Love this thread, been browsing the forum for awhile but have gotten the most useful ideas from this one thread.
I wouldn't call this an invention, at least not my invention, but it's re-purposing an item, this is my "egg picker upper". In the dog world its known as a chuck-it. Very handy for picking up eggs from the back of a ground level nest box (less bending), or from under a broody hen who you don't want hatching them (she can't hurt the chuck-it no matter how hard she pecks). I've also used it to catch small chicks, just use like a net but without the tangle factor.
A few people in the thread were discussing bucket waterers and what a pain it was to take the lid off each time to fill them. I made 5 gallon waterers for my poultry (chickens, ducks and turkeys) for about 6 dollars each. Purchased a 5 gallon bucket with lid, and a plant pot saucer that was about 4 inches wider than the top of the bucket. Wider if you want a larger drinking area. Snap the lid on the bucket, measure the depth of the saucer, and drill 4 small holes about 3/4 of the height of the saucer from the top of the bucket. IE if the saucer is 3 inches deep, drill the holes about 2.25 inches from the top of the bucket. I also cut a larger hole, the size of a hose, in the lid of the bucket. Can be done using a sharp knife or drilling smaller holes in the shape of a bigger circle then punching it out.
The bucket can be filled via the hole in the lid, and carried right side up using the handle on the bucket. The lid can be removed when the bucket needs to be cleaned. To use the waterer place the bucket upside down in the plant saucer. If done quickly little to no water will spill outside of the saucer. The holes allow water to escape until the are covered, then each time the water level drops down enough to allow air in the holes more water will feed into the saucer. The bucket can be positioned in the center of the saucer to allow for drinking all the way around, or pushed against one side to allow for a wider drinking area.
I bought dark blue buckets from Lowes and have had no issues with algae or other growth. The ducks can be messy with their water so I use the hose to flush the saucer out each day, or tip the bucket right side up and just use the water in the saucer to rinse it out. The photo just shows the parts and where I made holes, not the actual buckets I used.
I wouldn't call this an invention, at least not my invention, but it's re-purposing an item, this is my "egg picker upper". In the dog world its known as a chuck-it. Very handy for picking up eggs from the back of a ground level nest box (less bending), or from under a broody hen who you don't want hatching them (she can't hurt the chuck-it no matter how hard she pecks). I've also used it to catch small chicks, just use like a net but without the tangle factor.
A few people in the thread were discussing bucket waterers and what a pain it was to take the lid off each time to fill them. I made 5 gallon waterers for my poultry (chickens, ducks and turkeys) for about 6 dollars each. Purchased a 5 gallon bucket with lid, and a plant pot saucer that was about 4 inches wider than the top of the bucket. Wider if you want a larger drinking area. Snap the lid on the bucket, measure the depth of the saucer, and drill 4 small holes about 3/4 of the height of the saucer from the top of the bucket. IE if the saucer is 3 inches deep, drill the holes about 2.25 inches from the top of the bucket. I also cut a larger hole, the size of a hose, in the lid of the bucket. Can be done using a sharp knife or drilling smaller holes in the shape of a bigger circle then punching it out.
The bucket can be filled via the hole in the lid, and carried right side up using the handle on the bucket. The lid can be removed when the bucket needs to be cleaned. To use the waterer place the bucket upside down in the plant saucer. If done quickly little to no water will spill outside of the saucer. The holes allow water to escape until the are covered, then each time the water level drops down enough to allow air in the holes more water will feed into the saucer. The bucket can be positioned in the center of the saucer to allow for drinking all the way around, or pushed against one side to allow for a wider drinking area.
I bought dark blue buckets from Lowes and have had no issues with algae or other growth. The ducks can be messy with their water so I use the hose to flush the saucer out each day, or tip the bucket right side up and just use the water in the saucer to rinse it out. The photo just shows the parts and where I made holes, not the actual buckets I used.
