Chicken Food Tower

[N F C]

@Phaedra Geiermann your thread has made it on to the Home Page!

I hope at some point you'll write up how you made the towers for an article.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

@Phaedra Geiermann your thread has made it on to the Home Page!

View attachment 2776285

I hope at some point you'll write up how you made the towers for an article.

Thanks, i am doing it already, I will make it into two parts - food towers for chickens and food towers for vegetable patch

 

[RoyalChick]

This is a fantastic idea - @BY Bob, @Aussie-Chookmum, @CrazyChookChookLady, @Ribh this has now moved to the home page - I thought you guys might be interested - I think I am going to give it a go.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

That hardware cloth has like 2 or inch squares, which might be a bit big for some folks, the dirt falls thru too quick. This idea would also work great using chicken wire, smaller holes, hold the stuff in better that is smaller stuff. Just saying
Aaron

Yes, the current square is a bit big (I just realized that another towers in the other run have even bigger squares ), chicken wire can be covered outside for avoiding the dirt falls through quickly in the beginning, but it can't be used as the major structure, too soft to hold the overall weight.

After 1~2 weeks, it will sink but no longer many dirt fall. With the growing of the plants, the tower itself will become more and more stable (and compacted) due the developping roots.

 

[N F C]

Thanks, i am doing it already, I will make it into two parts - food towers for chickens and food towers for vegetable patch

Excellent, looking forward to seeing it!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I am loving this thread!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I am sooooo doing this come fall! Great forward thinking and giving your ladies some fun!

 

[BReeder!]

Interesting concept. It certainly is a neat idea.

I read through several pages. The only thing I seen that draws concern is the use of potato leaves and stems. These are toxic to chickens. While the added green material is not necessarily meant to be the food source (clearly the seeds you are planting are meant to grow into the food source) it's very possible chickens will eat the green matter you add that they can reach.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

Interesting concept. It certainly is a neat idea.

I read through several pages. The only thing I seen that draws concern is the use of potato leaves and stems. These are toxic to chickens. While the added green material is not necessarily meant to be the food source (clearly the seeds you are planting are meant to grow into the food source) it's very possible chickens will eat the green matter you add that they can reach.

Very true, potato leaves can be fully avoided.

The reason I used them is just because I harvested some near this area and the moisture in the leaves and stems is very nice to add into the compost (as the open structure is more difficult to hold the moist). I know green material doesn't need to be food source Besides, during the free foraging time, my hens do not touch any nightshade family plants, this is also part of the why.

However, I fully agree that normal compost pile is a much better place for potato leaves and stems.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

Yes, the current square is a bit big (I just realized that another towers in the other run have even bigger squares ), chicken wire can be covered outside for avoiding the dirt falls through quickly in the beginning, but it can't be used as the major structure, too soft to hold the overall weight.

After 1~2 weeks, it will sink but no longer many dirt fall. With the growing of the plants, the tower itself will become more and more stable (and compacted) due the developping roots.

Just thought about another reason to keep the hardware cloth as the way it is, not adding further chicken wire to narrow the gaps ---

Only the first time we can add seeds freely, after the tower is built, it will not be easy to plant anything vertically when the growing season comes again. Keeping the original space will ensure we can keep planting vertically with inserting the seed bombs (soil+seed+water).