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

[birdman55]

I use Cattle Panels.
I live in Virginia, so we have cold winters, I face my coops South because of the wind. They have plenty of ventilation, I normally do a wood frame, with a panel bent over top covered in a tarp. I also give them a little yard all year that they can go out in rain or snow if they want too. January-March are the worst months here, I usually lock my chickens up in really bad weather.
I would like to build a chicken coop, made out of cattle panels, with a tarp over it that would survive the snow, I figured I'll have to have a pointed roof not just a flat one, but I don't know if the panels will hold up to snow? I'm going to put tee-posts around it and tie the coop to them, so the wind won't move it. Any ideas of how to make it hold up to the snow? I'm just afraid it will collapse.

To make it a bit easier. This will hold three cattle panels. Which are different from horse panels. CAttle r about 20$ and horse is about 50$.

This is the shell and yes they are 16' long some are only three feet wide some are four. I use the four.

For a better view on how it looks. Hope this helps. A lot more info on my forum called building paradise for the birds. A day to day thread dedicated to my grandpa about the life of the bird man. Check it out and hope to see u there.

 

[dheltzel]

Has anyone tried the "Wooden Float Trick", as detailed in http://www.plamondon.com/wp/don-t-let-the-chickens-water-freeze ?
It seems like wood is less than optimal for continual water contact, but foam will be picked apart and/or eaten, so I'm trying to think of what sort of plastic will float and be impervious to damage by water or chickens. Anyone have any good ideas for material to use?

 

[aart]

Has anyone tried the "Wooden Float Trick", as detailed in http://www.plamondon.com/wp/don-t-let-the-chickens-water-freeze ?
It seems like wood is less than optimal for continual water contact, but foam will be picked apart and/or eaten, so I'm trying to think of what sort of plastic will float and be impervious to damage by water or chickens. Anyone have any good ideas for material to use?

Interesting concept...never seen it before.
Have seen waterer cover with holes like that for ducks, just to keep the splashing down.
Wonder where in the country he lives?
Not sure if plastic would work as wood does...absorption of water might be part of it's functionality?

@RobertPlamondon is a member here, maybe he'll chime in?

 

[Hokum Coco]

Has anyone tried the "Wooden Float Trick",
Don't let the Chickens’ Water Freeze

Keeping the chickens’ water ice-free during the winter can be a struggle! Here are some easy ways to make it happen.
Galvanized Buckets for Winter Waterers

The classic technique for full-grown chickens is the old bucket switcheroo: when you go out to tend the chickens, you bring out a galvanized bucket of warm water, and leave it for them to drink from. When you leave, you take away the partly empty bucket you left for them last time, because if it’s not empty, it’s frozen. You bring the frozen bucket inside with you and leave it in a place where it will thaw a little, so the ice will slide out easily.
I think ten-quart galvanized buckets are the right size for this, though twelve-quart buckets are okay if that’s all you can find. I’ve had too many plastic buckets split when frozen, so I don’t use them anymore.
The Wooden Float Trick


Bucket with wooden float
Here’s an idea hardly anyone has heard about: Make a wooden float for the top of the bucket. It’s just a wooden disc a little smaller than the bucket, with a few 1″ holes drilled in it.
The chickens drink through the holes, and the float delays the formation of ice for a long time.
Even better, the holes prevent the chickens from getting their combs and wattles wet when they drink.

Wet combs and wattles are the major cause of frostbite. Chickens can tolerate a surprising amount of cold if they stay dry. It’s wetness, more than cold, that leads to frostbite.​

Insulating the bucket

The water will freeze much more slowly if you provide some kind of insulated sleeve for the bucket (not styrofoam: chickens love to eat styrofoam). Wrapping the bucket in aluminized bubble insulation, available at your hardware store or online, is good.

 

[perchie.girl]

Has anyone tried the "Wooden Float Trick", as detailed in http://www.plamondon.com/wp/don-t-let-the-chickens-water-freeze ?
It seems like wood is less than optimal for continual water contact, but foam will be picked apart and/or eaten, so I'm trying to think of what sort of plastic will float and be impervious to damage by water or chickens. Anyone have any good ideas for material to use?

Try ping pong balls....


deb

 

[dheltzel]

Try ping pong balls....

deb

I think that would be a mess when dumping out the water for cleaning.

 

[bruceha2000]

Then dump it out over a sieve of some sort.

 

[perchie.girl]

Or cheep o collander

 

[Lzy M Homestead]

Try ping pong balls....


deb

I was going to do ping pong balls if my original waterer fails. Have u tried them do they work? To what temps?

 

[azygous]

By all means, please describe how ping pong balls prevent water from freezing! You have my interest!