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

[cabinchicky]

Leahs Mom, Mister is stunning!!I love both dust bath ideas and cabbage swing,awesome!! I put a head in last week tetherball game started,then soccer,they ate it in 2 hours. I use large suet feeder also,but the tetherball is hilarious.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Leahs Mom, Mister is stunning!!I love both dust bath ideas and cabbage swing,awesome!! I put a head in last week tetherball game started,then soccer,they ate it in 2 hours. I use large suet feeder also,but the tetherball is hilarious.

Thanks. He's a Swedish Flower Hen and so far I quite like his disposition.

And thanks for the feedback on the cabbage. I'm really going to have to try that.

 

[perchie.girl]

So this is not really my invention but I did find this the other day and thought it might be pretty nifty thing to have. It is a hand hay/leaf baler that you can bale up leaves and lawn grasses after properly drying. I think I have enough leaves around here that it shouldn't be too much work to get several bales to use in the coop for bedding and the birds love to dig though the leaves. This includes the instructions to build it and it doesn't look too difficult. It could be really handy.

Here is the link: http://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2007/09/hay-baling.html

I hope maybe some of you might find this useful also.

I am going to build something simillar for banding my firewood. Set the sides the width I need and put stops on top for the branches then snip drop and band when I get the equivalent of a small log worth. I have a very small pot belly stove...

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

I build a chicken duster 2 weeks ago cost was $0

I used a reclaimed SUV tire and a knife, filled with a mix of dirt and wood ash.

Eggcellent..... So how do you cover up the bottom or do you bother?

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: If you can bale them dry its better..... Keeps the moisture content down and therefore control deomposition mold.

 

[perchie.girl]

For what its worth its possible to bale by hand and with out tools. Take the dried material and twist it and roll it as you go compacting all the time. I used to do this when I trimmed my garden down. Just your hand pressure keeps it together till you are to the point where you simply wrap it with twine in the same fashion pull the twine under and roll the hand bale till you can tie a slip knot then its just a matter of doing a couple more ties.

I t works best with materials that are not cut very short.

still looking for examples... sorry

deb

 

[FarmalI]

what do you do about the water getting hot since it is in a black barrel?

 

[perchie.girl]

what do you do about the water getting hot since it is in a black barrel?

without any more detail I can only cover different situations

If Its a fifty five gallon drum it will get warm but not hot. you can place the drum in the shade or make shade for it. You can also paint the outside of the drum white.... they make paint specifically for plastic.

If its a water tank like for horses and goats the water in those stays cool below the surface. The drinking tubs and tanks are angled so the sun only shines on one side or the edges. Again Putting in the shade is a good idea.

Hope this helps.... And Welcome to BYC

 

[Leahs Mom]

Check this out:

My biggest issue with using heated bowls as-is is that I want to create something that keeps them from stepping in the water and possible frostbite. I'll bet we could make something similar with smaller openings that prevent them stepping in it. Perhaps a piece of hardware cloth molded over the top of something like this leaving just enough open at the bottom for them to get a head in.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/L-HEATED-WA...=100010&prg=1076&rk=3&rkt=15&sd=221342559463&

 

[Beekissed]

Maybe set it up on a pedestal where they cannot step near it at all, just step up to it to drink? I've been using one of these for the past few winters now and haven't had any birds step into it because it's always elevated onto a pedestal of some type to keep the bedding from getting kicked into it.