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

[Greg M]

Can you elaborate on the comment about check-out machine receipts often contain BPA?

Are you talking about cash register receipts? And what is BPA?

I ask because I used some shredded paper this past week in the coop. I know that some of the hens pick at it and eat it. I had one of the hens dead yesterday.........it was really cold and windy, but the other 5 seemed fine. I'm wondering about the shredded paper now. I know there were receipts in it that I shredded.

Thanks

 

[hennible]

Yes, it can be composted very easy and it composts fast.  BUT, (this was over a year ago with the paper) you have to change it OFTEN!!  The shredded paper gets really matted, yukky and wet, unlike pine shavings or hay.  I use pine shavings now,  But if you don't mind changing the paper often, it works great.  I also had a problem with my chickens EATING the paper . . .  seemed they liked the taste pretty well....

Yeah the ducks try to eat it to...
Bisphenol A (BPA)
BPA exhibits hormone-like properties that raise concern about its suitability in some consumer products and food containers.

 

[bruceha2000]

Can you elaborate on the comment about check-out machine receipts often contain BPA?

Are you talking about cash register receipts? And what is BPA?

I ask because I used some shredded paper this past week in the coop. I know that some of the hens pick at it and eat it. I had one of the hens dead yesterday.........it was really cold and windy, but the other 5 seemed fine. I'm wondering about the shredded paper now. I know there were receipts in it that I shredded.

Thanks

Sorry to hear you lost a chicken, never a fun thing. If it died in relation to eating the shredded paper, it wasn't BPA that killed her. It isn't anything like a fast acting poison. Its the plastic that is now no longer put in bottles that babies drink from IN CASE it can cause health problems after long term exposure.

 

[taamator]

hello folks
I used shredded paper since my girls were little chicks I still have all 6 of them I cant have hay or straw since I have really bad allergies and plus when you put the paper and chicken poo in your compost pile you have your brown and nitrogen in one time

 

[Czarben]

I used shredded paperboard (cereal box type stuff) in my brooder and it worked wonderfully. I plan on using it in my nest boxes (they're not laying yet) and I may try mixing some in with the pine shavings in the coop (to stretch them a little further).

 

[perchie.girl]

I used shredded paperboard (cereal box type stuff) in my brooder and it worked wonderfully. I plan on using it in my nest boxes (they're not laying yet) and I may try mixing some in with the pine shavings in the coop (to stretch them a little further).

Love the ingenuity...

But I am doing my next brooder without paper without shavings without bedding at all... They are going on wire.... With a poop hammock underneat. of course there will be a bedding area but only for sleeping or warming area.

I am tired of cleaning up spilled water bedding or having the feed sooo mixed in that I am afraid the chicks will eat the wrong stuff.

So my next brooder will be wire with a warming area and the feed and water will be external to the brooder... but accessible by the chiks or Keets... (my last experience was with Guinea Keets). No more catastrauphic failure because someone kicked a little bedding into the water and have it wick a whole gallon into the bedding... Whew.

Your experience is different than mine .... now I have issues....

deb

 

[taamator]

Love the ingenuity...

But I am doing my next brooder without paper without shavings without bedding at all... They are going on wire.... With a poop hammock underneat. of course there will be a bedding area but only for sleeping or warming area.

I am tired of cleaning up spilled water bedding or having the feed sooo mixed in that I am afraid the chicks will eat the wrong stuff.

So my next brooder will be wire with a warming area and the feed and water will be external to the brooder... but accessible by the chiks or Keets... (my last experience was with Guinea Keets). No more catastrauphic failure because someone kicked a little bedding into the water and have it wick a whole gallon into the bedding... Whew.

Your experience is different than mine .... now I have issues....

deb

how do you have your watering set up I don't have that mess only when I make it when I change their water and for my feed I have some 4 inch sewer pipe with caps 1 90 and 1 22 I have them at five feet tall 2 of them hold a 20lb bag of feed I have no mess were they eat there is a pic in my profile showing them

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I havent built it yet.... But take a look at the feed store setups for chicks where the water and feed is on the outside of the brooder box.... the water and feed are completely accessible from the outside to fill and maintain... Yet the chicks can acces throug bars or wires that keep them trom "Getting into it all"... But I want to take it a little further all feed areas have wire under them so when chickletts get messy it just goes down to a tray or hammock... No chick feet getting wet. Same goes for the feed.

So picutre this.... How I want to do it... Feed and water go into Rain gutter as a trough.... or even a regular feeder designed to hang on a wall.... but the chicks cant get into it.

Sorry I am not making sense.... Its late here and I need to go to bed.

deb

 

[Amberjem]

I havent built it yet.... But take a look at the feed store setups for chicks where the water and feed is on the outside of the brooder box.... the water and feed are completely accessible from the outside to fill and maintain... Yet the chicks can acces throug bars or wires that keep them trom "Getting into it all"... But I want to take it a little further all feed areas have wire under them so when chickletts get messy it just goes down to a tray or hammock... No chick feet getting wet. Same goes for the feed.

So picutre this.... How I want to do it... Feed and water go into Rain gutter as a trough.... or even a regular feeder designed to hang on a wall.... but the chicks cant get into it.

Sorry I am not making sense.... Its late here and I need to go to bed.

deb

I'd been thinking bout some kind of mini chicken nipple system hosed inside the brooder box.. I hadnt had too much issue with the feed in the brooder just the water getting swamped with shavings...the lil devils sure like to scratch that shavings around

 

[angelfishfan]

I would want something that doesn't soak up water, that would be a bad thing in the winter if it did.

Ive noticed many people repurpose their old feed bags to make the hammock. Doesnt soak up water, easy to dump poo, etc