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

[COChix]

Ok, so this isn't a new invention, but I think I've made it a bit better (in my opinion!).
We picked up some Seramas this last week and with the cold nights coming in and they're so tiny, I had to think of a way to keep them warm. We don't have a barn or a garage so it has to be something in the coop. A heat lamp is too hot and I don't like it being exposed where the chicks could burn themselves by mistake.
Welcome the cookie jar ceramic heater!

I've seen these with flower pots, but you have to tape a base on and the wide mouth of the flower pot takes up too much room in the coop.
With this cookie jar ($2 from a thrift store) I took off the knob handle on the top and drilled out the hole for the plug to fit through.
I then threaded the light cord through and taped the top so the light bulb won't fall to the bottom. I am using a 25watt red bulb and it gets plenty warm without being too hot to touch.
The non tapered shape means it won't take up unnecessary space in the coop and the tall shape makes for a more even distribution of heat.
Also, being top loaded rather then the bulb being at the bottom means that where the hens rest up against is never the hottest part of the jar.
It's easy loading and checking of the bulb, rather then having to untape the base every time.

Nice take on this heater set up. Thanks for sharing.

 

[bruceha2000]

It just occurred to me that the plastic "curtains" that some people train their chickens to go through (pop door) to keep out the cold wind in winter might have a year round benefit of keeping out doves and crows etc? Just a thought....

Don't know about crows, they are pretty smart but it is certainly cheap and worth a try.

 

[Leahs Mom]

It just occurred to me that the plastic "curtains" that some people train their chickens to go through (pop door) to keep out the cold wind in winter might have a year round benefit of keeping out doves and crows etc? Just a thought....

I moved my chickens to the pole barn last winter and they haven't gone back to the coop yet. Their pen is by the big sliding door, so when I open the door for them it is the whole height of the sliding door which I only open back about 3 ft or so wide.

I was concerned about birds flying in and making themselves at home in the barn. Not to mention hawks just flying right inside after fleeing chickens.

I hung some plastic chicken netting up in the door way and roll it up just high enough for the chickens to go under. I use a small bungie cord to keep it from blowing in the wind, and I can just unhook the bungie to go through to the outside if I want, then re-hook.

It's a totally changeable setup so it's not permanent and very easy to do.

So far - birds have used that setup for a year and I haven't had a single bird in the building.


Here is a photo looking into where they enter the barn so you can get the idea. I'll have to take a close-up photo showing the netting hanging in the doorway as this one doesn't show it and I'm not at home right now. (There's a dog-kennel pen that's 12 x 16 just inside...a nice place to hang out in the winter when no one wants to go out.)

 

[aart]

It just occurred to me that the plastic "curtains" that some people train their chickens to go through (pop door) to keep out the cold wind in winter might have a year round benefit of keeping out doves and crows etc? Just a thought....

I've read of several folks who have used the plastic strips to keep wild bird out of the coop.
They install the strips 2 at a time, starting at the outside edges, every few days to get them used to brushing thru them.

 

[Leahs Mom]

If I was using the hen shed with the pop door with wild birds getting in I'd sure try those strips as long as I could get the chickens trained to go through.



Here are the photos of the plastic netting in the barn slider.

From the outside looking in. Note the little bungie near the bottom right. The larger bungie across the middle I only use if there are high winds.



Inside looking out:


A the top - just rolled and tied with a rope. Makes the netting re-usable somewhere else if I quit using this setup.




An eye hook.



Near the bottom. Small bungie just keeps it from blowing in the wind. Unhook the bungie to go in and out and to shut the slider.

Netting is inside the slider.Double hook on the stationary side; eye hook in the wood and hooked to the fence keeps it from moving/blowing in the wind.



Double hook/eye hook up close.

I also use the double hooks to catch the roll at the bottom making the height completely adjustable when/if needed.

 

[appps]

I don't. Suppose anyone has seen or come up with any cheap ways to get heating to a coop that has no power, say a cheap solar solution or such?

