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

[mikkles]

Just marking this page..sooo many good ideas!

 

[BLT79]

still working on it! coop on right we bought used, other one hubby is building. so the smaller one will be for any young or new chicks/chickens we get to safely integrate them into flock. I love all the perches hubby built for them!

will be adding nesting boxes on back, they use to be kitchen cabinets over stove! then will put curtains on them inside!

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Hi, Guys. Talking about hot weather, I wanted to send you some fotos from my house.

Last year I put pipe cleaners on the necks of a bunch of water bottles and twisted them to make a secure loop. They are all in one spot, since last year in my freezer.




Then I used curtin hooks (I had a bunch of them just lying around) to just slide on the hardware cloth in the coops/hutches so that the hook part was pointing up.



So, all I do is slip on a fresh frozen bottle and slip off the melted one and rotate back to the freezer. I'm not sure how it could be easier. These bottles, hooks and pipe cleaner loops are on their second year and seem as good as new. And, the bottles rarely get dirty because they're just hanging there, not lying in the cage.



Also, the girls literally take turns standing in the bird bath, that I put out there for them to drink from (which they do), but now it's always dirty and my girls have very clean feet. LOL I am planning on getting a small plastic wading pool for them to stand in this week.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Awesome idea PrimroseMom1. I will try doing that. Thanks!

 

[ruatgr2]

So PrimroseMom1, this looks like a great idea but I can't figure out...are the bottles just cooling the air a little or are the chicks brushing up against them to cool off? Probably dumb, but this is my first summer with chickens so I'm still working out ways to keep them cool in the Alabama summer...thanks!

 

[BLT79]

I wasn't sure what the bottles are for either, but I would like to incorporate the idea into my coop as well!

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I wasn't sure what the bottles are for either, but I would like to incorporate the idea into my coop as well!

Several things. My rabbits lie next to them, rub against them, and lick them. The chickens lean and rub against them. It does slightly cool the air and I have a fan that blows on them and cools the air more than just sitting there without a fan.

 

[perchie.girl]

Another way to help cool down in the summer is to take a couple of RED bricks and soak them through in a bucket of water. As the moisture evaporated from them they get cool lay them down where Rabbits Guinea Pigs or even Chickens can lay on it or walk on it to cool their exposed feet.

I have already had a couple of days in the hundreds in my desert home.

deb

 

[BlueMouse]

I'm loving this thread and getting some wonderful ideas for upgrades to my current setup and new things to do You all are a creative bunch! Here's my DIY/creative repurposes so far....



Old wobbly step ladder, now handy roost.


Old cabinet door, now pop door. I was even able to re-use the hardware.


Old sideboard. I framed in between the legs, removed the drawers, and added doors. My husband added heat lamps on dimmer switches, and LED lighting strips. Two level brooder. Here it doesn't have the lower door on it yet. I didn't have the hardware for a while.



Drinker with cup waterers.



And I know that everyone uses PVC feed troughs, so this is hardly new, but I found out something handy, the lid from a standard yogurt or cottage cheese container (1 quart or one pint) just fits on the end of 4" PVC Pipe, and it's a whole lot cheaper than end caps. I put some glue on it then sandwiched it VERY TIGHTLY between the ends of this feeder. If I was really worried about leakage I would seal it with a little clear silicone, but so far it hasn't leaked at all.

 

[NOLA Chicks]

I'm loving this thread and getting some wonderful ideas for upgrades to my current setup and new things to do You all are a creative bunch! Here's my DIY/creative repurposes so far....



Old wobbly step ladder, now handy roost.


Old cabinet door, now pop door. I was even able to re-use the hardware.


Old sideboard. I framed in between the legs, removed the drawers, and added doors. My husband added heat lamps on dimmer switches, and LED lighting strips. Two level brooder. Here it doesn't have the lower door on it yet. I didn't have the hardware for a while.



Drinker with cup waterers.



And I know that everyone uses PVC feed troughs, so this is hardly new, but I found out something handy, the lid from a standard yogurt or cottage cheese container (1 quart or one pint) just fits on the end of 4" PVC Pipe, and it's a whole lot cheaper than end caps. I put some glue on it then sandwiched it VERY TIGHTLY between the ends of this feeder. If I was really worried about leakage I would seal it with a little clear silicone, but so far it hasn't leaked at all.

Love the reuse, recycle projects. Thanks a million for letting me know about the yogurt/cottage cheese lid idea. I've been thinking about making a gravity fed feeder using 4" PVC as the upright to fill with feed. these caps will work to cover the end and can be replaced as needed.