The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!

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jinty1911

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #30 on: November 26, 2010, 20:15 »
My hubby is a bricky and spent hours building a lovely wind shelter for his rabbits.  In September he promised to build me a big run for my chicks so we could at least get to the bins without standing in poo (he poo picks every day but still manages to stand in some).  Still waiting  :blink:  :blink: but he is first out of bed every morning to let them out and is phoning me from London every morning to ask how many eggs they have laid even though he wont be eating them for 2 weeks. Bless!!

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Aunt Sally

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #31 on: November 26, 2010, 20:26 »
Clearly Aunt Sally won't be needing them as she spends all her time trying to convince me of the wisdom of upturned plastic bins for chicken houses. 

Aunty is a very frugal lady HF,  Spent £0:00 on red mite treatment and cleaning products over the last 5 years ;)

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hillfooter

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #32 on: December 10, 2010, 23:52 »
How to convert a spice rack to a useful gritbox.  This was one of those little gift spice racks which held 3 small jars of spice.  The type you might find in your Christmas stocking.  Throw away the spice, drill a couple of holes in the bottom of each compartment, cut a slot in each compatment for those little beaks and screw the rack to a piece of board and hang on the back of the house.  Makes a great gritbox. :lol:



HF
« Last Edit: December 12, 2010, 10:20 by hillfooter »
Truth through science.

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Lindeggs

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #33 on: December 11, 2010, 00:32 »
Oh I love it!  (I hope you didn't really throw away the spices though).

And what pretty hens!

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TeaPots

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #34 on: December 11, 2010, 10:22 »
I like "shabby chic" - that might just be the name of my new chook-house after I have built it.  :)

In fact just yesterday I purchased two old bus shelters!  I am planning to turn one of them into my hen house and have one at the bottom of the garden for myself.  I might even add a "bus stop" sign for authenticity! :D

The bus stops for the 'shabby shack'  but the bust stop SIGN, now thats what makes the 'chic'   Piccies when its done????

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mumofstig

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #35 on: December 11, 2010, 10:57 »
Quote
the bust stop SIGN
  ::)

may not be in the best possible taste, even for chickens   :D  :D

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madcat

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #36 on: December 11, 2010, 16:43 »
Don't worry MoS, I'm sure the sign will be properly underwired and not just pushed up. 

 ;)
All we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about (Charles Kingsley)

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TeaPots

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #37 on: December 11, 2010, 17:20 »
 :D Oooops!  Well we all know the breast is the best bit!!!!

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Lindeggs

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #38 on: December 12, 2010, 03:21 »
LOL! :D

The bus shelter arrived yesterday (only one I'm afraid - it's all they had left).  Unfortunately the truck couldn't fit down the drive so they delivered it into the front garden.  As we have a bus stop on the street in front of the house, and it has no shelter, I think it may be confusing some of the locals!

Now all I need to do is find four strong blokes to carry it out the back.  The irony would be delicious if I recruited four passing bus drivers for the job...

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TeaPots

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #39 on: December 12, 2010, 12:58 »
You could put an honesty box out front and sell your eggs!...or charge a pound for anyone who wants to shelter whilst waiting for the number 12  :D :D :D :D

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Lindeggs

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #40 on: December 13, 2010, 18:25 »
Actually Teapots, I am intending to sell my eggs at the front gate once my girls are producing.  I'm also a member of our local OOOOBY (Out Of Our Own Back Yard) so I can sell my extra eggs there too.  I can't wait!


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bengigirl

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #41 on: December 26, 2010, 13:01 »
I have been using plastic biscuit  boxes over this freezing weather You know the selection type, they are red or sometimes orange for the crackers.  I find it easy to go out in the morning with me bucket of hot water, turn the box over and knock the ice out like a big brick (nice window panes for an igloo ;)  ) and fill it with warm water. I have several of these around the garden and in the coop pen.  Also I recycle sweetcorn tins (edges turned over by the can opener type) I use them to measure corn for the girls, and I have a plastic bucket about 1 gallon size that held icecream which I use to  microwave porridge in then add meal to it....I have a passion for being thrifty. :D

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Kym503

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Re: The scruffy, frugal side of chicken-keeping!
« Reply #42 on: December 26, 2010, 13:35 »
5pm Christmas Eve my local Asda's was selling large bags of shredded cabbage, various bags of lettuce leaves and a huge assortment of other veg all for only 10p a go.  Needless to say my girls are well stocked up on fresh greens for the next week...all carefully stored in the shed.  Hens don't seem to mind 'past the sell by date' veg!



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