Oldfart
906 posts
Mar 19, 2009
1:49 PM
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Hey All, We each have our little tricks that make life easier. Ether by saving money or just simply a better way of doing things. I will start, I use paper nest bowls but this would work on any material. I'm admittedly a little O.C.D. and even beyond that I like a clean loft. I change my nest bowls out each week or sooner if needed. I can't afford to just throw them out so I cover them with a kitchen product called "Press-N-Seal" it takes two opposing passes to completely cover the nest bowl. On change day, I have a clean blow ready, and I just lift the squabs into the clean bowl and remove the old and dirty one. Pull off the "Press-N-Seal, new nest bowl ready to be used again. I do not change them out until I am ready to band.
Who is next?
Thom
Last Edited by on Mar 19, 2009 5:36 PM
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cv rollers
308 posts
Mar 19, 2009
2:12 PM
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thanks oldfart good idea never thought of that,i make a feed box out of wood and cut a small hole so birds have to put their heads in it to eat that helps on wasted feed most stays in box..who is next?
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sundance
1071 posts
Mar 19, 2009
2:24 PM
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I use newspaper in all my breeding pens as a liner. I hate scraping and its not good for us anyways. When it gets dirty, usually between rounds, all i do is roll up the old paper with all the litter and crap and throw it away. Put in new paper and I`m done. Sometimes I have to use a paintbrush to get the dust and a few leftover seeds out before I put down new paper.
I have even picked up wallpaper rolls at garage sales and used it in place of the newspaper. It beats scraping....
Whos next ?
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Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
Last Edited by on Mar 19, 2009 2:27 PM
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Pararoller
58 posts
Mar 19, 2009
2:42 PM
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well, i use the wraps plastic wraps where i get them from my sister she works at presto and she buys alot so i use them to cover the bowl too and easy too unwrap and thrash, as for the the loft i and breeding pen i use a shop vac to suck all the uneaten feed and poops cuase i can't carry the trash so i use the shop vac and suck all poops ect. and my brother-in-law will dump the trash for me and i spray the poop tray with a small amount of bleach and water mix the kill any ecoli or bacterias. next more thoughts always helps
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cr250
228 posts
Mar 19, 2009
5:09 PM
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I make feeders out of old plastic coffee cans.Just cut acouple of holes and you have a nice feeder with a lid.
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Oldfart
910 posts
Mar 19, 2009
5:35 PM
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Hey all, I'm on a learning cruve!
cv rollers, that makes a lot of sense and in these times any feed saved helps.
Butch, I also use newspapers, my neighbor brings me all her papers, "I call her "The Paper Farie" but I like the idea of using wall paper!
Nicky, The bleach water is a very good idea, I should have thought of that!
Brian, I bet that would work well for water founts as well!
Hey All, keep the ideas coming, this old dog is hard headed but I still can learn!
Thanks, Thom
Last Edited by on Mar 19, 2009 5:37 PM
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BA Rollers
207 posts
Mar 19, 2009
5:57 PM
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Changing nest bowls weekly?????
I change mine at the end of the breeding season. I use paper bowls from overseas that are large and have holes in the side. Its dry where I live so the bowls last a full season easily. Some I've used the following year. Why? Its because of the holes on the sides. The holes allow air to get in around the bowl floor itself and keeps it from staying moist. By quickly drying the bowl actually gets harder. I have some that are on their third year. Once the birds are done breeding, if the bowls are still in good shape, tap them inside a trash can and everything falls out. Probably a 3rd of the bowls end up being re-usable. They cost about .95 each, but when you consider how long they last, that's on the cheap.
Last Edited by on Mar 19, 2009 5:59 PM
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
2716 posts
Mar 19, 2009
6:51 PM
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Like butch I too use newspaper and my neighbor is always throwing them out, so I always have some, then what I do is vacuum what ever is left over like dust feed, dry poop that fall on the corner.I spray vinegar around to leave a nice smell .then I cut a 4 inch PVC pipe in half 7 inches and cut it through the middle to split it and put two square piece of wood on each end about 4 inches tall to nail to a 7 inches wood at bottom I take the PVC put it on top of bottom wood and drill 1/8 hole through middle of PVC screw a small screw on middle to hold the PVC to bottom wood put a dowel across not too tight on top so when birds go on to perch it rotates.now the babies and parents eat from that I might put it on top of a small tray incase anything spills out which its maybe 1 or 2 grain at least now the birds don't be stepping on poop and on the grain all day.. works great I make alot of little ones .. now for grit I use a plastic 1 quart orange juice bottle the one that says Simply Orange I cut a round hole near bottom fill it with grit ,the bottle is see through and recycle . .
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Ralph.
miss opportunity are the curse of potential well if opportunity is not knocking you build the door...
Last Edited by on Mar 20, 2009 8:54 AM
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sundance
1074 posts
Mar 19, 2009
7:20 PM
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Hey Ralph, I think I `m getting the idea of the feeder. Can you post a picture so I`m sure. It sounds like a great idea. I`m always looking for feeder ideas. Actually, any ideas that make life easier AND work better. Theres lots coming up already. I like this thread.
