($10 to the West Coast). Why should people have to take out a loan just to raise a few chickens? Get on it! Take Pictures. Get it on the web site! Call Luigi! Order me a Stromboli with everything. Now get out of here. I have to get back to my meeting."

Ringing in the New Year With a New Door

PETERSHAM, MA (February 12, 2011) - Ding dong! Melt the Snow, it's got to go!  OK, we shoveled the roofs, plowed the driveway and WE ARE DONE. Punxatawney Phil is no Spring Chicken, but he predicts an early spring. It can't come soon enough for the Boss.

"So," the Boss said, "What's the deal with the door? Are we done yet?" The guys from the lab looked at each other. "Yessir. We got it covered, sir. The new doors are made of wood. They have hinges and a lock. The door clamps right into the netting and locks securely. Easy in and easy out," they said. "Next, we are headed down the highway to pick up a roll of the new netting. It's PCV coated chicken wire to make sure that predators cannot chew through it. We're good."

The netting should let us cut the end panels a lot straighter. There are no sharp edges. The manufacturer says the netting will last for a long time. All good!

The Scoop on Our New Coops

PETERSHAM, MA (Fall 2010) -  Boss finally put his foot down on the men in the little white coats at the design lab. "No more Pizza," he said. No more ice cream. You guys are Shut Off."  Oh my. Not a pretty sight.

It has been a Rocky Road on the way to our new coop(s). But the work is done, the design is ready.

Our new Coop da Villa is a flat-top chicken tractor with a shade cover and a perch. It comes in two handy sizes, Four and eight feet long and both are four feet wide. Like our others, it assembles without tools. It's made of the same sturdy materials as our other models and it is light enough for a five year old to move around the yard while holding an ice cream cone in one hand. It has 10-inch wheels.  

LCF Launches PTD Laboratory (Product Testing and Development)

PETERSHAM, MA (July 2010)- The big boss peep was in the middle of an executive level meeting (taking his nap), when the engineering research staff (guys in the white coats) burst in.

They said we had to create a new department, top level, at the factory. "We have been thinking. LCF needs a secure testing and development facility," they said. "We want to try out our new ideas, test new products. This industry needs standards. People need someone to talk to, a place to send their ideas. Product testing has worked so well for Toyota and Ford, for the pharmaceutical industry. Why should chicken products be left behind?" they asked.

So the boss agreed to set up a highly-secure facility in an undisclosed location in the low hills of central Massachusetts and the Little Chicken Factory Product Development and Testing Lab (LCFPDTL) was born. They have actual chickens and ducks on site. "LCFPDTL could be a household word by mid year," said the geeks. "It's already August," said the boss.

LCF staff is encouraged to ride their bicycles and/or walk to the new (environmentally friendly) facility. They do have to go directly past Lazy Mary's Pizza to get there, so burning a few calories along the way is probably a good idea. The labs will accept e-mail at labs@thelittlechickenfactory.com from people who want us to evaluate their ideas. When we come up with a good one, we may decide to make it and sell it. "At least this might keep these guys out of my office," the boss said

Chicken Factory to Support Our Coops

PETERSHAM, MA (June 2009) --  The big boss peep, the engineering research staff, back office staff and various other hangers on around the Little Chicken Factory got to talking  the other day (about chickens, what else?) and decided we should *Support Our Coops*.

Coop groups and coop tours are springing up all over the place. About 60 people in Northampton MA the other night came to see a showing of the Mad City Chickens documentary. We'd like to help, so if you are ordering our standard Sonny unit, include the name of your chicken group and some contact information. We'll take $25 off the retail price for you and send $10 to your chicken coop group. Or you can pay the regular price and just name that group (or any other good cause) and we'll send  the whole $35 in your name. Maybe they can use the unrestricted gifts for refreshments, to help with odds and ends or to help pay for a screening. Your donation could support the work of The Farm School, The Barre (MA) Food Bank, the Rex Foundation The Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) or any other charity of your choice.

Drop us a line at birdman@chicktrac.com for more information or to order one of our chicken tractors.

Chicken Tractor Gets Electric Predator Protection

PETERSHAM, MA (July 2008) -- Tully MicroPack, a very small, family-owned Massachusetts company, announced it has electrified the perimeter protection to its chicken  tractor product for added protection against predators.

"We mounted a compact electric fence charger and perimeter defense wire to the Chicken  tractor. Any critter that comes near is going to get a snoot full of juice. That includes the neighbor's dogs," the boys in the lab cackled. "We send the instructions and let the customer supply the charger locally. We can send along the charger for a small extra charge," the boss said.

