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

[ozexpat]

from the last 2 trees:

60 2*3*10
20 2*3*8
25 2*2*8

446 board feet at 5pesos/bf = 2230 pesos = $53

The lumber is a true 2*3 - not a 1.5*3.5 so a 2*3 has about the same structural strength as a 2*4 we use in the western world

 

[PrimroseMom1]

if my coops were in the usa i would be scrounging pallets. finding scrap in the philippines is much harder as there is way more demand. everything is recycled or repurposed.

my lumber is all from my own trees. once coconut trees hit 60ish years their copra (coconut meat) production falls. We replanted the whole place 4 years ago and will get fruit from the young trees in 3 or 4 more years. I pay a guy 12 cents a board foot to cut the tree and mill it by eye using a chain saw. Its an amazing site to see a guy walk down a felled tree cutting 2x2s 16 feet long.

Whoa!! What an image you put in my mind. Fabulous.

 

[ozexpat]

Whoa!! What an imagine you put in my mind. Fabulous.

american style

philippines style

 

[Angelicisi]

I use a poly 1 inch square fencing and have had 3 years with only one breach- a snake. The girls took care of that issue themselves tho lol I don't have dogs here except mine. Do have foxes, raccoons, opossums, rats, snakes, OWLS are bad and quick to snatch a straggler, hawks, eagles, falcons, cats (but I have yet to see a cat try to hurt a chicken here, even my own cat mouses around and in the coops if need be and never bugged the girls)
The sun here is brutal and does fade it. It's cheap enough to replace every 2 yrs (half the cost of wire is why we had decided to try it) here but I didn't bother because it still looks good and is sturdy.
I have an Aussie tho also who is very keen on protecting her home and ALL her adopted babies on the property so it helps that predators don't have but moments before she's off like a rocket to get them or alert us if its a big bad guy.
If a predator had the time (most of an evening, I'd worry an aggressive one could get in possibly.)

You are soo luckey Oz....  I am wondering though.... what is the lifespan of the polyethylene chicken wire.... There your determining factor is salt.....   Here in the high desert its UV.

deb

 

[Pancholoco]

Not my invention but very useful.

I use to feed my chickens with fermented feed or dry two times per day so I decided to buy a plastic feeder (I like the canoe type ) so i ended with a goat feeder. This last Sunday was in TS buying feed for my chickens and I saw this feeder my mind started thinking about some ideas and I ended with this one. I know I need to cover the top for this rainy season but I want to share with you guys.

 

[SavannahsBrood]

A CORRECTION ON STEPS TO CUT PANELS FOR THE A FRAME CHICKEN COOP...

Figure 1 can not be used with figure 2. Start with figure 2 mark your bottom width from the right to the left, then when you are marking the second panel figure 3 mark your width from the left to right. If you print this out and try cutting each figure you will notice that if you use figure 1 & 2 that one half of the front wall will be white(or the back of your panel) and the other will be the front side of your panel ( UNLESS you are using plywood) This is only if you are using outdoor siding. I was using siding, the back side of the panels do not have any grooves. For siding each (figure 2 & 3) panel will make half of your front wall and half of your back wall.

 

[perchie.girl]

I use a poly 1 inch square fencing and have had 3 years with only one breach- a snake. The girls took care of that issue themselves tho lol I don't have dogs here except mine. Do have foxes, raccoons, opossums, rats, snakes, OWLS are bad and quick to snatch a straggler, hawks, eagles, falcons, cats (but I have yet to see a cat try to hurt a chicken here, even my own cat mouses around and in the coops if need be and never bugged the girls)
The sun here is brutal and does fade it. It's cheap enough to replace every 2 yrs (half the cost of wire is why we had decided to try it) here but I didn't bother because it still looks good and is sturdy.
I have an Aussie tho also who is very keen on protecting her home and ALL her adopted babies on the property so it helps that predators don't have but moments before she's off like a rocket to get them or alert us if its a big bad guy.
If a predator had the time (most of an evening, I'd worry an aggressive one could get in possibly.)
Quote: I have used the plastic hardware cloth with quarter inch holes on the inside of chain-link..... I have used it on Brooders as well... but I found it too easy to simply tear. even without exposure to the sun.

But here is my logic here. Setting environmental concerns aside. It takes the same amount of effort to put up.... Zip ties or tie wires or staples. A bit easier to cut but still you have to cut it and fasten it. It takes a similar effort to remove to replace... then you have to replace it. So you have to deal with it twice. every two years or so. Even DIY time is worth money.... Even if you are ok with that..... There is no flag or indicator visually when to know to replace it. Fading is a clue but fading occures gently over time and you might not notice it till its too late.

