Dixie Chicks

[Amberjem]

lol... sometimes what the kids don't know... is more fun for you...

hahaha

 

[CanuckBock]

I've seen five gallon buckets sideways with the top on cut so their is a few inches on bottom to keep the bedding in.

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Rick's invention.

Mr. Higgins' Pail Nest for Chooks​

Wash the five gal pail out really well and remove the handle.

Nest works for both bantams and standards​

Materials are five gallon pail & wood scraps. Use the wood you find strapped to roof metal when they deliver it (1x4) and some shorts of 2x4's. Tools are jig saw to round corners of wood plate and drill to attach dry wall screws to wood.

In tighter spaces, you can cut the pail down to make it shorter for bantams
- Setty hen equipment;
Waterer, feeder, grit and nest with heat lamp double secured up high on exercise pen panels​

We had all the youth in the Exhibition Poultry Club doing this project.

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The blackness inside the pail is great to encourage the hens to use them. So cheap to make and easy, if it gets dirty, you can even toss the and make more!

These pail nests of Rick's are perfection!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[vehve]

If you have a bucket with a bit of a lip you could even skip the side supports, just predrill three holes in the lip and attach to the front plate piece, it will stabilize it and you'll save a couple feet of wood. Or, if you have buckets with lids, you can cut the entrance in the bottom of the bucket and attach it to the stabilizer, and mount several of those in a row somewhere, with the lid functioning as a collection hatch.

 

[BriardChickens]

Lol... Probably be like icelandics
I'm due June 1st. Nah you'll find a balance, the bulk of my animals came as we started our family, and the big garden and greenhouse... Might have been easier had I started my 'farm' first...

Just saying, June 3rd is probably the best day to be born on...

I have a lot of cousin's /uncles/aunts and other family out west , BC to the coast of Vancouver , most I would walk past without acknowledging them , but as much as it would be great to move there ( hate winter personally ) the price of property is as good as out of reach for most , not sure what property prices are away from the over populated areas ? but I'd move there in a heart beat , wife wouldn't so it might be a win win ?? ....lol......I would never tire of the scenery

I love the scenery out there... so pretty, but then anything is prettier then here. As for property prices, depends on how far out you want to go. Keep in mind prices have come down in recent years. We found some nice properties for reasonable prices when we looked. mls.ca is a wonderful tool!

hahahaha I've reined in my chicken craze, I will do a couple pure breds in a few weeks...but otherwise I have eggs coming out my ears, a couple egg customers one just moved so back to eggs galore lol...course I'm like the egg fairy dropping off eggs to the local food bank, or the soup kitchen, neighbors, family friends lol

I wish!! Everybody is free loading here, I can't wait to get them into warmer weather. On the other hand, I think they only have 10 hours of light. Half of the flock is now 2, so I am ok with them not laying this winter.

​

Rick's invention.

Mr. Higgins' Pail Nest for Chooks​

Wash the five gal pail out really well and remove the handle.

​

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Brilliant! I have some big blue barrels sitting around my property and will be turning them each into 4 similar houses soon...aaaah to have "spare" time that everyone seems to be talking about

 

[CanuckBock]

If you have a bucket with a bit of a lip you could even skip the side supports, just predrill three holes in the lip and attach to the front plate piece, it will stabilize it and you'll save a couple feet of wood. Or, if you have buckets with lids, you can cut the entrance in the bottom of the bucket and attach it to the stabilizer, and mount several of those in a row somewhere, with the lid functioning as a collection hatch.

Yup, you can customize it to suit whatever your needs are. The basics of the clean five gallon pail (recall the square shaped ones too...often food grade) and who knows where that will take a brilliant mind...wonderbar!

Brilliant! I have some big blue barrels sitting around my property and will be turning them each into 4 similar houses soon...aaaah to have "spare" time that everyone seems to be talking about

We enable each other, eh...so go, be free to make the idea yer own...freedom from doing things ten times over only to discover the final way to save yerself and be happy with the resource saving successful results.

Agatha Christie:
I like lazy...lazy days lapping up the reward from not having to mess with things, done the first time, done up to suit my situation so we can all do the "management by exception." If it ain't broke...can I ignore it then and waste a day feeling happy about it??

