Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

Hot pink makes it easier to find. Just sayin.

Nope!

 

[Molpet]

Nope!

I had trouble with the guys at work not returning my tools. They were engraved with our names so they couldn't say they thought it was theirs.
I would paint mine pink and purple. I did find a pink box cutter and bought it.

 

[Smokerbill]

I had trouble with the guys at work not returning my tools. They were engraved with our names so they couldn't say they thought it was theirs.
I would paint mine pink and purple. I did find a pink box cutter and bought it.

I used to paint all my tools neon green. Very visible.

 

[gtaus]

Well, I went through some of the long 2X4's that I salvaged recently, and it looks like I have enough ~8-footers to add an upright trellis system to maybe 3 more of my raised beds. That will be good for growing those indeterminate tomato plants on the string/rope method.

Picture of my previous pallet wood trellis build...

That worked good for me this year with one bed growing tomatoes on ropes and another bed that I had some cucumbers growing up the 2X4 inch fencing. But I ran out of that 2X4 inch fencing so I might have to get more. Or just grow more tomatoes on ropes.

I made some chicken wire pallet wood panels for the sides of those upright trellises. That should keep the deer out. Unfortunately, I can't find those photos right now, so I'll have to take some new pics later. But the goal is to enclose the trellis beds as well as the other beds.

EDIT: I found one of the pictures of a chicken wire pallet wood frame I made for the upright trellis posts. I plan on having wire all around the trellis beds next year. Anyways, here is the pic I found of my first frame inserted into the trellis posts...

I bought a 50-foot roll of 3-foot chicken wire at Menards. I plan on making some protective cages for my raised beds for the taller plants like the Roma tomatoes and my pepper plants. This year, those plants got over 2 feet tall but not up to 3 feet. So, I think that will be just the right size for some of my raised beds.

I bought enough chicken wire to make 3 more 3-foot-tall protective cages for the raised beds. I should have most of the cages covering the rasied beds next year.

I am still heartbroken about the deer eating all (dozens and dozens) of my almost ripe Roma tomatoes. I am determined not to make that mistake again and plan on having my garden beds protected next year. Out of 20 Roma plants in the garden, I think I got only about 6 Roma tomatoes before I lost everything to the darn deer.

So, I will have to protect the plants next year from the deer...

I am going to start with protecting the individual garden beds instead of thinking about putting up a fence around everything. I think that will work better for me.

I have considered a number of designs for my pallet wood protective covers, and I have now built a few cages, and think I will be going with the removable top cover combo like in this picture...

That cage is 2-foot-tall and I can easily reach down into it to work the raised garden bed and plants. I am hoping that I will be able to reach down into a 3-foot-tall cage as well. If not, it's not too much trouble to either lift the cage off if I need to, or maybe add some hinges to one side and prop up the cage with a stick(s) to work the garden beds.

The top frame pretty much stays in place just by its weight. I don't think I will need anything extra for that to stay in place. If I do, I think maybe just some zip ties to secure it and/or to use as hinges.

I was outside today measuring my raised beds. Although they all are more or less 4X4 feet, I went through a number of versions of my pallet wood raised bed builds and I cannot just build one cage size that fits all. The raised beds are not all the same size, off by maybe a few inches here and there, but I have maybe 3 or 4 of each version that are the same size. I will have to make a few adjustments in size but should be able to use the same basic design as in the picture above. Not a big deal. Later...

 

[gtaus]

Pallet Wood Nest Box Gate

I was busy yesterday working in my chicken coop. One of the things I built year or so ago was a pallet wood nest box gate to put up in front of my nest boxes. I have one hen that recently started sleeping in the nest box instead of roosting on the 2X4's with the other chickens.

A few pictures, stating with my nest boxes...

You can see the chicken poo in the nest box. I was cleaning that out every day and adding fresh litter to the box. But it had to stop.

Here is a closeup of the pallet wood gate I made. Nothing fancy, just gets the job done...

Late in the afternoon, after I make my last egg check for the day, I put up the nest box gate in front of the nest boxes and that prevents any hens from getting in and sleeping in the next box...

Then, at sunset when all the chickens are inside the coop for the night, and resting on the roost bars, I remove the gate. That way, they can get into the nest boxes in the morning for anyone needing to lay eggs before I get out to the coop and let the girls outside.

I actually would not care if a chicken wants to sleep in the nest box, but the problem, of course, is that they poo where they sleep, and I get tired of cleaning out the nest box(es) every day to make sure the eggs are cleaner.

