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

[aart]

I like it....sounds simplified...from some of the "big" systems....i am not ready to jump into "BIG" just yet....

Tho intrigued by the automatic watering systems, and having the skills and even most the parts to build one, I decided to start small at first to test the process, amounts and costs for producing fodder. Learned that it is possible to only water once a day by covering the trays to hold the moisture.

It works for me at this point of having only 10 chooks and using it as a supplement instead of their main food source. I may set up a larger auto watering system at some point, or at least a rack to water all trays in one application of water.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

[COLOR=800080]I am planning my first coop, I live alone also so I am concerned about the caring of these creatures I would like to have in my company. I am very fussy about who I keep company with.  LOL  anyway how long have you been eggging and can you suggest anything new for an new egger?  like me in Egg Harbor Wi??[/COLOR]

Living alone isn't a problem as long as you have backup if you are sick. Chickens are easy, but require some daily attention.

I want to suggest you look for a thread under Where Am I? where Are You? For your state. Our state thread is very active, we get to know each other and we help our newbies along as much as they want. Also our advice applies to our climate, resources and predators. Give it a try.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@ Leahs Mom-- Do you think the burlap bag system would work as well with very small seeds like Alfalfa seeds?

There are different weave sizes of burlap so you could just purchase some tight weave. When I originally decided to do it I was hoping to purchase some ready-made bags. But all the bags I looked at had really open weave burlap that wouldn't have even held regular size seeds.

I ended up just going to the fabric store and "biting the bullet" and making them.

Is there any reason that you only do alfalfa? I know that not everyone has a feed mill nearby, but I purchase my seed from a local feed mill and get either organic or non-gmo. I call them from time to time and get prices as they change from week to week depending on farm and crop issues. Then I purchase when the prices are at their lowest.

Of course, I have to get a 50 lb bag, but the dry grain can be stored for years without incident if you can keep rodents out!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh...and I should say that Kassaundra said that whenever she tried to sprout sunflower seeds that way that it didn't work well and she'd get mold so..just a heads-up.

Here is how I used to do my sprouts before I did the bags:
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2012/12/easy-ways-to-sprout-seeds-for-your.html

 

[PrimroseMom1]

My pet chicken had a sale on their chicken seeds to sprout. In the spring I'll pull out the dead stalks from the screens, add some new dirt under them, fasten them back down and water. Occasionally I throw in some extra seed but it is super easy. BTW. I got the screens at a garage sale. They had sun shield screen in them. I took that out and used hardware cloth then put the trim back on. I used the sun shield screen on the west side of the bunny hutch. That sun can get really strong and even fatal in the summer although my buns have shaded areas of the hutch to retreat to. But I ended up being able to use all of the window screens.

 

[ozexpat]

My pet chicken had a sale on their chicken seeds to sprout. In the spring I'll pull out the dead stalks from the screens, add some new dirt under them, fasten them back down and water. Occasionally I throw in some extra seed but it is super easy. BTW. I got the screens at a garage sale. They had sun shield screen in them. I took that out and used hardware cloth then put the trim back on. I used the sun shield screen on the west side of the bunny hutch. That sun can get really strong and even fatal in the summer although my buns have shaded areas of the hutch to retreat to. But I ended up being able to use all of the window screens.

are we talking about eggs?

sorry

 

[CourtsCacklers]

There are different weave sizes of burlap so you could just purchase some tight weave. When I originally decided to do it I was hoping to purchase some ready-made bags. But all the bags I looked at had really open weave burlap that wouldn't have even held regular size seeds.

I ended up just going to the fabric store and "biting the bullet" and making them.

Is there any reason that you only do alfalfa? I know that not everyone has a feed mill nearby, but I purchase my seed from a local feed mill and get either organic or non-gmo. I call them from time to time and get prices as they change from week to week depending on farm and crop issues. Then I purchase when the prices are at their lowest.

