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

[perchie.girl]

Pennies? Really? Thanks. I thought I was just seeing the color of his skin through some clear plastic bushings.

I have plenty of washers to use.

I think I have figured out the dimensions well enough from the photos that I can replicate this feeder.

It looks in the video like LoveOfChicken may have added a spring or something to the side later. Before the video, he wrote a message saying it needed some details. I hope he sees this thread again soon and gives me some tips! Where are you, Oh Great Builder of Feeders? lol

That spring would be a linkage of some sort. Kind of a stretched out Z shape.... You could tinker with a coat hanger Believe it or not the meerest change in lenght may cause the mechanism to fail. Once you got the right lenght you could substitute an adjustable linkage.... (Threaded rod with a turnbuckle) OR simply cut a piece of wood or steel the right length and screw it in place. It has to be rigid to open AND close the little door.

deb

 

[fortyfivefarm]

I can't remember if I put this on here...I used an old batting cage net for my run.

That's a great idea! We are going to be building a larger flight pen and have been researching ways to cover it. Adding this to my notes.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Chickens rarely poo in their nest.... The nest floor itself will be covered with nest matting the kind that comes with roll out nest boxes. You can buy it by the sheet I believe.... Any way it has a nap that will encourage the egg to roll in one direction... The vibration of just simply standing up in the nest should make it roll. This stuff can be pulled out and washed if needed. but I can do some experiments with Obsticals to see if its a real problem.

The top of the nest will be completely hinged for a clear look and cleaning if necessary. Plus the drawer will have similar or the same material. Also there will be spaces behind the drawer to push debris out and into the coop in case something falls down the slot before I get the drawer in place.

Part of the reason I am doing this design is It gets very hot up at my house. And sometimes I cant get up there for a couple of days.... so I want the eggs to be collected automatically and stored out of sight. And to keep egg eating from getting started. The drawer can be situated on the wall of the aisle so I can collect eggs without having to go into the coop.

The same will be for feeding and watering the coop. I dont want to go into the partitions unless I have somethinng long term to do like cleaning. I walk with a walker or Recently with crutches (an experiment), And I have to committ myself to a single task at a time.

By the way I am going to use poop hammocks too for this coop redesign..... Most pooping is done on the roost.... eight hours of it.... So by hanging canvas under the roosts in the form of a hammock you can collect the poo. It dries very quickly this way and you can leave it in place for a good week without emptying it. Then the hammock is removed, the poo dumped where ever you want it, and Rinsed if needed. No bedding collected to clean.... Matter of fact bedding is only needed to make the place look and smell nice.

I use rice hulls when needed but mostly my coop and runs are dirt floored.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

So sorry to hear about you losing your chickens, sketch book, and car!

I had not heard of tunnel nests, so I just looked it up. Wish I had heard of that interesting idea a month ago before I made several new nest boxes. It sounds like an interesting idea, and your drawing looks great. Best wishes for you--may your first prototype turn out to be perfect!

I am HOPING.... the Guineas will like the tunnel nests.... Crossing fingers here.... In the wild they lay their eggs in a scrape in the undrebrush.... Those eggs are tough... I have seen the guineas kicking them about as they rush around the coop. I am hoping I can collect them and hatch them using Game fowl.

By the way just a kids wooden Toybox should be able to do quite nicely as long as you dont need the roll out function.

deb

 

[Pancholoco]

A cent washers!!! Cheaper than the metal ones they cost 6 cents…

 

[260906]

A cent washers!!! Cheaper than the metal ones they cost 6 cents…

Aren't you the smart one?! I've heard you have to spend money to make money, so I guess you did. Lol.

So, in the video of your feeder, am I seeing a spring or extra support rod of some kind added on to the right side of the feeder? Were you having trouble with it closing properly? I wondered if the feed ever got piled up by the chickens so that it blocked the door.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
Illegal too..... don't let the Secret Service find that out.

 

[Pancholoco]

Pennies? Really? Thanks. I thought I was just seeing the color of his skin through some clear plastic bushings.

I have plenty of washers to use.

I think I have figured out the dimensions well enough from the photos that I can replicate this feeder.

It looks in the video like LoveOfChicken may have added a spring or something to the side later. Before the video, he wrote a message saying it needed some details. I hope he sees this thread again soon and gives me some tips! Where are you, Oh Great Builder of Feeders? lol

Yup, I added a spring to one side of the feeder to return lid to 'Closed" position. I'm not a very good english writer but I'll try to make a sketch(diagram, plans, etc) for you guys, also I'm trying to build a metal feeder. I need to buy or build a sheet metal brake, unfortunately I don't have too much time.

Thanks

 

[Pancholoco]

Illegal too..... don't let the Secret Service find that out.

Really? That its illegal?????

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
Defacing money is a felony even writing on money.

Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.