Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

Modifications to the Chicken Coop Feeder Support

I have had my hanging feeder suspended from a 2X4 that I just put across the width of the chicken coop...

For the past 4 years, it has worked great for me. However, my new chicks I got this spring have grown up and started to roost on that 2X4 instead to the roosts I have for them on the far end of the coop.

As you can imagine, the problem is that they started to poo on the feeder suspended below...

Good thing I have a cover on the feeder. But they were also pooing on the waterer and even a corner of the nest boxes...

It was to the point that I had to clean up that stuff every day. The new pullets would not roost on the 2X4's on the far end of the coop. I needed to make a change.

I was thinking of all kinds to ways to make it impossible for the chickens to roost on that feeder support 2X4. Everything from twirly spinners to wedge shaped add ons and lots of other ideas that would have made roosting on that 2X4 hard for them.

It took me a few days to come up with idea just to install a scrap piece of pallet wood 2X4 suspended from the rafters and attach the feeder chain to that board...

So, zooming out, here is a picture of the working end of my chicken coop...

I live in northern Minnesota. As you can see, all I have to do is open up the back door in the winter and both the food and water are right there for me. It's important for me to keep them inside the coop and out of the elements outside. My waterer sits on a heated metal base and it has kept the water ice free down to -35F in the dead of winter. I don't think it would work nearly as well if it was outside exposed to the wind. Basically, my chickens live in the coop for the snow months, so everything is right there for them.

Well, now they won't be roosting above the feeder and waterer, pooing on them in the dead of winter, which would cause all kinds of problems in frozen temps. I was glad to solve this problem now. Nothing is fun to work on when it gets really cold.

 

[chickengr]

My turkeys deliberately burry eggs.

my dutch bantams burry eggs too. thank you for reminding me, I must check them.

my goats are happy in there new house and run (coral?)

 

[gtaus]

my goats are happy in there new house and run (coral?)

Sounds great. If you ever get the tech to take some pictures and post, we would love to see them.

I keep asking Dear Wife if we can get some goats, but she is a hard no on that idea. I guess I'll have to be OK with a small backyard flock of chickens.

 

[gtaus]

I have been making more pallet wood chicken wire protective cages for my raised beds. Today, I ripped a bunch of pallet wood planks to make more cages, but 3-feet tall with the new chicken wire I just bought. Those will be used for the Roma tomatoes and my pepper plants. I also found more 8-foot long salvaged 2X4's to make yet another trellis system for another raised bed. So, those projects are coming along good. The deer will have to somewhere else for free food next summer!

In the meantime, between working on the protective cages, I filled up my tiered compost bin that I moved alongside my chicken run gate...

And I filled up another raised bed protective cage full of leaves today...

I have some tarps to put on them and then put on the tops. That should keep the snow out. I suspect I have more leaves than I need for the winter, but come spring, if I still have leaves in those cages, I'll just dump them in the chicken run before I plant in the raised beds.

As many leaves as I have stored already, I can tell you that the leaves are only starting to fall heavy now. I don't know how many leaves will get collected for the chicken run or to fill these cages, but I have lots of leaves yet to mow up in the next few weeks. It's my favorite time of the year. And I don't mind mowing every other day to clean up leaves off the grass.

 

[Sally PB]

I used to dread raking leaves in the fall. With all the huge oak trees around the house, we get a LOT of leaves. And oaks don't drop their leaves and be done with it, no sireeee! It's a long slow process.

Since I found out how very useful leaves are in the garden and the chicken run, I look at the work of raking leaves as an investment in time that pays off in fewer weeds and better soil in the garden and fun for the chickens.

After they get over their fear of the Scary Big Pile of Leaves.

 

[gtaus]

I used to dread raking leaves in the fall. With all the huge oak trees around the house, we get a LOT of leaves. And oaks don't drop their leaves and be done with it, no sireeee! It's a long slow process.

Yep, it's a long slow process. This time of year, I mow my yard two or three times per week to vacuum up the falling leaves. I have found that if I mow them up as they fall, I do not get to the point where there is a thick mat of leaves that clogs up my riding mowers. Also, if it rains and freezes, I don't want a thick mat of leaves on the ground to block out and kill all my grass in the spring.

I still have leaf rakes, but mostly I use my riding mowers, collect the leaves in the grass collection bins, and then dump the leaves in the chicken run and now, in those pallet wood chicken wire cages I built for my raised beds.

Since I found out how very useful leaves are in the garden and the chicken run, I look at the work of raking leaves as an investment in time that pays off in fewer weeds and better soil in the garden and fun for the chickens.

It's like having money on the ground! So many good uses for leaves around the homestead.

I can hardly believe, back in the day, that we used to rake up all those leaves and burn them! What a waste. But back then I did not know or appreciate the value of leaves. Having chickens has opened my eyes to many home recycling efforts.

