What have you repurposed while building ?
- Thread starter Birdsong 82
- Start date
Love the nest boxes
I feel like I have posted this in about 100 threads over the past few days, but each time it made sense. "Show me your poop boards" or "what have you done on your coop recently" type threads. So here we go again!
Used an old desk to make a roost, poop board, and nest boxes. All in one.
Used 2 by 4 studs since they are cheap. You can't see it from this photo, but I also screwed in some short pieces of 2 by 4 extending a few inches down the sides and back so that this frame can't shift around on the table top. So that it doesn't slide backwards, I have a couple short screws just inside the front frame running down into the desk top. This means I can still lift the entire rectangle vertically off the desk if I ever need to repair or replace. Or if I want to do a deep clean.
Roost bar is a 2 by 4. Bottom of roost bar is about 10 inches off desk top surface. Top of roost bar is right at a foot tall. Within about half an inch or so.
Under the desk you can see I put in two beams. Those support a thin sheet of wood that I cut to size. Makes my giant nest box. May divide the box down the road. Not sure. Not planning to even put the "floor" in the nest until closer to egg laying time/age. I don't want them sleeping in the nest. They can't sleep in there if it doesn't even have a floor! Haha.
Here are some progress pictures. This is before I put the front lip on the nest box.
Put a 1 by 6 lip on the front to keep nesting materials in. Bottom of 1 by 6 is about even with bottom of 2 by 4. So lip is about 4.5 inches high.
Not sure how or if I want to add a perch in front of the nest box lip. I might just see how they handle it as it is. Maybe a small ramp. but I don't want to take up more floor/walking space with another ramp.
Added a 1 by 6 by 6 foot ramp, but have not put cleats on it yet. It is screwed into the frame of the poop board at the top, and currently resting on a cinder block on the low end. Not a harsh angle. There is a giant boulder below the end of the ramp. Planning to screw in some 1 by 1 square wood cleats next time I get a chance. I have a ton of scrap lengths of deck railing verticals (1 by 1 square) left over that I am going to cut down to size for the cleats. Also planning to most likely wire the bottom of the ramp to one of the cinder blocks so that it can't shift or fall off. We will see.
Used an old desk to make a roost, poop board, and nest boxes. All in one.
Used 2 by 4 studs since they are cheap. You can't see it from this photo, but I also screwed in some short pieces of 2 by 4 extending a few inches down the sides and back so that this frame can't shift around on the table top. So that it doesn't slide backwards, I have a couple short screws just inside the front frame running down into the desk top. This means I can still lift the entire rectangle vertically off the desk if I ever need to repair or replace. Or if I want to do a deep clean.
Roost bar is a 2 by 4. Bottom of roost bar is about 10 inches off desk top surface. Top of roost bar is right at a foot tall. Within about half an inch or so.
Under the desk you can see I put in two beams. Those support a thin sheet of wood that I cut to size. Makes my giant nest box. May divide the box down the road. Not sure. Not planning to even put the "floor" in the nest until closer to egg laying time/age. I don't want them sleeping in the nest. They can't sleep in there if it doesn't even have a floor! Haha.
Here are some progress pictures. This is before I put the front lip on the nest box.
Put a 1 by 6 lip on the front to keep nesting materials in. Bottom of 1 by 6 is about even with bottom of 2 by 4. So lip is about 4.5 inches high.
Not sure how or if I want to add a perch in front of the nest box lip. I might just see how they handle it as it is. Maybe a small ramp. but I don't want to take up more floor/walking space with another ramp.
Added a 1 by 6 by 6 foot ramp, but have not put cleats on it yet. It is screwed into the frame of the poop board at the top, and currently resting on a cinder block on the low end. Not a harsh angle. There is a giant boulder below the end of the ramp. Planning to screw in some 1 by 1 square wood cleats next time I get a chance. I have a ton of scrap lengths of deck railing verticals (1 by 1 square) left over that I am going to cut down to size for the cleats. Also planning to most likely wire the bottom of the ramp to one of the cinder blocks so that it can't shift or fall off. We will see.
I scored these pieces of vinyl display signs from work today. I will turn them into poop boards with little effort. They are from an old display that was dismantled and thrown away. Each one is almost 8 inches wide and 4 feet long.
I'll take pictures of the final results after I get it done. Probably this weekend.
I'll take pictures of the final results after I get it done. Probably this weekend.
I just lost my two oldest CLB pullets (both turned 1 yr old the day after Christmas) this past week between Monday and Thursday, along with a barnyard mix bantam pullet - they were free ranging during the day. I had a class Saturday and spent today working on my pens in back of our house. When I'm done I will have 4 - 8x8' (roughly) pens that are hooped with CP and use 2x4" wire as the the wire (the pens were originally flat roofed at about 4' height - no can do for me). I have the 3rd pen now hooped and tarped but it needs to be stripped badly (just inundated with too much rain since the two hurricanes this fall) before it can be reused & then the DLM started again; but the 4th pen has not only wire on it, but also tin (flat) roof. The little trk topper coop with the largest pen 16x16' - has part of the wire removed from the top of the pen. I've purchased aviary netting that I hope will work on it - just need to figure out how to get it up there. May still need to support that with CP hoops - not sure yet...
Then, not quite back to back are pens made from actually hooping the CP & using lumber found on this property as a "base" so that can do a good DLM. The reason they aren't quite back to back and line up is because there were 4x4's in the ground that had been part of a grape trellis behind the original 4 pens. I thought they lined up well enough to use and DID NOT want to dig them out of the ground. Welp, I should have, sigh. Oh well. At least the pens are quite usable - even if they don't line up! Each will have to have it's own upper back wall and the tarps can't be big enough to cover two pens - since they simply don't line up well enough. Each pen is ending up being a slightly different type and size...
Today I took a new Sawz-all out, was able to get the blade on w/o the DHs help and plugged in and wow, I even used it and got something accomplished. I was thrilled. So I removed some of the ends from two new hoop coops that were sticking out, removed rotted areas and then butted up the remainders for a more even look and strapped that all into place.The granddaughters' had gotten 4-5 #50 feed bags full of leaves and pine straw and those were dumped into the pens ready & waiting. So now, hope to get the back walls done in both pens and get them tarped so can get the birds in them before this freeze hits this week and/or something gets the last of my free ranging CLBs (I have 3 pullets left along with 3 roosters). Thinking I'll just combine them into a quad w/ one roo, and freezer camp the other 2...
Repurposed - lumber, some rotting, some full of nails and screws. 2x4 wire - pieced together to make a solid front on the pens & on the pallet wall fronts. Plastic 2 ltr bottles - become walls to keep chicks in and block wind/rain (can be inserted in the pallets to make a more water proof barrier while also still letting in light and air - haven't done this yet). Haystring - used to strap lumber together, hold wire to the pallets. Old tin - used to make sure chicks can't get through the 2x4" wire originally - kept on as both a separation and weather block. Feed bags - again become part(s) of the walls of the coop to block wind & water.
Then, not quite back to back are pens made from actually hooping the CP & using lumber found on this property as a "base" so that can do a good DLM. The reason they aren't quite back to back and line up is because there were 4x4's in the ground that had been part of a grape trellis behind the original 4 pens. I thought they lined up well enough to use and DID NOT want to dig them out of the ground. Welp, I should have, sigh. Oh well. At least the pens are quite usable - even if they don't line up! Each will have to have it's own upper back wall and the tarps can't be big enough to cover two pens - since they simply don't line up well enough. Each pen is ending up being a slightly different type and size...
Today I took a new Sawz-all out, was able to get the blade on w/o the DHs help and plugged in and wow, I even used it and got something accomplished. I was thrilled. So I removed some of the ends from two new hoop coops that were sticking out, removed rotted areas and then butted up the remainders for a more even look and strapped that all into place.The granddaughters' had gotten 4-5 #50 feed bags full of leaves and pine straw and those were dumped into the pens ready & waiting. So now, hope to get the back walls done in both pens and get them tarped so can get the birds in them before this freeze hits this week and/or something gets the last of my free ranging CLBs (I have 3 pullets left along with 3 roosters). Thinking I'll just combine them into a quad w/ one roo, and freezer camp the other 2...
Repurposed - lumber, some rotting, some full of nails and screws. 2x4 wire - pieced together to make a solid front on the pens & on the pallet wall fronts. Plastic 2 ltr bottles - become walls to keep chicks in and block wind/rain (can be inserted in the pallets to make a more water proof barrier while also still letting in light and air - haven't done this yet). Haystring - used to strap lumber together, hold wire to the pallets. Old tin - used to make sure chicks can't get through the 2x4" wire originally - kept on as both a separation and weather block. Feed bags - again become part(s) of the walls of the coop to block wind & water.
It's been a while since this thread was active. Now that spring is upon us, let's get busy.
I got a temporary run made today, using an old dog kennel that a friend gave me. It is quite rough but it allowed for the new hens to come outside for the first time since I brought them home last fall. Tomorrow, I'll make it more secure and top it with some used netting.
I got a temporary run made today, using an old dog kennel that a friend gave me. It is quite rough but it allowed for the new hens to come outside for the first time since I brought them home last fall. Tomorrow, I'll make it more secure and top it with some used netting.
BTW, Mud season is here and I needed a way to the garage and coop. Pallet walkway for the save!
- Oct 18, 2018
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I have built my pigeon coop 100% percent out of pallet wood. I first took the pallets apart with a hammer and pry bar, then rebuilt
Both wonderful ideas.
TexasChick47
Songster
I love the idea of this thread. What a great way to get new ideas for using old stuff.
We had bought a tubular steel carport frame and had a tarp over it to store hay for our horses. Didn't use it any more for hay storage and covered it in chicken wire, built a door and roofed it with corregated steel panels. We have shade cloth panels on the sides that we can roll up or let hang down. It's on a wooden homemade sled type bottom frame that can be hooked to the tractor with cable and pulled to different locations in the pasture. The coop with nesting boxed is on wheels and can roll around with the run.
We had bought a tubular steel carport frame and had a tarp over it to store hay for our horses. Didn't use it any more for hay storage and covered it in chicken wire, built a door and roofed it with corregated steel panels. We have shade cloth panels on the sides that we can roll up or let hang down. It's on a wooden homemade sled type bottom frame that can be hooked to the tractor with cable and pulled to different locations in the pasture. The coop with nesting boxed is on wheels and can roll around with the run.
TexasChick47
Songster
Not only is this a great RRR (reuse, reclaim, repurpose), but it is a very attractive building. You should be very proud of this. Nice job, Potatohead.
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