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

[cabinchicky]

I need to do the cup hook idea! one EE is mental and tips baskets for giggles. Oh! to the person who (I can't find your name ); showed feather duster in brooding box thank you for sharing!! the love it! Hubby thought half disappeared at first till they ran out.

 

[jorey]

Word of caution on the feather dusters..I lost two chicks because they tangled themselves in it and choked. These were ostrich feather ones. I know there are other types but these looked wonderfully soft. Other feather types may work better. I love the idea but hesitant to buy anymore.

 

[Kassaundra]

I use the "cheap" ones, no way at all for them to get tangled the feathers are to short and stiff. I've brooded several batches in the feathers w/o any negative issues at all.

I would say just switch to the cheap short firm ones, or trim your long soft ones.

 

[jorey]

@Kassaundrathank you. Never thought of trimming them. I just put them ( had bought 3) in with cleaning stuff so they are still brand new. Lol. Will trim them up tonight as I have new chicks going in brooder tonight.

 

[cabinchicky]

Kassandra that was darn good idea with the dusters and I had trimmed ones I did find. the hard part was finding them since the swiffer came out.

 

[she-earl]

Question on the feather dusters for the chicks - How far away from the heat lamp do they need to be so as not to be a "fire-hazard?

Also wondering about the bird feeders being used for chicken feeders. What type(s) of feeders work best? What type of chicken feed works in them? For instance, would a chicken be able to get pelleted feed out of a goldfinch feeder or would it need to be ground feed? Would ground feed get spilled around from a bird feeder that would hold sunflower seeds? Do you need to match the type of feed to the type of feeder?

 

[Kassaundra]

I don't know inches to tell you, but I've not had issues w/ them getting to hot. I would think the bigger problem would be w/ the plastic handles.

 

[Irishhenman]

Question on the feather dusters for the chicks - How far away from the heat lamp do they need to be so as not to be a "fire-hazard?

Also wondering about the bird feeders being used for chicken feeders.  What type(s) of feeders work best?  What type of chicken feed works in them?  For instance, would a chicken be able to get pelleted feed out of a goldfinch feeder or would it need to be ground feed?  Would ground feed get spilled around from a bird feeder that would hold sunflower seeds?  Do you need to match the type of feed to the type of feeder?

I use tube feeders, the type you would put sunflower seeds or wild bird mix into, in other words the type with the big entrance hole. I feed pellets, whole wheat and chick crumb in them. Chickens wouldn't be able to get their beaks onto a gold finch feeder. I wouldn't use any type of mash feed in them because it would get scattered.

 

[WhySayWhat]

So they actually jump up into the crate? I was going to use those in my new coop but sit them on the side so they could just walk in. I'm not sure which way to put them now.

My chickens use an old high-sided litter box (that our cats deemed "too small" to use). They prefer it over the second nest box we put in to stop the nest box fights (a Rubbermaid container with one low side that you can get into while still stacked)! It's a covered litter box, but they kept knocking the top off, so I removed it.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Your coop is really nice!