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

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I think having bare wire edge with nothing to gauge height from is a deterrent in its self. When I had mine in the yard at home the wire around the yard was just field fence. With two wooden gates. They would only go over the gates not the fence. Same goes for my goats. As far a s jumping over.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

I built a mobil coop yesterday - idea to be able to easily moved by one person. I have realized not large enough to house 2 chickens at all times. But really ideal for a broody hen, you wish to keep seperate or for those hens that need to be kept separate. Please keep in mind that I come from Australia

Oh that would be an excellent broody house. I see you can get Chicken wire that is actually sixteen gauge there.... For what its worth here in the US the poultry wire comes in 17 gauge. And not very roebust. Thought I have discovered that you can buy 16 gauge in the form of stucco wire.... Yay.

OH and

from the San Diego High desert...
deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Built this chicken tractor a few weeks back. Used 2"x4"x8' for the bottom and 1"x2" for the uprights. Have 4' high sides. Pretty cheap to build too!

Works great except if I leave them in one spot for over 30 minutes they scratch out big holes in my lawn, so I don't use the tractor much. Wonder if there is any way that I can put chicken wire along the bottom (floor) so that they can't scratch so much??? Yet how would I move the chickens in it??

first of all Welcome to BYC

from the San Diego High desert.

You could put wire on the bottom but you would be kind of defeating the purpose of a tractor. I always tell people if you want to clear your yard of grass.... dont get goats get Chickens.... LOL. But if you want you can put chicken wire across the bottom with overlap and wrap the wire up the sides and staple it on from the outside. This would stretch the wire across the bottom some and give it support when you go to move the tractor. Probably would involve putting the wire across the bottom not running length wise. Youd have to make sure you join seam in the middle.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
You'd need the hooks or some sort of fastener Both top and bottom for the green wire. These posts are designed for one Leg to slide through the bottom of the welded wire to anchor the wire at the bottom. Also With the green wire youd need to redesign the base so it would have an X bottom not a T.... again because the green wire wouldnt support the fence you have to rely on the posts to do it.

That welded wire fence will stand up on its own. I originally suggested permanent lag bolts for hooking the wire they would last longer they have enough of a head for support but wont catch on "stuff" when storing. But it was only to keep the ties in place. Not necessary.


deb

 

[mlowen]

Here's my waterer I'll use in winter. Warm water out in the morning, dump ice from rubber pan, put in the jug & unscrew the drain plug. Take in the previously used one to rinse and repeat next morning. I will drill the hole a little higher and on the side nearer the handle on the second one. This one drips on your toes as you carry it by the handle, if you don't watch out.

Hole drilled with 3/8" bit. It's smaller than the plug...you have to pretty much force it in until you get to the threaded part, but it screws in and keeps from dripping until I get to the water pan.

Arizona Iced Tea jugs are really good, thick plastic. Was not hard to drill without cracking it.

I found I have to take it completely out of the hole or the water takes forever to trickle out. With the lid screwed on, the water will only rise to the top of the hole and more comes out as the hens drink.

 

[headiehens]

I just read all 105 pages... awesome ideas and I will add to the collection within the next few weeks!

 

[rojororeo]

Here's my waterer I'll use in winter. Warm water out in the morning, dump ice from rubber pan, put in the jug & unscrew the drain plug. Take in the previously used one to rinse and repeat next morning. I will drill the hole a little higher and on the side nearer the handle on the second one. This one drips on your toes as you carry it by the handle, if you don't watch out.

Hole drilled with 3/8" bit. It's smaller than the plug...you have to pretty much force it in until you get to the threaded part, but it screws in and keeps from dripping until I get to the water pan.

Arizona Iced Tea jugs are really good, thick plastic. Was not hard to drill without cracking it.

I found I have to take it completely out of the hole or the water takes forever to trickle out. With the lid screwed on, the water will only rise to the top of the hole and more comes out as the hens drink.

I am trying to understand this one, as it seems up my alley ability-wise, lol... The plug acts to slow down the flow of the water, so that the water stays in the bottle, sort of containing its warmth, as the chickens drink out of the water bowl it sits in? This is my first year with chickens, I plan to use a heated dog bowl for my flock.. I wonder if this in the dog bowl wouldn't be helpful, as it keeps the water clean as well?

 

[mlowen]

I am trying to understand this one, as it seems up my alley ability-wise, lol... The plug acts to slow down the flow of the water, so that the water stays in the bottle, sort of containing its warmth, as the chickens drink out of the water bowl it sits in? This is my first year with chickens, I plan to use a heated dog bowl for my flock.. I wonder if this in the dog bowl wouldn't be helpful, as it keeps the water clean as well?

The cap on top of the jug makes it an air-tight waterer...like the ones at TSC and other places. The plug is to keep it from spilling out as you fill the jug and carry it out to your birds. When you put it in the pan (or heated dog bowl, if it's big enough) you unscrew the plug and the water comes out only up to the level of the hole. (Because the cap is on and it's airtight.) I had to take the plug completely out of the hole, because the fit is so tight the water just trickles out...it was too slow for me. I wanted to be sure it would stop at the level of the top of the hole. And it did.

 

[Cknldy]

For the question on using chicken wire on the bottom of the tractor to try to prevent deep scratching- was your concern about moving it WITH chickens still in it? If so, what about making a rectangle frame with chicken wire to 'fit' the tractor on top of when moved? Place the chicken wire frame where you want the tractor moved to. Pull tractor over to it and just lift (slide) a corner at a time over onto the frame until it rests in it. A piece of looped rope on each corner would make it easy to handle and tractor would only have to be lifted as high as the edge of frame. I haven't made any tractors yet and looks can be deceiving but yours looks like it isn't very heavy. Hope I didn't sound too confusing

 

[Cknldy]

(No legs would be falling through moving chicken wire holes)