 

[perchie.girl]

Anyone familiar with pressure treated plywood? I need to build a deck for stacking hay.

Does it out-gas... or give off fumes?

deb

 

[hennible]

Anyone familiar with pressure treated plywood?  I need to build a deck for stacking hay.

Does it out-gas...  or give off fumes?

deb

I'm not positive but I believe all pressure-treated wood products off gas. Perhaps you could use pressure-treated plywood and seal it was something you consider safer, perhaps a marine quality paint... Paints Off gas too though.
Crazy neighbour stores bales (square and round) on salvaged railroad ties, has for years... No I'll effects yet.

 

[BriardChickens]

@CanuckBock I'd be happy to say it was my idea, but the idea came of the interwebs... so i just have been lacking the time (since July) to make them. Hoping DH will make room for the barrels in the moving truck.

Since I wont have a job for the first little bit there, I'll have lots of time to design and built lots of things.

Any ideas for a duck shelter? It'll need to house ~80 ducks at peak, then I'll built more shelters.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
It depends on the age of the railroad ties but they used to be preserved with Creosote... Not something you want to touch without gloves. But What you said is what I know.....

California is a wild card though. many ingredients in "stuff" have been outlawed.

deb

 

[CanuckBock]

@CanuckBock I'd be happy to say it was my idea, but the idea came of the interwebs... so i just have been lacking the time (since July) to make them. Hoping DH will make room for the barrels in the moving truck.

Since I wont have a job for the first little bit there, I'll have lots of time to design and built lots of things.

Any ideas for a duck shelter? It'll need to house ~80 ducks at peak, then I'll built more shelters.

Our first duck barn. I raise all birds on ground (river sand, topped with oat straw)...abhor wire raising.

Duck barn in summer - 16 by 30 - note the dumpable duck pond on the left ​

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New people sized doors installed, still got to get to the other side...doors done, just never quite found time to do it all up.

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I have a mess of cut down panels to divide these compartments further for breeding purposes. I use those dog poop clutch scoops to pick up rubber pans and eggs over the panelled compartments.

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Barn is wired for hanging heat lamps/heated water buckets and I completely cover over duck fronts with full sheets of tenplast for winter wind protection...take them off in winter when sunny day for vitamin D for ducks...need that for decent egg shell production and health.

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Security cameras running and the outbuilding doors are all padlocked...never be too safe nowadays, eh. Predators of the two legged kind need to be deterred too.

This is the Duck Barn in October 2014. ​

Basically a post built barn that functions with not just ducks, but turks, chickens, swans, Ruddies...yeh, good for whatever kinda birds and if we wanted, work for sheeps and whatever else our hearts wanted to put in there I guess.

Bird yard...

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EMPTY


OCCUPIED​

After the birds are out and about and then tucked away (eye of a storm in the below pic...hails in summer here)...

June 21 2013 - GREEN grass of home
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I hose down their plops so the grass is not smothered...so location to water is another thing to consider to keep the grounds up. We have had ducks for decades and the land is what you care for...land looks good, you are doing a great job keeping the balance of the harmony on the go.

July 4, 2015 - View past the wild roses & into the bird yard! ​

Build as big as you are able...always want one or two empty pens for those immediate occupation situations.

Ducks & Dogs...my favs​

I would rather not keep something safe and sound than build five inadequate facilities that simply let my precious creatures get harvested and harmed. Build one good building, by one good building and have patience to do it right the first time. We never like the temporary situation because that is when the troubles come calling. Start right, end right. Keep it simple and manageable and you will never know what evil came to visit and found you ready and steady to block its harm. I remember being half dressed for school and chasing off predators that threatened my birds...and going to school not knowing what would be left when I managed to return home. NO thanks...never living like that ever again. One good building, as I could afford it and never ever regretted that I had to wait, that I had to work, pay, and that I had managed to live up to my duty of care on the birds I chose to keep. I do without before the creatures under my care ever will and will die trying to keep them safe because that is what I consider my responsibility to them when I chose to acquire them. I am sure others won't agree with me on this.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada