Good Ideas ----RETURNS

[susanne]

AmySue -- I, too, used deer netting to cover our chicken run -- too many bald eagles (how odd to say that!), hawks and owls for our girls to be safe without the netting.

I'm haunting Craigslist these days, looking for a used metal swingset with which to fashion a chicken tractor -- I really miss having them free range. This (with mesh walls and flooring added) will keep them safe but give us those dark orange yolks and great flavor.

 

[susanne]

AmySue, Our minds seem to run on the same track (although I'd deny that if I were you...).

I also made an open-air rain and wind shelter by placing a tarp over the fences where they meet in a corner, overlapping them on the back side, zip-tying the bottom layer to the mesh fence and fastening the top layer with bungee cords (since they had to reach past the bottom layer). They have a permanent wood run-in open to the south, so this corner shelter face the opposite side, giving them a choice.

This next year I'm going to use old feed bags to plant potatoes. Just as with planting them with tires or similar methods, you start out with the bag rolled down to start them and then gradually unroll the bag and add compost over all but the top leaves. While we have plenty of garden space, this will keep them contained so that I don't need to search for my spuds.

 

[paintponylvr]

Most of my "re-purposing" has come in using up all that haystring. I've put in a lot of paddocks built out of the 16 ft cattle/stock panels and the ones attached to t-posts are tied with haystring. Haystring from small square bales have been braided - have lots of them now - make great trailer ties, cross ties and tie outs for the wash area. The stuff from the big, round hay bales was washed via buckets and a bit of dawn soap, rinsed and hung to dry, then rolled into usable "tamales" that are easy to pull from. I then use the string to make rope that then becomes lead ropes, halters & lounge/driving lines. By flat braiding, it's become headstalls, collars and pleasure style harness.

I use 2 liter bottles to carry water from house to barn. I also throw them into the round pen, loose, to become a "trash obstacle". Heavy/hard winds will blow them thru the larger squares of the stock panel fencing - making for more pickup.

I LOVE the "scrubby gloves" you can get in Wal-Mart and other discount stores usually in the bath, soap aisles. They are awesome - both dry to clean faces before bridling and after workouts to get the sweat off. Wet - with shampoo - the best thing to clean their legs and bodies.

cattle panels wrapped around an upright round bale - instant $20 hay ring - similar to a "nibble net". If you want to have smaller holes - use the actual horse type panels ($60). Cost wise it sure beats the cattle style hay bale feed rings at $160 now and the horse bale feeders at $330/up. A tarp over the top protects the hay! So much LESS hay waste this way than any other way that I've found yet.

Make my own "Swat" from Vaseline and fly spray concentrate.

Both rubbing alcohol and witch hazel are less expensive and work the same as liniments (of course I just love the smell of a good liniment!).

I'll have to look around for more as I can't remember any right now...

 

[JanBKS]

AmySue -- I, too, used deer netting to cover our chicken run -- too many bald eagles (how odd to say that!), hawks and owls for our girls to be safe without the netting.

I'm haunting Craigslist these days, looking for a used metal swingset with which to fashion a chicken tractor -- I really miss having them free range. This (with mesh walls and flooring added) will keep them safe but give us those dark orange yolks and great flavor.

If You google Chicken Tractor there are lots of home made ones, made out of wood,PVC with wheels, to cool I think, I have a small dog pen 6x6 that I put wheels on to put my older stallion in out on grass, if You have one you are not using you can wheel that, and if your coop is not to big attach it to the back side and just roll them around,take a look lots of good ideas there, I I wee to make one out of PVC I would not glue the connections but drill holes and use screws that way it can be taken apart when needed.

 

[wingnut]

Haven't posted here in a while but stumbled onto something yesterday that may help alot of people so here it is.

Every year I throw away the bottom row of baled hay because it gets musty, moldy smelling. Well my fiance ran out of tarps and pallets to put our hay on this spring and used TYVEC that was left over from a house project. We just used the last of the hay yesterday and it was sweet smelling and no mold. He said its because it is made to breath but stop moisture from coming through it. With hay prices like they are throwing away 30 bales of good hay every year WAS expensive. I've tried every configuration of pallets, tarps when stacking on ground and nothing ever worked. THIS DID! Love that MAN!

For those that have never done good ideas post, its to post your latest good idea large or small. So what's your good idea?

Whitney, can you tell how you placed the Tyvek on the ground? Label side up or down? I was able to get a used rolled with about 30-40 feet left on it that was going in the dumpster at a house construction site (friend of a friend gave me the intel after posting that I was looking for some on Facebook...I had permission to get it

)

NEVERMIND: I see where you wrote that you placed the letters up

We're going to experiment with a round bale this fall. My hay supplier has some smaller grass bales that he does for another customer of his. She had covers for her bales but it was too small for his normal size bale. So he bales about 15-20 round bales to this smaller size. She won't use them all so I'm going to take one and see how it goes.

 

[horsenut50]

You girls are awesome! Love this post. I board my horses but someday will have them at home and will definitely use these ideas.

 

[JanBKS]

I use a lot of cable clamps, but not for cables much, I use them to attach buckets to the fence, and drill holes in the handle of the big heated one's and attach the good bale twine, red or black stuff its really strong, make a loop threw the hole and use a cable clamp to keep them from tipping it over, I also use them to hook on a loop in my manure bucket, like the rope handled ones, red bale twine to extend it with a loop, that way it don't hurt my hands when I drag the bucket, works on any bucket or tub so it drags easier, I also use them to clamp the hose to the fence when watering big tubs.

Also those clips that look like a climbers clip, I use them a lot for hooking together temp gates made with cow panels, my mini's have not broke one yet.

The cable clamps store can be found on the internet.

the clips, I found a package I got at Walmart, called spring link, that size 6 inch makes a good pulling handle too,

the smaller size looks to be 3 inch I got at either Walmart or Tractor Supply, I use the 3 inch ones for secure cow panels and hang buckets to the cow panels.

Hope that will help some folks out.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Just thought I would comment.. Your musty hay would be greatly appreciated by your local dairy farmer. They would probably pick it up for free. just a thought. Recycle that hay that cannot be fed to horses and don't throw away.

Dairy farmers have it rough these days and cows love fermented hay and can eat that dusty hay.

Just a thought. Preventing it from going bad is a great idea, but donating it to a cow farmer (beef or dairy) when you can't feed it to your horses is just a thought.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I just repurposed and old patio umbrella stand that still had half of the umbrella pole on it.

i have driving collars and just cannot seem to find space on the tackroom wall to hang them like they should be. I end up shuffling them from cart seat to buggy seat to pile, none of which is good for them.

It came to me two days ago while doing the annual fall cleaning of the tack room and once again shuffling the collars around. If only I had a stand of some type...hmmm...Ahha!

I went to the junk pile out back and retreived the umbrella stand. Now, what to use to hold the collars? Hmmm. Oh, yes, I know! So to the dark depts of the tack room, you know the place, where the Black Widows live in peace. I braved the black beauties and fetched three plant hangers from a box. I can't even remember when or why I bought them. I scrounged some screws and attached the plant hangers upside down on the pole. A coat of paint and a divided pool noodle and I now have a.sturdy collar pole!

 

[MyMiniGal]

Well, I have no idea, if this is going to work or not, but we are giving it a try. But, instead of buying a rubber bucket, at this time, we have taken an extra cooler, we had, and took off the lid and handles and am going to put that under Halo's shelter, and see if it won't freeze much. Since the cooler is insulated, we thought it may work. But, I had to take off so much time, from work, for my Mom, and we have had other things, hit, that we needed for all our other pets too, we thought we would give this a try and save some money too. Will let you all know, if it works or not, during freezing time. We still plan on using her plastic bucket for summer, and if this cooler works, we will just use it for when the weather is cold.

 

[chandab]

Well, I have no idea, if this is going to work or not, but we are giving it a try. But, instead of buying a rubber bucket, at this time, we have taken an extra cooler, we had, and took off the lid and handles and am going to put that under Halo's shelter, and see if it won't freeze much. Since the cooler is insulated, we thought it may work. But, I had to take off so much time, from work, for my Mom, and we have had other things, hit, that we needed for all our other pets too, we thought we would give this a try and save some money too. Will let you all know, if it works or not, during freezing time. We still plan on using her plastic bucket for summer, and if this cooler works, we will just use it for when the weather is cold.

Let me know if it works or not, I've been contemplating trying this, but I don't have an extra cooler to try it with.

 

[MyMiniGal]

I will definitely let you know.

 

[Jill]

So many great ideas here!!! I love this thread and have it bookmarked

 

[shorthorsemom]

.

I almost forgot my absolute can't live without item -- headlamps. Keith and I each have one We do not have lighting in our run-ins, in the corrals, or in the hay shed, so these are priceless in winter for feeding horses and chickens, for bed-check, for general farm chores. Best of all, they cost next to nothing.

Love the head lamps, cant live without. If you get the head lamp with the articulating head you can wear it around your neck like a necklace and point it outward to shine in front of you. This keeps you from looking at somebody or your horse while wearing the head lamp and blinding them with the light. It shines in front of you or at your feet but doesn't follow your head. My calves like me to wear it on my neck. My kids live with it on their heads after dark. I used to try to illuminate my paddocks, but found the headlamps to be easier to do chores after dark. I hate tripping and I have lost count the times when I dropped a flashlight into a water bucket.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Kids pull wagons are great for wheeling your "stuff" around. I buy them at auction. When I was driving my horse, I would load up the wagon with my harness at the house and use the wagon to wheel my stuff out to my tack up area. (I store my harness in the house). Also good for transport of feed and grooming supplies etc. also When I do yard work I load up my cutters and extension cord and chain saw etc in a kids wagon and use it to move stuff around to where I am working. You can use the wagon to bring groceries from driveway to house. Love my wagons. I can stand on my wooden one to trim bushes in my yard.

 

[susanne]

...If you get the head lamp with the articulating head you can wear it around your neck like a necklace and point it outward to shine in front of you. This keeps you from looking at somebody or your horse while wearing the head

lamp and blinding them with the light....

I cannot tell you how many times Keith and I have blinded one another!

Another use for the headlamp: Ours has multiple settings, including flasher mode. When driving in fading light, rain or fog, I put the headlamp on backwards so that it rests below my helmet. The flashing light helps to make us more visible to any motorists.

A rather creepy aspect of the headlamps...Living out at the edge of BLM land, forest and general wilderness, we have an abundance of wildlife, some of which is never seen by daylight. I frequently look out into the darkness and see eyes reflecting the headlamp beam...

 

[shorthorsemom]

Ha ha, the eyes freak me out sometimes when I am outside in the dark. My daughter enjoys scaring me when she sees me out there working with a headlight low on battery. My son straps his headlight to all kinds of equipment as a makeshift extra lighting