Its also exponentially more vulnerable to damage and I am talking a small hole can have catastrophic results if you have predators. I have had squirrels make doors for themselves to get into the feed through the chainlink for example. I came home one night and found the remains of 40 Guinea Keets littered about the floor of my coop. ..... Sigh. And that coop was what I thought predator proof. Chainlink and plywood and Aviary wire.... My Aviary wire panels are eleven gauge and the spacing on the wire is three inches by one half. But I missed a spot....

No I would rather put up something that will be perminant and reliable. I am NOT going to go to my chicken yard and have to pick up disassembled parts and dead chickens..... do to me taking short cuts.

Sorry this has been a roller coaster ride fro me.... In 20 years of chicken keeping..... My first loss was due to a dog I tried to adopt. He killed my own four hens just for the joy of it. here in the city

My second loss was in the winter six fat Light brahmas happily enjoying the "life" at my new home in the desert. The footprints in the snow said coyotes enjoyed carryout.... Right up next to the house by my bedroom. My fault.... I didint lock the door to the coop.

My Third loss Was thirty chickens in thirty days to a Bobcat.... All taken during free range time. The predator load for my area had trippled due to a huge fire in San Diego County

My fourth loss was 40 tweenager Keets and 8 adult Guineas Through the wire, or through a breachable spot between the roof and the wall.

My last loss was just this summer..... 25 LF mostly Welsummers and another 8 guineas..... Coyotes..... This last one was catastrophic failure on many levels partially my fault partially the circumstances.

I have to say i have made mistakes.... I dont make the same ones twice. But it just takes one to loose your whole flock. My next coop is going to be made of Wood in combination with Aviary wire for all external surfaces. Kennel panels will be for the partitions and premade doors. Zip ties will be used only for placement tools, or a second set of hands. Full on fastening will be with Hog clips, Staples and even screws with washers. Depending on location. Stall mats will go in high traffic areas as well as the goat feed area. ANd its going to have a bonified roof rather than tarp covered Kennel panels. I will have to hire someone to do the roof but I can do anything up to six feet high myself.

Free range is out of the question therefore their outside run space will be netted. That will be 25 x 50 feet. Draped either over a tensioned set of cables or poles with basket balls skewered over top. Probably the latter. but the walls up to the bottom of the net will be either cattle panels over pipe corral or chainlink. I am not fond of chainlink any more so I may just bite the bullet and buy a roll of aviary wire for the fence. Larger openings but its welded for parrots and double galvanized. For what its worth if it can contain a Macaw its strong.

And If I could put up gun turrets I would.... LOL.


deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Not my invention but very useful.

I use to feed my chickens with fermented feed or dry two times per day so I decided to buy a plastic feeder (I like the canoe type

) so i ended with a goat feeder. This last Sunday was in TS buying feed for my chickens and I saw this feeder my mind started thinking about some ideas and I ended with this one. I know I need to cover the top for this rainy season but I want to share with you guys.

I love it...... though if you are feeding fermented feed do you really need to keep the rain off? As long as you have drain holes in the feeder you should be good to go.

I been lurking on that list for some time now.... LOL.

deb

 

[Pancholoco]

Thanks. I'm glad you like it.

I will cover it because I don't want my feeder be flooded, then will be a waterer not a feeder. /\ __ /\

 

[Ms Jellybean]

A raptor resistant overhead for a henyard.



It's just light electric fence wire (not charged) spaced about every twelve to fourteen inches where it ties into the fence, wrapped once around the center pole then off to the other side of the yard. Haven't had a hawk, owl, or even crow come into the yard since I set it up.

A quick, easily cleaned brooder.



It's a Sterilite/Rubbermaid/whatever tub. Cut out the holes with a hacksaw blade. Drill holes, used lightweight braided picture hanging wire to secure the hardware cloth to the plastic. I made it for an exhibition brooder for my county fair, but I also use it for keeping chicks at the poultry swaps.

For those of you who are using cattle panel hoophouses this is how I hang my waterers and feeders.



This is both the top and bottom hook for the feeders.

For the waterers this is what I use at the bottom of the chain.



Also for the cattle panel hoop houses this is how I tie the board framing to the panels.



I use fourteen gauge galvanized electric fence wire for this purpose.

No-tip frames for holding #10 cans, rubber bowls, etc for use as feeders or waterers.