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

[LeslieDJoyce]

What do people use to gather eggs for hatching? The standard basket seems to cumbersome for fragile eggs where a hairline crack can destroy it for hatching purposes. Currently, I use old egg cartons and carry a stack of them. Predictably, one day last week the top carton fell off the stack as was carrying them. It made me think someone else might have come up with a better solution for carrying high value eggs from coop to the house.

My only though up to this point is a cooler with a good handle, stacking egg cartons inside (and maybe a hot water bottle or icepack, if needed).

Maybe just close the cartons then upend them into a 5 gallon bucket? I just ran a test and can get 4 each 1 dozen cartons into a 5 gallon bucket, plus a 5th on top with enough security I'd trust it to stay put if I stumbled a bit.

 

[Hokum Coco]

What do people use to gather eggs for hatching? .
My only though up to this point is a cooler with a good handle, stacking egg cartons inside (and maybe a hot water bottle or icepack, if needed).

The standard cardboard egg carton that holds a dozen fits nicely in a plastic milk crate. Two cartons per layer.

 

[daxigait]

They make great paper rolls for fire starting

 

[daxigait]

One byproduct of my chicks is empty feed bags. I've been using them as planters for my vegetable garden (roll down tops, fill with soil, poke drain holes) and last summer grew lemon cucumbers and tomatillos in them. This year I plan container eggplant, peppers and carrots. I also have a couple of bentwood rocking chairs whose bottoms wore out. Since I am hopelessly aweful at caning, I used feed bags, cut them to size, used carpenters glue and staples to attach them to the chair bottoms. They are holding up great, are very comfortable and my husband loves the rustic look. Will try to get pictures to post.

ok you're a thread killer.

As for off color water collection tanks. My sister spent good money on a collection barrel that hooks into their downspout and fills the barrel. This barrel is about an inch thick made of some type of plastic, brown in color with a top made of the same material. I looked inside the other day as we haven't had rain and was wondering how much water was left, what a mess. It was full of algae, floating on and in the water,coating the sides, it looked like the ditches out by my house. My system is a garbage can under the spout and it doesn't have any algae in it.

Has any one got any ideas on Feed Bag Idea's. I have got HEAPS. So what can I use them for?

 

 

[daxigait]

Has any one got any ideas on Feed Bag Idea's. I have got HEAPS. So what can I use them for?

 They make great fire starters when rolled and twisted into 'logs'. We want also tale our paper ones to the local plant that makes blown insulation.

 

[daxigait]

The Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother in it contains good probiotics and acidity levels to aid in the chickens/rabbits/horses/whatever digestion.  It helps fend off cocci, too.  Not a cure-all, but a good addition to their diet, IMO.
I like the bucket - I can do that!  In the area where I live, it's too wet to leave dry food out unless It's under good cover.  But then, I'm also starting up some fermented feed for my chickens, so wet won't matter.
You have a pond, so jealous!  Nice floating house, too. I had to look up barley balls, what a good idea!
I have hard water too.  Things rust here, even the galvanized waterers/feeders.
That is an EXCELLENT thread, and I've been reading it for days.
Nice scoop, thanks!  I'm thinking of using PDZ in places in my new coops, and was sadly thinking about the tiny cat litter scoops, lol.
Nice.  Lucky critters!
Ok, you are just too clever! I'm proud of myself because I just started fermenting the chickens' feed in a simple bucket, and look what you are coming up with!

why ferment the feed and how? U have heard of it with pigs too, but I have never heard why.

 

[daxigait]

Had about 30 minutes downtime at work so I put together an oster shell feeding tube. Easy peasy! Will mount in the run when I get home in the morning.

how did you attach the bottom

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: this post was about two years ago..... But there are a couple of ways to do it.... run a small block of wood across on the inside and screw it in place on opposite ends then screw the base on from underneath. leaving space between the pipe and the tray for the feed to get out.

For oystershell thats a very very big container. As a feeder it would hold a lot of feed. Allowing that NO moisture could get in the bottom... it would wick up the feed and form a massive feed Plug.

Also some people simply rest the feed tube in a receptical... Like a Pot tray.... cutting a few notches in the bottom of the feeder big enough to get your thumb in Fastening the feeder tray to a wall or off center by a screw through the PVC.

deb

 

[daxigait]

The pump I have goes up to 92 gph, but can be adjusted down which is what I have done.how did it work over the winter?

The pipe is 3/4" and I can send a piece of flex tubing down it directly from the pump if needed. The pipe is only 6" long so it should maintain the water temp of the bucket.......... and it will be INSIDE the coop which should be a bit warmer than outside. Assuming the heater really can get to 78 degrees in an aquarium, I would hope that it can maintain at least 35 degrees outside in the winter...... Time will tell.

 

[daxigait]

I used the mini cups on a bucket last year.  I LOVE the mini cups, but the necks did freeze. Even with the warmer water from the aquarium heater. But the necks are much smaller than the pipe on the nipple waterer above.

You can read the saga here if you're interested.  I love 'em for summer, but not using for winter again.  This post does show the bucket and the heater I used:  http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/02/poultry-cup-drinkers-waterers-winter.html



I did make an ALL GLASS waterer (I hate plastic) that I'll do a post on in the next few days.  Was inspired by mlowen.  I will be using them year-round and will sell some to other folks if they want one but don't want to invest in the tool or are afraid of working with glass.  Will post soon.

did you ever make these to sell? Still working my way through this really long thread