What "trash" containers have YOU used this Spring?

[SweetMissDaisy]

This is more chicken/rabbit related, but they're part of many of our gardens too...


I buy water in gallon jugs for my tea/coffee kettle. The jugs then get re-purposed for use in rabbit and chicken brooders for food and water containers (water containers in chick brooders only when the chicks are old enough not to drown in it - until then, they get standard chick water rings).

I use a knife and scissors to cut an arched hole in the body of the jug on the opposite "corner" of the jug from the handle, that's big enough plus a couple inches extra, for the rabbit or chicken to get their head into. (The hole is the shape of a D laid down on it's flat side.)

For young chick feed, I cut the hole 1+ inch from the bottom of the jug so the littlest ones can get in there and kick the feed around like they love to do, and quite wide (5 or so inches) and a few inches high so Mama Hen can eat too. The walls of the jug do a GREAT job of letting the little ones kick feed around, but keeps the feed in the container (instead of out in their chips!) There is hardly any waste now that I use the jugs. And even though Mama hen can eat and show the chicks where the food is, she isn't able to get in there and kick all the feed out, or tip it over!

I make the hole higher on the jug (about 3+ inches from the bottom) if I'm using it for rabbits or larger chicks/chickens. Once the hole is cut, I place the jug in the brooder and use twine to tie (in a bow, of course!) the handle to the side wall of the wire brooder.

I've found that the food and water stays CLEAN using the jugs. The birds may be able to sit on top of the jug (though I've never seen them try), but if they poop while they're up there, it doesn't just drop down into the water or feed. I got soooo tired of having to change poopy chick water because they would sit on top of the bell water container, and POOP right down into the water ring! They can't do that with the jugs! Not one time have I ever found poop in the water since I've been using the jugs.

I love using the jugs for brooder feeders and waterers .... they stay held (tied) in place, they're easy to fill and keep clean or replace as needed, and everyone is HAPPY!


Oh! I also use a jug with the same type of hole as an oyster shell server for the hens.


Well now, aren't I verbose this morning....

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

This is more chicken/rabbit related, but they're part of many of our gardens too...


I buy water in gallon jugs for my tea/coffee kettle. The jugs then get re-purposed for use in rabbit and chicken brooders for food and water containers (water containers in chick brooders only when the chicks are old enough not to drown in it - until then, they get standard chick water rings).

I use a knife and scissors to cut an arched hole in the body of the jug on the opposite "corner" of the jug from the handle, that's big enough plus a couple inches extra, for the rabbit or chicken to get their head into. (The hole is the shape of a D laid down on it's flat side.)

For young chick feed, I cut the hole 1+ inch from the bottom of the jug so the littlest ones can get in there and kick the feed around like they love to do, and quite wide (5 or so inches) and a few inches high so Mama Hen can eat too. The walls of the jug do a GREAT job of letting the little ones kick feed around, but keeps the feed in the container (instead of out in their chips!) There is hardly any waste now that I use the jugs. And even though Mama hen can eat and show the chicks where the food is, she isn't able to get in there and kick all the feed out, or tip it over!

I make the hole higher on the jug (about 3+ inches from the bottom) if I'm using it for rabbits or larger chicks/chickens. Once the hole is cut, I place the jug in the brooder and use twine to tie (in a bow, of course!) the handle to the side wall of the wire brooder.

I've found that the food and water stays CLEAN using the jugs. The birds may be able to sit on top of the jug (though I've never seen them try), but if they poop while they're up there, it doesn't just drop down into the water or feed. I got soooo tired of having to change poopy chick water because they would sit on top of the bell water container, and POOP right down into the water ring! They can't do that with the jugs! Not one time have I ever found poop in the water since I've been using the jugs.

I love using the jugs for brooder feeders and waterers .... they stay held (tied) in place, they're easy to fill and keep clean or replace as needed, and everyone is HAPPY!


Oh! I also use a jug with the same type of hole as an oyster shell server for the hens.


Well now, aren't I verbose this morning....

I. LOVE. YOU.

Thank you for this idea.

I can handle chicks on their own in the brooder, but it's the mammas that make such a mess! They constantly kick their feeders/waterers over then proceed to bury them. I was trying to think of a way to zip tie or velcro the feeders/waterers into place... now I just need some jugs!

 

[Warthog]

I re-use most of what everyone else is doing.

All my soda/juice/water bottle get cut down and used as planters for cuttings and seeds.

Bleach bottles I cut down quite shallow and use for feed dishes for the goats, When I can't get them clean, they then get used as shallow planters for starting seeds.