What is your favorite dIY chicken/ duck hack?

Hudsonsgirl

Chirping
Jun 29, 2023
66
63
78
East Tennessee
I practically live on Pinterest scrolling all the duck and chicken stuff. 😍 I see really neat unconventional items being repurposed into nesting boxes, coops, dust baths, landscaping, etc.
We all as raptor owners need to be able to think outside the coop every whip stitch because let's face it buying from stores is soo expensive.
So what have y'all done in your coops, runs, feeders, playthings, landscapes, nesting areas? Did I miss anything? Haha.
I'd love to see photos of your DIY"s /repurposed items that have made life easier for you or made for happier flocks! Lets learn and inspire!
 
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My whole run was a DIY - but it cost me a pretty penny (hardware fabric topped the list of expenses). I did save on the coops by using cull lumber from Lowes though. I’ll get some pictures tomorrow (if you’d like to see it :) ).
 
Okay here’s some pictures (and a long post) :). I forgot to take them until this evening so the lighting isn’t really good.

  1. The run (we didn’t get around to putting the roof on yet so it’s covered by a tarp) - sorry for the junk lying all over 😕
  2. Walking into the run; I’m going to put down pea gravel in the hallway to cover the mud around the paving stones.
  3. The goose area: the house is made of cull lumber (siding) from Lowe’s; the bottom is lined with weed barrier fabric for easier cleaning. I took the roof off because the geese preferred sleeping in the house with out it. The hay rack was made out of scraps lying around.
  4. Closeup of the geese
  5. The duck and goose areas, separated by chicken wire
  6. The first chicken run; the house is made of cull lumber (plywood and blondewood). I didn’t get a picture of the nesting box yet
  7. The second chicken run, same as the other one
  8. The turkey run - they don’t get a house because they prefer seeing out at night
 

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Ooooo!! I love it! You have done so well on building! My dream coop would be wood framed with hardware cloth sides. Oh and an indoor nesting area. Do you have a pool for your ducks? I bought a plastic one from Walmart but they are so thin, not like the ones that were practically unbendable from when I was little. I'm thinking of getting a dog pool next spring for them.

Yeaterday I just dug a trench on one side of our coop to keep water from washing into the coop pen since we have an open air coop with a tarped roof. We will see what happens. Big storms headed this way tonight so fingers crossed.

By the way your birds are so stinkin' cute! Mine love the camera too. 🐔🦆
 
Thank you! Yes, I have two kiddie pools for the ducks and geese but I am looking to rent an excavator and dig them out a good sized one. We have a pond but there’s snappers in it…and besides, once the ducks get in there’s no getting them out 🙁 .
 
Oh, by the way, the tarp covering the run is useless. It just keeps them from getting dumped on. Last time it stormed the food got soaking wet and had to be thrown out, not to mention everyone got soaked.
 
This is not a duck or chicken project, but…it is my DIY rabbit playhouse made of scrap lumber lying around 🙂. (I shaded the background for privacy purposes)
 

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