Poultry-Keeping life hacks

[Mrs. K]

This is a hack that comes from the chickens. I have a large chest freezer. I use feed sack to keep kinds of food together in the freezer - a bag for hamburger, one for steaks, one for roasts, one for chicken....

The bags are thin and don't take up any room, and strong so they don't tear. Works very well.

Mrs K

 

[rjmyooper]

There are many ways to save money. I stole this from someone on BYC; The DIY waterers need nipples, or you could use a Tupperware bowl with a hole cut into it. weigh it down in a busy duck coop.

 

[rjmyooper]

I have Ducks, so everything gets covered in poop. Kind of common sense, but I sit on a bucket with an easy open lid on it in the coop. I use it as a garbage can and I wash bowls and feeders out into the bucket and dump it out into the compost pile when I leave.
Also, I have a garden hose stretched into the coop for washing poopy stuff.
Did I mention all the poop?.

 

[igorsMistress]

This is a hack that comes from the chickens. I have a large chest freezer. I use feed sack to keep kinds of food together in the freezer - a bag for hamburger, one for steaks, one for roasts, one for chicken....

The bags are thin and don't take up any room, and strong so they don't tear. Works very well.

Mrs K

Great idea! I’m going to use this in my freezers for sure.

 

[igorsMistress]

I’m all about making my chores and flock care as easy as possible!

Deep litter is easy to maintain and means less cleaning, I do so about once a year.

Like all the others, old chairs are a great thing to reuse in the run. From roosts and places to hop on to providing shade or a place for a shy bird to hide.

Self filling poultry cups attached to a bucket are a great way to provide water. Far cheaper than waterers from a store too. I have 2 two gallon buckets for five chickens and water lasts a couple of days in the summer heat. Total cost was $24 for both.

I have learned to be proactive and spray my coop with permethrin from time to time. I’d rather treat the coop than the birds. I don’t spray the floor, but all the wood and cracks and crevices get it.

 

[Sally PB]

Whenever I'm digging in or around the garden, I keep a container to act as a "bug bucket." I'm finding a lot of grubs and a few wire worms now. They go into the bucket, along with some dirt. I tell the birds, "Bug snack!" when I bring that into the run, and dump it into a pie plate. Pest control and free protein for the chickens, all in one.

They know what "Bug snack!" means now.

 

[Mrs. K]

I got this hack from here, but do not remember who, but I remembered it when I was giving my coop a sweep out today.

Line your nests with cardboard. Then if there is a wreck, you can lift the whole thing out, and start over. I have done it ever since.

Mrs K

 

[rosemarythyme]

I got this hack from here, but do not remember who, but I remembered it when I was giving my coop a sweep out today.

Line your nests with cardboard. Then if there is a wreck, you can lift the whole thing out, and start over. I have done it ever since.

Mrs K

My version is similar, and I also got it from someone on here a few years back. I line nests with empty feed bags folded to fit the bottom. Lift and toss if it gets soiled.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

My version is similar, and I also got it from someone on here a few years back. I line nests with empty feed bags folded to fit the bottom. Lift and toss if it gets soiled.

THIS IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If I need broody nests (not boxes nor runs) > got to the dollars tore and get a plastic tray. They stack when in storage and are prefect sizes for most standard and bantam chickens