Recycled Chickens: Let's share what we do to save money and build with recycled materials

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Quote:
I know some use them for dust bath containers.

 

[Marty1876]

I havn't used tires with my birds yet. They might make a good alternate steps for my hen house, they don't like the steps I've got at all to go up and into it.

 

[Cknldy]

I'd love to have tire ideas too. People are always throwing out old tires since u have to pay to dump them legally. Nowhere around here accepts tires. When we bought our property years ago there were tires everywhere and i just can't think of what to reuse them for. Tried putting barrel lid on top of tire for large feed pan but chickens slipped around on it. Tire sides get slippery when wet!

 

[Roxannemc]

VERY CHEAP....Really HATE buying Hinges.... high $ for what they are..... so i have used rectangles of sheet vinyl folded in half for hinges(good quality thicker vinyl not the reall y thin cheap kind only need maybe 8 inches by 3 for each hinge on my large flap door to a very large brooder

Just use a washer when I put the screw or nail in so it wont go all the way thru seems to work fine. Also check your stuff headed for the trash for any container with hinges or latches..Or garage sale might have something that is almost free broken with a latch or hinge cMaye a suitcase?
Have old cabinets sinks or changing out your hardware on yours?
Use those for your coops Can even be used for lighter doors
. I have shutters on some of my wire coop windows and used every old cabinet hinge I had on them,.Works great
also sometimes for a washer i use a piece of sheet vinyl.just cant screw a screw in really tight or it will go thru.
I havent tried this but ;possibly even an aluminum can can be cut and used for a hinge or even safer a milk carton. Or an old leather purse or jacket cut up(very easy to cut with scissors) Leather is very strong and this was used many years ago for just this on some things and shrinkswhen wet so stresatching will be taken up.
.Actuall may not last forever but an inside coop material like sailcloth or duck very thick material will work too. for a hinge

 

[backyardcelia]

i love the idea of steps.... even if it were steps to nowhere/a stupa...lol, i can't think of what people call it, a centerpiece, a focal point, a .... in any case, what a 'natural' idea, in that they are ready available in graduated sizes....plus, it will house concrete no problem, yes?

hinges..........BRILLIANT!!!!! wow. so many ideas unhinging!!!!

here is my q., the only time in the past i had one offered, my use would have been a herb bed..... but i didn't want to grow my herbs in an old rubber tire. i wondered about toxicity leeching into whatever... and then i didn't have to give it any more consideration, as i did not have the space or access to 'odd' tires. now i have both. so any thoughts would be appreciated


i made my dust bath area with a turtle sandbox top. (we use the turtle as a cat liter box)

 

[Oakieridge]

We used all recycled wood and sheet metal for our large coop project. I wanted 10 pens with individual coops and runs for breeding birds and out of those 10 2 would be larger one for layer hens and one for guineas to use at night. We did have to buy the wire but doors were all recycled screen doors covered with wire when we ran out of the doors we used fence panels. The coops were built out of cedar trees dh cut down and all the boards were milled from those trees. Then the sides were covered with old sheet metal that had been laying around the property when we bought it and fence panels a neighbor was going to burn! I got 10 really nice pens. All the smaller pens have coops of 4'x3' and then 4'x10' yards, the layers have a larger pen and so do the guineas. The building in the pic is our old coop that we bought at a yard sale for $40 (only in the south can you find a chicken coop at a yard sale, lol). Ignore the sink sitting there dh is going to someday hook it into the water faucet there and I will have a place right by the coops to wash water and feed dishes. Well I thought I had a picture of the entire thing this is the long end then to the left of the pic is the edge of the old coop and then there are 3 more in this row on the other side of that. We have more recycled coops/pens I will post pics of later.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Oooo, you all are talented. I love it. I've found a few goodies that my hens seem to like.
Someone had left this rickety old ladder with a free sign on it. I propped it up against the fence in their run and gave it a quick sand and the hens love to perch up on the rungs and preen.

I also have several cinder blocks around my run. These are super cheep if you don't have any lying around. You can run 2x4" through them or thick branches to make perching areas for your hens. I also use them as "plates" and put treats around in several places around their run so that everyone gets some. I know they've eaten off the ground for thousands of years but I just can't bring myself to toss treats on the ground.

I also had a wood pecker suet block basket that I scrubbed up and hang in their run off a few nails. I can grab a fist full of greens and jam it in there and let them work at that all day long.

And my favorite, sorry no photo, is to take an old gallon bleach container and cut it into the shape of a scoop and I use that to transfer feed from the bag into their feeder. Rinse it out well of course before you use it. I like the bleach containers over vinegar or other things because it's stronger plastic.

 

[Cknldy]

i love the idea of steps.... even if it were steps to nowhere/a stupa...lol, i can't think of what people call it, a centerpiece, a focal point, a .... in any case, what a 'natural' idea, in that they are ready available in graduated sizes....plus, it will house concrete no problem, yes? I was googling old tire recycling and came across an article that said just that- old tires leech zinc and other chemicals used to bond the rubber when it is wet or with wet soil. Saw ideas for cutting tires in half as chicken waterers but after I read the article i'm sticking with what i have. Not chancing it!

hinges..........BRILLIANT!!!!! wow.   so many ideas unhinging!!!!

here is my q., the only time in the past i had one offered, my use would have been a herb bed..... but i didn't want to grow my herbs in an old rubber tire. i wondered about toxicity leeching into whatever... and then i didn't have to give it any more consideration, as i did not have the space or access to 'odd' tires. now i have both.  so any thoughts would be appreciated


i made my dust bath area with a turtle sandbox top. (we use the turtle as a cat liter box)

 

[Cknldy]

Oakieridge- I love it! I had that type of plan on my head but not enough flat land to do it. I'm building little pallet coops with runs for trios. Right now i'm working on a bachelor coop for rir roo so the ladies get a break.

vinyl fence scraps thrown out on our property- propped up for the pic but will be wrapped in wire with hinged top for cleaning access.

 

[SonSet Farm]

I love how my creative son provided a roost for our back yard flock!! They lovee their swimming pool ladder roost! We love how they seem to have a favorite step, and go to the same one each night! I love how it is a good width for their feet. Works like a charm! And best of all, when the time comes we pull it out and it hoses off clean as a whistle in no time flat!