Of course, I have to get a 50 lb bag, but the dry grain can be stored for years without incident if you can keep rodents out!

thanks....I was afraid that is what I might have to do.... I get some pretty good coupons for the fabric/craft store-- but I don't sew.... haha...but I do have a good friend that does....

I mainly do the alfalfa only because I like the nutrition value it has and it is completely wheat-free, which is how we try to eat mostly at home and essentially what they eat, we eventually eat... all wheat is gmo-- to a point-- labeled that way or not, 40 years ago it only contained like 14 chromosomes and was a wild grain known as Eikorn wheat (ancestor to modern wheat), the wheat of the Bible known as Emmer wheat bears 28 chromosomes, some strains of wheat that predate human genetic intervention in the 19th and early 20th century contain 42 chromosomes and is known as Dinkel. Dinkel is what we grow today....Dinkel is now a modern wheat that has been genetically changed to have a greater yield (10 fold what it historically was) and a lot shorter (18-24") with a large seed and thick stem.... I am not trying to "push" this on anyone...that is just why we *try* to avoid *most* of it.....

 

[LindaB220]

That's quite alright.... this is a new 'project' for me so I can't promise continued success with the same soil/seeds for the entire winter-- however, they have begun to regrow for me so far (I have regrown the same tray atleast 3x with success. I grew them in soil from the bottom of my compost pile--nothing else. The initial growth was approximately 2 weeks to reach a healthy height of 4 inches or so-- the second growth probably about the same... I do usually throw a few additional seeds (but not a lot!) right on top of the soil to make it thicker each time.

I have done some reading on fodder which I believe is probably most definitely a quicker process-- the reason that I have chosen this route is to get away from having to buy continuous seeds and also to hopefully amp up the Omegas in their eggs... I know that wheat seeds, among some others are fairly cheap to acquire but I am trying not to have so much wheat in their diet because what they eat-- we eventually eat in their eggs and we eat probably about 90% wheat free in our house just to get away from the genetically modified grains. I do sprout organic alfalfa seeds for them which is not cheap! Locally $22/lb., bought online a couple dollars cheaper by the pound but then you have to pay shipping so it really isn't cheaper. The good news is-- alfalfa seed is very small so a little can go a long way....

I didn't start this process to make any money-- in fact with 6 chickens-- I am probably losing money unless you can quantify the health qualities in a monetary value. I enjoy it though and try to have a happy medium... It makes me feel better that they have healthier choices than just their commercial rations of layer pellets.

So, do you have a complete fodder system set up? I have seen some pretty awesome set-ups (in pictures

only...)

For monthis I thought wheat was GMO. It's not. Google top ten GMO grains. I just found out this last week or so they are safe and so good for chickens.

 

[CourtsCacklers]

For monthis I thought wheat was GMO. It's not. Google top ten GMO grains. I just found out this last week or so they are safe and so good for chickens.

See my above post--- I am not sure of the specifics of how something is titled "GMO"-- but it has been scientifically altered over the years. I am not going to post anything more on it though-- GMOs are a discussion for a whole 'nother thread... and so is wheat and/or gluten for that matter. I was simply asked why I choose alfalfa-- and those are my reasons. I excluded atleast 90% of wheat from my diet last January and without changing anything else I lost 40 lbs within a few months... It is to each their own preference and maybe I am a real "quack" but that is my preference....

 

[LindaB220]

See my above post--- I am not sure of the specifics of how something is titled "GMO"-- but it has been scientifically altered over the years. I am not going to post anything more on it though-- GMOs are a discussion for a whole 'nother thread... and so is wheat and/or gluten for that matter. I was simply asked why I choose alfalfa-- and those are my reasons. I excluded atleast 90% of wheat from my diet last January and without changing anything else I lost 40 lbs within a few months... It is to each their own preference and maybe I am a real "quack" but that is my preference....

Gotcha!!!

Thoroughly understand.