Some chicken TV pictures with leaves in my chicken run...

 

[gtaus]

Update on Menards Pallet Drop Off Policy

I was in town today and made a stop at Menards. I noticed that they had a small stack of 4 or 5 pallets at their drop off location. I carefully read the sign and it only stated that you could drop off your used pallets. So, I went inside and asked customer service if I could take them to make a compost bin, for example. The customer service rep called his manager, and the answer was you can only drop off pallets, you cannot pick them up for your use.

That was a disappointment. I don't know if that is just their local Menards policy here in town, or at all their stores. I suspect, like Home Depot, they are in the business of selling lumber and don't want to give any wood away, even if it's an old used pallet.

Not a really big deal for me because I have other sources of free pallets. I just like to add new sites for free pallets because sometimes one place might be out, but another might have some. I have enough pallets in my backyard storage that I won't get upset if I end up with an empty bed in the pickup on my way home. So, it's all good. Just thought I would update the thread on what I learned today.

 

[Molpet]

Update on Menards Pallet Drop Off Policy

View attachment 3958107

I was in town today and made a stop at Menards. I noticed that they had a small stack of 4 or 5 pallets at their drop off location. I carefully read the sign and it only stated that you could drop off your used pallets. So, I went inside and asked customer service if I could take them to make a compost bin, for example. The customer service rep called his manager, and the answer was you can only drop off pallets, you cannot pick them up for your use.

That was a disappointment. I don't know if that is just their local Menards policy here in town, or at all their stores. I suspect, like Home Depot, they are in the business of selling lumber and don't want to give any wood away, even if it's an old used pallet.

Not a really big deal for me because I have other sources of free pallets. I just like to add new sites for free pallets because sometimes one place might be out, but another might have some. I have enough pallets in my backyard storage that I won't get upset if I end up with an empty bed in the pickup on my way home. So, it's all good. Just thought I would update the thread on what I learned today.

So far I have had this experience,
people buy pallets from the companies or the drivers trade for the delivered ones.

 

[gtaus]

So far I have had this experience,
people buy pallets from the companies or the drivers trade for the delivered ones.

Ace Hardware sells pallets at their store. I take a pass on them. There are a number of other businesses in town that are happy to give pallets away for free because it costs them money to dispose of them at the landfill.

Some businesses, like Harbor Freight, are starting to send pallets back to the shipper for credit. I used to get a lot of pallets from Harbor Freight, but not so many anymore. Too bad for me, but I would rather see those pallets being sent back to the shippers for credit than dumped in our landfills as waste.

I still have a number of places in town that are happy to let me take their pallets for free. So, I'm good for now.

Although I have more pallet wood than I need at present, I will still run by the businesses that give out free pallets and look for the best condition pallets and/or special size or type pallets. I really like to find a shipping pallet with special hardware still on them, like those Torx head screws or lag screws. That hardware has value.

Speaking of hardware, on my last run to our local Bobcat dealership to load up those extra long pallets, I picked up some metal banding straps. At first, I was just going to toss them into the trash pile. But the bands were in really good shape so I put a couple of them in the back of the Explorer to take home. I don't have a clue what I can use them for, but I hope to think of something, someday, and then I will feel like a genius for not tossing them into the trash bin!

Google picture of metal banding straps like I picked up...

If I cut the band and stretched it out, it would be about 16 feet long.

Does anybody have any ideas for reusing metal banding? Would love to hear any suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Molpet]

Ace Hardware sells pallets at their store. I take a pass on them. There are a number of other businesses in town that are happy to give pallets away for free because it costs them money to dispose of them at the landfill.

Some businesses, like Harbor Freight, are starting to send pallets back to the shipper for credit. I used to get a lot of pallets from Harbor Freight, but not so many anymore. Too bad for me, but I would rather see those pallets being sent back to the shippers for credit than dumped in our landfills as waste.

I still have a number of places in town that are happy to let me take their pallets for free. So, I'm good for now.

Although I have more pallet wood than I need at present, I will still run by the businesses that give out free pallets and look for the best condition pallets and/or special size or type pallets. I really like to find a shipping pallet with special hardware still on them, like those Torx head screws or lag screws. That hardware has value.

Speaking of hardware, on my last run to our local Bobcat dealership to load up those extra long pallets, I picked up some metal banding straps. At first, I was just going to toss them into the trash pile. But the bands were in really good shape so I put a couple of them in the back of the Explorer to take home. I don't have a clue what I can use them for, but I hope to think of something, someday, and then I will feel like a genius for not tossing them into the trash bin!

Google picture of metal banding straps like I picked up...

View attachment 3958249


If I cut the band and stretched it out, it would be about 16 feet long.

Does anybody have any ideas for reusing metal banding? Would love to hear any suggestions. Thanks.

I seen on tv where some forgers made blades LOl,a new hobby for you

I have drilled holes as needed and used it instead of plumber's strap