"RRR" (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle) Let's hear it!!

[blondiebee181]

Hello BYC World! I want to hear how YOU are implementing "RRR" in your chicken keeping routines! Here are a couple of my most recent ideas:




Now, in the past I've typically just thrown my shells onto the compost heap, but I've finally decided to save and crush them to either feed back or use on this years' tomatoes.




We shred A LOT of paper at work....and we don't have recycling set up (yet) so I'm testing the durability of it as litter material!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I recycle my eggs back to the chickens to cut down on my feed bill. I get way too many eggs to use so my birds get weekly helpings of scrambled eggs and the crushed egg shells on the side.

 

[lazy gardener]

Bring groceries home in boxes. Keeps the boxes out of the dumpster, and they can then be burned for heat/kindling, used in compost, used under mulch in garden or orchard. Collect bagged leaves from your community to use as litter. Share your extra veggies with neighbors and friends. If you buy prepared spaghetti sauce, buy the brand that comes in a canning jar. Save those jars for HWB canning. Have a lobster or clam feed? bring those shells home and let the chickens work them over, or bury them in the garden. Want some house plants? Dig up some parsley, mint, or other herbs and bring them in for the winter. Start some ginger and sweet potato slips from the grocery store. Winter over a geranium or two. In very early spring, you can cut the branches off, and root each one to produce new plants. The base or mother plant will grow back more bushy than before. Same can be done with citronella, which makes a wonderful nest box additive to repel mites. Ferment your chicken feed. Run all of your errands in a single day to save gas. Purchase animal feed when you have a discount coupon. Planning ahead allows me to almost always use coupons or other store discounts so my feed is less expensive. Today, I had $5 coupon for $25 purchase. Found that the brand of feed I usually buy was $13.99, while competing brand was $10.59. With coupon, and extra purchases to get purchase price up to $25, I came home with 2 bags of feed, some seeds that I'd been coveting, and a seedling tray and flat for less than $21.

 

[donrae]

Pretty much all food scraps go to the birds. Some things I know they won't eat go directly to the compost.

continually working to get feeders to waste less feed.

I buy feed in bulk, so I don't get many feed sacks. What I do get, I use under my roosts to collect poop.

chicken poop gets composted.

Chickens are released regularly to work the compost pile and the large livestock living areas. This gives them exercise, mentally and physically. Healthier birds are hardier birds. Also cuts down on flies from the manure piles. also gives the birds some nutrition, so less $ on feed.

Wood stove ashes go to the coop for dust bathing.

Used bedding goes to compost or directly on garden beds, depending on time of year, etc.

Construction is usually from scrap piles of materials we've accumulated over the years.

I rarely purchase things marketed for chickens or chicken owners. Yes, a cute egg basket is cute, but some of those prices? I use an old coffee container. Feed scoop? Same thing.

Keep an eye on CL or other for sale sites, looking for dog kennels or wire crates. You always seem to need one or two for something, an ill bird, unexpected chicks, whatever. Picking them up cheap at your leisure is better than needing one and going to PetCo and paying $$$ for a new one.

Speaking of PetCo, don't buy any chicken supplies at "pet" stores. You'll always pay more. You may think of your flock as pets, but purchase their supplies at a farm/ranch store. You'll get much better prices. Buy feed in 50lb bags unless you have only 4 or so birds. Buy shavings in the big compressed bale, not the cute little bag. Shavings don't go bad, just keep them dry and you can use them forever.

 

[blondiebee181]

I had this cool idea last year to try making my old feed sacks into re-usable shopping bags, but not having a sewing machine kinda put a damper on that plan...I have a bunch of grass seed/old garden seeds laying around that I'm thinking of making sprouted fodder with next!

 

[lazy gardener]

I had this cool idea last year to try making my old feed sacks into re-usable shopping bags, but not having a sewing machine kinda put a damper on that plan...I have a bunch of grass seed/old garden seeds laying around that I'm thinking of making sprouted fodder with next!

Please re think that plan re: fodder. Seed that is meant for gardening may be treated with insecticides or fungicides. You need food grade seed, even animal food grade seed to be safe.

 

[blondiebee181]

It's cert. organic seed.