DIY Thread - Let's see your "Inventions".

[krazykat0373]

Hello all. I am new to the forum and new to chickens. Always lived in the country and don't know why I haven't had them before. My daughter has been pestering me so I finally broke down. After looking at several designs I sorta came up with my own. I have access to basically an endless supply of pallets so I figured I would use them(free) to keep the cost down. Here's some pics of my coop

I am not jealous at all!

OK so maybe I am! awesome!

 

[deserthomestead]

We have a cockerel who would not stay off the top of the waterer in the brooder and was always pooping in the water! My son came up with the idea to make a cone out of a piece of paper and taped it on top. He hasn't been up there since and our water is staying nice and clean! Also, for a brooder we got a nice thick watermelon box for free from the grocery store! It's perfect and super sturdy! They are going on 5 weeks and haven't escaped once.

how many chicks do you have in the watermelon box? This seems like a great idea.
I'm about to get 24 chicks, and the current plan is to make a giant pen in my dining room with a plywood base and plastic rectangular tables to make sides. The tables can fold to create square angles, so we can use one at first (folded in corner of room) to make a very small pen, then two of them later (not folded, perpendicular in corner of room) on to make a large pen.

Thank goodness I have a really big dining room...

 

[LittleBits]

Coop from the pallets is GREAT!! I love things that are FREE! I think I need to paint the outside of our coop. Might add a little classiness to it!

I do like the feed sack bags, too. So far, all my feed (a whole 2 bags!) has come in plain white sacks. Kind of crinkly plastic-type. Is this what this sack is made of?

Guess what I did yesterday!! I put together the poop board - sides and all. Filled with 40 lbs of PDZ. My, but those chickens are NOSY! Couldn't keep them out of the coop while I was working in that confined space. Are all chickens that way? I kept telling them they couldn't come in unless they needed to lay an egg, which several did, even with all the noise I was making!

Wonder if I should've lined the bottom with something wipe-able, like contact paper or linoleum? Maybe the poodoo won't get down that far? Anyone do this?

I'll take some pictures later and post them - it's still dark out here!

Thanks for all the awesome ideas. Signing off as, Me and My Lil' Hammer! lol

 

[Stumpy]

blakeh1, fantastic job on the pallet coop!

 

[blakeh1]

blakeh1, fantastic job on the pallet coop!

Thank you. Glad I found the forum I still have a lot to learn

 

[colburg]

Keep trying to post the pictures, because that sounds like a great waterer, and I'm not alone in being more of a "visual" learner.

Post #221

We went to the store to pick up a 3 or 5 gallon waterer a few weeks ago thinking they would be no more than $10 or so. WRONG!!! $40-$60 EACH. I told my wife I could make one. It doesn't hang, but it's really simple.

Start with a 5 gal bucket, drill a hole in the lid. I used 1" so the water hose would fit in.






Next, drill a hole on the side of the bucket, near the top. However far down this hole is from the top of the lid will be the water level in the waterer. I used a 3/32 bit, but probably shoulda used a 1/4" bit because I had to make it a bit bigger.


The bottom of a 30gal drum works good for the base. Don't throw the rest of the barrel away, turn it upside down and it becomes a nice trash barrel.


place the 5gal bucket upside down in the 30gal drum bottom. Mine is on top of a 2" tall brick to help keep debris out. When you turn it upside down, there is very little spillage because the holes a pretty small and you don't have to do it super quick like the 5 gallon drinking bottles on the fountains. You don't even have to be kinda quick.


The stuff on the 5gal bucket is just mud from filling it up. Not chicken poop.

Don't konw if this is an invention, but it's extra easy and costs about $0.

 

[LittleBits]

That sounds easy enough! Thanks for sharing.

 

[smccuen]

Post #221

We went to the store to pick up a 3 or 5 gallon waterer a few weeks ago thinking they would be no more than $10 or so. WRONG!!! $40-$60 EACH. I told my wife I could make one. It doesn't hang, but it's really simple.

Start with a 5 gal bucket, drill a hole in the lid. I used 1" so the water hose would fit in.






Next, drill a hole on the side of the bucket, near the top. However far down this hole is from the top of the lid will be the water level in the waterer. I used a 3/32 bit, but probably shoulda used a 1/4" bit because I had to make it a bit bigger.


The bottom of a 30gal drum works good for the base. Don't throw the rest of the barrel away, turn it upside down and it becomes a nice trash barrel.


place the 5gal bucket upside down in the 30gal drum bottom. Mine is on top of a 2" tall brick to help keep debris out. When you turn it upside down, there is very little spillage because the holes a pretty small and you don't have to do it super quick like the 5 gallon drinking bottles on the fountains. You don't even have to be kinda quick.


The stuff on the 5gal bucket is just mud from filling it up. Not chicken poop.

Don't konw if this is an invention, but it's extra easy and costs about $0.

there you go. nice job.

 

[mountainlover]

how many chicks do you have in the watermelon box? This seems like a great idea.

I have 7 but its big enough for more. I got it from sprouts but any store is worth calling to ask. I'm definitely keeping the box for next year, it's the thickest box I've ever seen. We laid a board across the top to hold the light. Only using a 100 watt bulb, not the heat lamp bulb, and they've all done fine, I've just raised it as they've grown.

 

[bentonchicks]

I just have to say...this is a cool thread! awesome ideas! I will post pics soon. Our coop/run is still under construction. My husband did turn his old LEGO box into out feeder and a pallet into a coop. But then he started using the supplies meant for my camper to build a run, but that's okay cause it's going to be great!