I'm actually coming into summer and have some 3week brooder chicks I am able to put outside of a day without heat but our night temps are still around 15c (59f) so a bit cold to move outside at night (there are only two of them so they wouldn't generate much body heat). I am very quickly getting over having them in my lounge room.

I did find this solar panel http://www.bunnings.com.au/projecta-12v-1-5w-portable-solar-panel-_p4330102 but I'm not sure what the next step is. Do you think something like that would run anything?

 

[bruceha2000]

I don't. Suppose anyone has seen or come up with any cheap ways to get heating to a coop that has no power, say a cheap solar solution or such?

I'm actually coming into summer and have some 3week brooder chicks I am able to put outside of a day without heat but our night temps are still around 15c (59f) so a bit cold to move outside at night (there are only two of them so they wouldn't generate much body heat). I am very quickly getting over having them in my lounge room.

I did find this solar panel http://www.bunnings.com.au/projecta-12v-1-5w-portable-solar-panel-_p4330102 but I'm not sure what the next step is. Do you think something like that would run anything?

1.5w? Nope, won't run a thing. I expect the only thing it might be able to do is trickle charge a 12V battery (which is what the description says it is good for). AT BEST, if you have 12 hours of sunlight, you will generate 18 watts of power. There is loss when charging a battery, then again when pulling it back out. More than likely a "perfect angle, sun for 12 hours" day will give you a total of ~12 watts usable at the "device". Which means you could run a SMALL LED light for 2, maybe 3 hours. Certainly nothing like enough power to run a heating device.

I take it there is no way to run an extension cord to the coop? How far is it from the closest protected outdoor outlet? You only need it for a week, max. The birds should be fully feathered by then and not need any supplemental heat..

 

[Chipper Chicken]

I don't. Suppose anyone has seen or come up with any cheap ways to get heating to a coop that has no power, say a cheap solar solution or such?

I'm actually coming into summer and have some 3week brooder chicks I am able to put outside of a day without heat but our night temps are still around 15c (59f) so a bit cold to move outside at night (there are only two of them so they wouldn't generate much body heat). I am very quickly getting over having them in my lounge room.

I did find this solar panel http://www.bunnings.com.au/projecta-12v-1-5w-portable-solar-panel-_p4330102 but I'm not sure what the next step is. Do you think something like that would run anything?

Try this website......
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/SolarGarageCollector/garcol.htm

Or this one.......

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/solar_barn_project.htm#2012

Or...this still isn't the pop cans from the original Mother Earth news article, but it's a lot easier and slightly more efficient to use the aluminum screen.....
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/HouseTS/RobTS.htm

The "old" way of building this was with aluminum cans, it's on this website somewhere....but I think they use aluminum window/door bug screen on this build.

 

[appps]

1.5w? Nope, won't run a thing. I expect the only thing it might be able to do is trickle charge a 12V battery (which is what the description says it is good for). AT BEST, if you have 12 hours of sunlight, you will generate 18 watts of power. There is loss when charging a battery, then again when pulling it back out. More than likely a "perfect angle, sun for 12 hours" day will give you a total of ~12 watts usable at the "device". Which means you could run a SMALL LED light for 2, maybe 3 hours. Certainly nothing like enough power to run a heating device.

I take it there is no way to run an extension cord to the coop? How far is it from the closest protected outdoor outlet? You only need it for a week, max. The birds should be fully feathered by then and not need any supplemental heat..

Well bother.
Do you think only another week? I was counting down the reduce temp by 3c per week and thinking it's going to be another month? Or does it sort of plateau out when they feather up and you don't need the gradual decreases?

 

[appps]

Try this website......
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/SolarGarageCollector/garcol.htm

Or this one.......

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/solar_barn_project.htm#2012

Or...this still isn't the pop cans from the original Mother Earth news article, but it's a lot easier and slightly more efficient to use the aluminum screen.....
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/HouseTS/RobTS.htm

The "old" way of building this was with aluminum cans, it's on this website somewhere....but I think they use aluminum window/door bug screen on this build.

Thank you!!