Button Cages

ViciousAlice

In the Brooder
9 Years
Sep 16, 2010
55
0
39
Ok, I know a lot of people use the storage bins, and I fully intend to, but what I was trying to figure out is making a door on one side, so I don't have to open the top until I've removed all the buttons for cleaning/water change etc. Does anyone have any ideas they want to share with me. I've got a few my self, but its just so hard to decide.
 
maybe a slide door of some sort?
like a U shaped frame that the door slides into.

On my chicken coop I use a pet door with the hard plastic sliding lock door.

But I don't use storage bins for my buttons My neighbor who is a carpenter made a cage from 1x2's and door screening. He cut a grove with the tablesaw that the edge of the screen goes into.

so I have a solid bottom then the 4 sides are made of wood framed screens and the top as well.
 
Just cut a hole in the side and make a door out of hardware cloth. You can get all creative about it and make a wood frame for the door and all that, screws will go through the plastic so just put wood on the inside and the outside. It would certainly be easier to stack them if their doors were on the side, most my rubbermaid button pens started as chick brooders so all of them have the tops vented instead of the sides.

I plan on building a small shed outside for my buttons, I'm sick and tired of the dust! I'm looking for some small plastic boxes, hopefully at least 12" by 18" if possible. I'll put wire on the tops (if they don't have lids--looking at Dollar Tree and such so lids are probably NOT gonna happen), but also plan to put openings in the sides. Much easier than making wire cages, and easier to clean too
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I'll just need an empty one to transfer birds into so I can change their box out
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Here are some cages that I "Used" and am "Using."
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Here is what I kept my 1st pair in ... they aren't in this pen anymore.
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We then moved them to this pen ... they aren't in this one anymore either!
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I now use this one as a "Growing Out" pen for a small numbers of quail.
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47807_me_myself_is_28.jpg


I found an old rabbit cage, and I was going to throw it away .. but we then decided to experiment with it, we got some screwn wire and sewed ... yes you saw right "Sewed" it onto the cage, it works great! They can get a nice air flow and I can see them! We then cut holes in the wire and fitted the rabbit feeder and quail waterer to the cage. My grown pair are in this one.
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47807_quail_pens_101_2.jpg

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We had 2 dog cages that we weren't using so we also converted them in the same way ...

1.
47807_new_qausidldld.jpg


2.
47807_buddy_boo_lovlely_obd.jpg

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Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

Here are some cages that I "Used" and am "Using."
big_smile.png


Here is what I kept my 1st pair in ... they aren't in this pen anymore.
smile.png

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/47807_me_myself_is_29.jpg

We then moved them to this pen ... they aren't in this one anymore either!
wink.png
I now use this one as a "Growing Out" pen for a small numbers of quail.
smile.png

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/47807_me_myself_is_28.jpg

I found an old rabbit cage, and I was going to throw it away .. but we then decided to experiment with it, we got some screwn wire and sewed ... yes you saw right "Sewed" it onto the cage, it works great! They can get a nice air flow and I can see them! We then cut holes in the wire and fitted the rabbit feeder and quail waterer to the cage. My grown pair are in this one.
big_smile.png

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/47807_quail_pens_101_2.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/47807_quail_pens_101_3.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/47807_quail_pens_101_4.jpg



We had 2 dog cages that we weren't using so we also converted them in the same way ...

1.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/47807_new_qausidldld.jpg

2.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/47807_buddy_boo_lovlely_obd.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/47807_buddy_boo_lovlely_obd_2.jpg

The dog crate screened idea is great! I'm gonna have to hunt CL for wire dog crates now
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Quote:
The dog crate screened idea is great! I'm gonna have to hunt CL for wire dog crates now
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I am also trying to fix up an old shelf that I bought, it will have 6 pens ... I'm gonna need all the pens I can get! lol Got 11 babies in the brooder ...
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ANYWAY, back to the point - - - > we're going to screw wire cloth to the front, we drilled a sign to the back then we're going to have to get creative with the doors ...
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We actually just found a dresser with no drawers that I was thinking about turning into a set of cages. Here's a pic.

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Quote:
looks good but the 1 thing I really worry about is how easy is it to clean. I made cages out of a old metal shelf but it was really hard to clean so I moved to different cages.
 
We have a shop vac, I plan on putting vinyl or coroplast on the bottom and Ill put bedding down on top of it, when its time for cleaning I'll pull the birds out and just vac it out and wipe it down. the only thing im wondering about is the door. I'll probably do hardware cloth...
 

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