"The electric fencing charger and battery roll right along with the chicken tractor," the boys said. "It protects all four sides and the hot wire is connected in such a way as to allow easy access to the Chicken  tractor door when needed. Electric protection is offered as a plus-cost option, for just  $89.95. Order Your Chicken Tractor Today

Chicken Tractor Shows at Farmers' Markets

PETERSHAM, MA (May 2008) -- Tully MicroPack, a small, family-owned Massachusetts company, is showing its Happy Chicken tractor at Farmers' Markets in Central Massachusetts this spring. Happy Orpingtons and Arucana visited with us at the Hardwick Farmers' Market on May 23. Visitors asked lots of questions about how we get all that netting and aluminum into a shipping tube. (Trade secret devised by the boys in the coop (engineering lab). Purchase one today through the web site or call 978-724-6662 and we'll talk. We exhibited at the New England Poultry Congress at the Big E in West Springfield in January 2010.

See the real deal at www.chicktrac.com

Chicken Tractor Adds a Double Door to Product Lines

PETERSHAM, MA (April 2008) -- Tully MicroPack, a small, family-owned Massachusetts company, announced you can now add a double door to its Chicken  tractor product line. Both Sonny and the larger Mom models allow safely free ranging chickens and the ability to move them easily around the yard.

"Those birds in the coop (engineering research laboratory) insisted on it," the boss squawk said. "They figure you ought to be able to put birds and feeders in and take stuff out. We finally gave in and let them go ahead and engineer a doorway to the Chicken  tractor. We were resisting a little bit because we are totally dedicated to the idea of a completely "no tools" assembly. We got there with zip ties." Still, no tools required.

"Those guys out in the coop (engineering research laboratory) just wouldn't shut up about this issue. They were pecking at their lab coats, so we gave in," he said. Besides, he said, some customers might think a door is a handy thing to have in a chicken tractor. The double door closes over itself to provide an extra layer of protection for the birds inside. When it is open, it forms two sides of a short, enclosed walkway to help guide the chickens back into their coop at night.

Chicken Tractor Adds Optional "PredatorSkirt" to Product Lines

PETERSHAM, MA (April 2008) -- Tully MicroPack, a small, family-owned Massachusetts company, announced  you can add extra protection from predators to its Chicken Tractor product line. Both Sonny and the larger Mom models allow safely free ranging chickens and the ability to move them easily around the yard.

"Those birds in the coop (engineering research laboratory) insisted on it," the boss squawk said. "They figure you ought to be able to prevent foxes and such from burrowing under the Chicken  tractor by adding a foot of rigid netting all around the outside of the enclosure, flat on the ground. The skirt is attached to the bottom rail and moves along with the rest of the structure. We sell the skirt as an option, but the flock owner can easily provide the same protection by buying a small roll of 12-inch wire netting from the Garden Feed store and save a bit of money. Lay out the wire flat on the ground and attach with cable ties. Still, no tools required.

"Those guys out in the coop (engineering research laboratory) just wouldn't shut up about this issue. They were pecking at their lab coats again, so we gave in," he said. "It's all about listening to suggestions from our customers and coming up with simple but innovative solutions."

Chicken Tractor Launches First Products

PETERSHAM, MA (April 2008) -- Tully MicroPack, a small, family-owned Massachusetts company, announced its first products this month.

The Happy Chicken  tractor from Our Little Chicken Factory (TM) is a light-weight, portable structure for poultry that can easily be moved around the yard to allow protected free ranging for small backyard flocks. The open-bottomed structure allows small flocks to feed and fertilize in selected areas of a yard. It can be moved frequently and easily and affords birds protection from predators.

The wheeled structure snaps together in minutes without tools,. The Happy Chicken  tractor can be taken apart for storage. Priced at $349.95, the basic six-foot long unit is also designed to be quickly and easily extended to 12 or even 18 feet in length to accommodate more birds. The unit can be converted to a growing tunnel by changing the covering from chicken wire to plastic sheeting. The Happy Chicken  tractor is sold on-line, in on-line catalogs and in farm and feed stores. The company offers discounts and special pricing to groups working in poverty areas around the world.

For more information, please The Little Chicken Factory at 978-724-6662 or send an e-mail to birdman@chicktrac.com

Now THIS is just a little over the top

Tully MicroPack, P.O. Box 854, Petersham, MA 01366 – E-mail the Factory - 978-724-6662  
Call directly for order details, we'd love to chat. Send us photos of your flock if you like.

Some of the goats. There are lots more now.

Sic transit gloria mundi.
Six Cookies, Glorious Monday