The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

I LOVE this idea! I also really like that you can easily disinfect the Pyrex on occasion. And my word, that planter box is the exact right height for your hens! Awesome. Added to my list of "To Do" before winter!

Wyn - I got that planter at Menards. I REALLY DID plan on planting some herbs in there and then putting it out in the chicken run after they had grown enough. I was going to let the birds "have at" them.
I even looked for wood that wasn't coated or wasn't made of treated lumber so stuff wasn't getting into the plants and Menards was the winner.

I guess it was just a "happy coincidence" that they fit the bread pans!

 

[Wynette]

Wow - great find, good on you for putting so much effort into finding something untreated.

I like the drywall mud pan idea, also! Boy, LOTS of good ideas here! Thanks, all!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I did use a chick trough type feeder (plastic) with the ff for awhile before I switched everything out to glass. It did literally eat at the plactic. Have you ever seen one of those plastic food containers after someone has left it in the microwave for too long cooking food? That's what the plastic chick feeder looked like after using it for about 2 mos.

I think that those drywall pans are a different plastic if they're holding up well. I love the looks of all the frames that Mumsy and Tip and Delisha made for their feeders! Those are what gave me the inspiration to check and see if the pans would fit the planter.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I was also able to purchase some old fashioned glass bases for quart canning jar chick waterers on ebay.

The bases look like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Vintage...565?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4612a7ec1d

Just fill a quart jar with water, put the glass base on top and turn it over (like those plastic ones...except glass!)

For the older girls, I put pyrex baking pans of water out during the summer for them to drink from and stand in to cool down if they like.

I wish new feeders and waterers were glass. I'm really not happy using plastic or metal. For lots of reasons.

 

[armorfirelady]

I did use a chick trough type feeder (plastic) with the ff for awhile before I switched everything out to glass. It did literally eat at the plactic. Have you ever seen one of those plastic food containers after someone has left it in the microwave for too long cooking food? That's what the plastic chick feeder looked like after using it for about 2 mos.

I think that those drywall pans are a different plastic if they're holding up well. I love the looks of all the frames that Mumsy and Tip and Delisha made for their feeders! Those are what gave me the inspiration to check and see if the pans would fit the planter.

I haven't seen any change in the inside of the drywall pans from the FF. I tend to check once in awhile. I agree that its a different plastic so maybe that's why it holds up better? The rubber feed bowls are holding up great as well tho I don't use them for FF more for food scraps and water.

The glass bowl I got are for the heated dog dishes. I didn't like the idea of the FF cooking in the plastic bowl in the heated dog bowl.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

RIP Cibolo
Our 30+ lb. Maine Coon died last night at 11 years old

I'm so sorry. I've always wanted a Maine Coon. They are amazing creatures.

 

[Leahs Mom]

RIP Cibolo
Our 30+ lb. Maine Coon died last night at 11 years old

Also wanted to say how sorry for your loss. Hard to lose a family member.

 

[Kassaundra]

I am a skimmer, so hopefully I am not restating something already said, but Chaos, your feeding chickens not the Queen of England, glass containers and enameled metal can be found cheap at goodwill, thrift stores and garage sales.

jockey, sorry for your loss, loosing a pet is always difficult.

 

[mlowen]

I use a plastic wallpaper trough from Lowe's in a 2x4 frame I built. It's also on 4 bricks to raise it a little above the litter. I put a small chain loosely across the top, to discourage standing (and pooping) in the feed. I can't upload pics with this iPad. It's pretty simple. If you want to see it, let me know.

 

[MumsyII]

After daily use with FF for an entire year, there is no visible deterioration of the mud pans. I am using two dozen that I've had in the garage for over twenty years. I used to use them for dry feed back in the late 1980's. A year ago I drilled holes in all of them and use them in every pen. The fermented feed I give my flock doesn't last more than a half hour before it's licked clean. None sits in the pans. I found the glass gets a build up of residue that is hard to clean off with out a thourough scrubbing. I don't have time for that. Sometimes I use a long handled brush and give the mud pans a once over but not often. The hose is all I need a couple times a week. I use the black rubber pans for water. I don't disinfect anything except my incubators and brooder in the house. My flock has built up a good tolerance for microbes. I don't vaccinate or medicate for anything. I cull sick birds. My breeding flocks and chicks are very healthy on this routine. I lose a very small percentage.