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

[PrimroseMom1]

I use the large suet cages too.  Have 4 of them about the coop and run. 

But I have a question on the cabbage.  Do they eat it well?  I've never tried cabbage but mainly because I didn't think they would eat it.

I gave mine some cabbage yesterday and it wasn't their favorite, but they ate it. They'd pick it up, throw it down, walk away and come back. Except the one in a hard molt, she just ate it. Mine would rather tomatoes, grapes, corn on the cob, bananas, yogurt, cottage cheese, and melons. Oh, also my fern if they get too close to the chicken yard. The chicken yard had a lot of ferns that were decimated within a day of establishing the chicken yard there.

 

[mlowen]

I use the large suet cages too.  Have 4 of them about the coop and run. 

But I have a question on the cabbage.  Do they eat it well?  I've never tried cabbage but mainly because I didn't think they would eat it.

I was surprised that they ate it so well. The one I had hanging before ended up being just a spikey fringe around the core.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I may just have to try that!

 

[1stACT]

I do something similar with a bird suet cage and a garden shepard's hook.

Ditto! I have large suit baskets, dry corn-on-cob holders (for feeding squirrels [why would you do such a thing]), and for cabbage, squash, or anything with a hard core, I use a 4" eye bolt (wood screw). I don't suspend any of my "chicken treat" holders 'cause they become swing aerial head clunkers. My girls/boys love cabbage!

 

[Younger]

Love your idea Primrose Mom.

I hang cabbage all the time. My chickens go crazy for it. It gives them something to do and I have to put it up after a couple of hours or they would just eat all of it at one time.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Love your idea Primrose Mom.

I hang cabbage all the time.  My chickens go crazy for it.  It gives them something to do and I have to put it up after a couple of hours or they would just eat all of it at one time.  

Thanks. Today they got warm oatmeal, their favorite winter treat.

 

[Leahs Mom]

This is not really an "invention" but is is a re-purposing idea that I got from armorfirelady ( @armorfirelady ) here on byc.

Armorfirelady here on byc shared how she got a wreath storage container on clearance to make a winter dustbin. I already use a shallow storage bin but decided to pick up one of the wreath storage bins too and I'm really glad I did! You can use both sides of it so it's like getting 2 for the price of one...


I put it out today and only used 1/2 but ended up getting out both sides. I put it under the sun canopy and will take it back inside in about half hour so it doesn't get full of snow. Nice thing about it is that you can just dump it all in one side and put the lid on and store it until the next time! I would have put both sides out sooner but didn't have enough peat moss for both sides really, as my bag was getting low. I use a mixture of peat moss and wood ash. For mite/lice prevention.

The 3 top girls got in right away.


There was a waiting line.



A fourth tried to join them.

Didn't last long however...they chased her out pretty much right away.


Mister stands guard.



Finally got out the other half. Wish I'd had more peat moss. I'll be getting a couple more bags for the shelf soon.

Portable to move around to different pens and easy to store too! (I should be a salesperson.)

 

[Aphrael]

This is not really an "invention" but is is a re-purposing idea that I got from armorfirelady ( @armorfirelady ) here on byc.

Armorfirelady here on byc shared how she got a wreath storage container on clearance to make a winter dustbin. I already use a shallow storage bin but decided to pick up one of the wreath storage bins too and I'm really glad I did! You can use both sides of it so it's like getting 2 for the price of one...


I put it out today and only used 1/2 but ended up getting out both sides. I put it under the sun canopy and will take it back inside in about half hour so it doesn't get full of snow. Nice thing about it is that you can just dump it all in one side and put the lid on and store it until the next time! I would have put both sides out sooner but didn't have enough peat moss for both sides really, as my bag was getting low. I use a mixture of peat moss and wood ash. For mite/lice prevention.

The 3 top girls got in right away.


There was a waiting line.



A fourth tried to join them.

Didn't last long however...they chased her out pretty much right away.


Mister stands guard.



Finally got out the other half. Wish I'd had more peat moss. I'll be getting a couple more bags for the shelf soon.

Portable to move around to different pens and easy to store too! (I should be a salesperson.)

That is a nifty idea. And I love the idea of using peat moss! I never would have thought of that.

 

[Leahs Mom]

They LOVE peat moss. And with the addition of some wood ash, it's a good lice/mite preventative

 

[rojororeo]

This is not really an "invention" but is is a re-purposing idea that I got from armorfirelady ( @armorfirelady ) here on byc.

Armorfirelady here on byc shared how she got a wreath storage container on clearance to make a winter dustbin. I already use a shallow storage bin but decided to pick up one of the wreath storage bins too and I'm really glad I did! You can use both sides of it so it's like getting 2 for the price of one...


I put it out today and only used 1/2 but ended up getting out both sides. I put it under the sun canopy and will take it back inside in about half hour so it doesn't get full of snow. Nice thing about it is that you can just dump it all in one side and put the lid on and store it until the next time! I would have put both sides out sooner but didn't have enough peat moss for both sides really, as my bag was getting low. I use a mixture of peat moss and wood ash. For mite/lice prevention.

The 3 top girls got in right away.


There was a waiting line.



A fourth tried to join them.

Didn't last long however...they chased her out pretty much right away.


Mister stands guard.



Finally got out the other half. Wish I'd had more peat moss. I'll be getting a couple more bags for the shelf soon.

Portable to move around to different pens and easy to store too! (I should be a salesperson.)

I too agree this is awesome!! I used an old cat litter box, the covered kind. They would have nothing to do with it, and much rather dig huge holes in the covered chicken porch area... which the dang barn cats then go and pee and poop in, as it is perfect freshly turned dirt when that is hard to find in the snowy, icey winter! I love this idea though! I can put it out in the sun! (or it ends up being a litter box too?! lol)