That pallet wood gate does a great job in preventing them from sleeping in the nest boxes.

 

[gtaus]

Hidden Stash of Eggs Found!

I have 8 new pullets in my coop this year. They are just over 19 weeks old now and I was starting to see one or two small eggs show up in the nest boxes.

When I was working in the coop yesterday, I noticed there was a small white egg underneath the pop door ramp that goes outside. Well, new pullets don't always find the nest box right away, so I was not too surprised.

I went over to the ramp and picked up the small white egg. Then I noticed a couple of small brown eggs there as well. So I picked them up as well. But then I discovered that there were even more eggs there if I moved some of the paper shreds litter away. It looked like they laid some eggs and covered them up to hide them. I doubt that is how it happened, but I kept on digging and finding more and more small eggs in that spot. It was like digging out potatoes!

Anyways, here is a picture of the stash I found...

Dear Wife washed them off and hard boiled most of them. They were still all fresh, being the young pullets only started laying maybe a week ago. We also had some egg drop soup for supper.

Anyways, all the eggs were good so happy days.

BONUS: I used about a dozen of those small eggs to make pickled eggs for my salads. I just buy cans of pickled sliced beets and combine everything into a large jar. The pickled eggs are ready to eat in a few days...

If you like pickled beets, you will probably like these pickled beet eggs as well. You don't need to add any other spices or stuff like that. It's just that simple.

When I have a salad, I'll take out some of the beets and an egg or two to put on my salad. It's better than the buffet in town!

 

[Molpet]

My turkeys deliberately burry eggs.

. It looked like they laid some eggs and covered them up to hide them

 

[Sally PB]

I did find a pink box cutter and bought it.

I saw some that had flowers on them. I pointed them out to hubby and said, "For the woman in your life." He didn't buy it, as I use his tools.

I actually would not care if a chicken wants to sleep in the nest box, but the problem, of course, is that they poo where they sleep, and I get tired of cleaning out the nest box(es) every day to make sure the eggs are cleaner.

My hens are only allowed to sleep in nest boxes during molt when they're pin feathered. I have some nest blockers I use to keep Miss Broody Butt out of the nest. Not a pallet project, but a scrap wood left over one.

 

[gtaus]

I saw some [box cutters] that had flowers on them. I pointed them out to hubby and said, "For the woman in your life." He didn't buy it, as I use his tools.

Hubby needs a minor readjustment! Nothing wrong with you having some of your own tools. Dear Wife bought herself a small shovel for her flower gardens. It's not something I would have purchased for myself, but she is in love with it. I made a special place for her to hang her special shovel up in the garage so it's easy for her to access. It's not a big deal to me, but it meant a lot to her.

Happy wife, happy life...

My hens are only allowed to sleep in nest boxes during molt when they're pin feathered. I have some nest blockers I use to keep Miss Broody Butt out of the nest. Not a pallet project, but a scrap wood left over one.

Pallet wood, salvaged wood, scrap wood, it's all about the same. I just wanted to mention the nest box gate I made which cost me nothing but works great to keep the girls out of sleeping in the nests overnight.

 

[gtaus]

I finished building another trellis system for one of my raised beds. I will just post a few pics let them do most of the talking.

First of all, I picked out some of the ~8-foot long 2X4's I got from the long shipping pallets at our local Bobcat dealership...

Then I found some 4-foot 2X4's to make the top frame...

I plan on using this trellis for tomatoes, so I added three 2X4 cross members inside the frame to hang my tomato hooks and ropes. Then I lifted everything up into place and screwed the trellis posts into the raised bed...

That trellis system should last many years. The top frame with the cross pieces is needed for me to hang those tomato hooks with rope that I bought this spring...

That rope system really worked good for me this year. I had a couple of cherry tomato plants that got up to 8 feet high this year. For where I live, that's a fantastic height! The rope system with the plant clips is so easy. I loved it.

The only thing I mess up on this year is that I pruned the plants too much. I pinched off each and every sucker. As a result, I thought the plants looked too thin in green leaves. Next year, I will not prune as heavy.

Next project is to either build one more trellis system for another raised bed or start building some chicken wire panels to enclose the trellis system that are already built to keep out the deer. Depends on if I can find another 4 8-foot 2X4's in my wood pile. If not, I will start on making the chicken wire panels for the trellis beds. I am determined to keep the deer out next year!

I have more planned projects than I have the energy to build them. Maybe that's a good thing. I certainly don't lack for ideas or things to do. Anyways, this was on my to-do list so it's nice to post a picture or two of the completed trellis.