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Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
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Oldfart
912 posts
Mar 19, 2009
7:23 PM
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BA, I do change my nest bowls out but I don't throw then away! LOL I use sand for nesting material and it tends to get wet when my little projectiles are getting near leaving the nest. It's not the cost as much as I just don't want my birds living in their own crap! I know some old school will say it builds immunity and maybe it does, but not in my loft.
Ralph, ingenious, I will build some per your instructions, cheap, easy to build, easy to clean, and it keeps the feed dry and poo free, what is not to like?
Thanks Guys, Thom
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J_Star
1921 posts
Mar 20, 2009
5:14 AM
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I breed open loft and my nest boxes floor are made of 1x1 wire mesh and I use a try to catch the droppings. I use newspaper to cover the tray. I just pull the tray forward and remove the paper when time to replace. However for the top raw of breeding boxes, I use contact paper that you use to lay on the kitchen cupboards to cover the outside top of the boxes. This contact paper sticks to the wood. When time to clean, I just pull it out and replace with new one. No scraping and very cheap and effective.
Also my kit boxes have a tray to catch the dropping. I use the weed block material to lay it on the tray. When ready to clean, I just grab each corner and pull it into a yard garbage bag and they lay another new one.
Jay
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Santandercol
GOLD MEMBER
3523 posts
Mar 20, 2009
7:18 AM
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Contact paper?Garbage bags?Don't get your hands dirty Jay!!City folks,eh!?Every lump of poop coming from my lofts goes into one of 3 composters in the back yard or to my neighbours composter,then onto the garden once it has broken down.No need to fill the landfill(garbage dump)with manure which is illegal in these parts anyways.I'm sure if you checked the rules regarding what you put in the garbage you'll find it is against the by-laws to put manure in there.Why not use it to fertilise your garden or the community garden down the street?There has to be somewhere you can take it and not throw it in the garbage can.If you find your garden is getting too much nitrogen with all the manure being put on it,add sawdust to the garden as it takes nitrogen to make things rot.
My point is we cannot keep consuming resources just to dispose of the waste from our hobby.GO GREEN!!
As far as feeding goes,I like the cafeteria feeder style for my breeders.It is built of plywood with 6 compartments each holding 1/2 gallon of grain-wheat,milo,safflower,peas,corn and pellets.There is minimal waste of feed and I only have to add grain every couple weeks.
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
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Santandercol
GOLD MEMBER
3524 posts
Mar 20, 2009
7:19 AM
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The table the feeder is on is where I normally stack the individual breeder cages.The feeder goes under the table and the feed stays clean.
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
Last Edited by on Mar 20, 2009 7:22 AM
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Oldfart
914 posts
Mar 20, 2009
11:12 AM
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Hey Kel, I like the feeder but do you find that the birds eat more or less of the feed choices available?
Thanks, Thom
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
2723 posts
Mar 20, 2009
11:44 AM
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Yea Kel whats up ....that's a buffet if I may say...those birds are living goodddddd...
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Ralph.
miss opportunity are the curse of potential well if opportunity is not knocking you build the door...
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J_Star
1922 posts
Mar 20, 2009
11:59 AM
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Yeh Kel...it's for the same reason I buy a jar of diced garlic (lol).
Jay
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nicksiders
GOLD MEMBER
3334 posts
Mar 20, 2009
1:15 PM
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Kel,
I like that cafeterria style of feeding and it is something I have thought about especially since I mix my own.
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Just My Take On Things
Nick Siders
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Santandercol
GOLD MEMBER
3525 posts
Mar 20, 2009
2:08 PM
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Thom,
They do eat more of the peas,safflower and milo,but very little goes on the floor.
Raf,
Right here,west side rock to east side rock.
Jay,
Couldn't resist:)
Mixing my own feeds is one of the things I really like about having birds.
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
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spinner jim
840 posts
Mar 20, 2009
2:41 PM
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Kel ,great idea ,never ever thought of that ,jim uk.
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RodSD
203 posts
Mar 21, 2009
12:00 AM
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Hey Kel,
Do you have the dimensions on that feeder? I like it!
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pigeon pete
242 posts
Mar 21, 2009
4:09 AM
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Kel,
Nice feeder. I made one but it's a lot smaller than yours.
I find that the amount of each foodstuff they eat will vary. At the moment with 3 weeks old youngsters they are hammering the peas, but at other times they take the smaller grains. I have a compartment with barley that hardly gets used most of the time and then suddenly it goes down for some reason.
Feeding twice a day doesn't seem right to me, especially when the weather is cold, as hungry birds may leave the nest to feed, but when it is there all the time they will take what they want when it is their turn to leave the nest.
Where I live we have recycling bins.
One for trash, a bag for paper, one bin for glass, plastics and metal. and one for compostables. The compostable bin now take green garden waste, clippings, small tree loppings, houshold food waste, including meat and bones, and best of all, bedding and waste from vegitarian pets. It all goes to a farm where they mash it up and rot it down for compost.I try and put some pigeon waste into every collection (every two weeks) to even it out, or else the collectors might complain if I put a whole winters well rotting manure in one bin,lol
My inside kit pens that may be cleaned out every few months, has to be wheelbarrowed out, but I have a feild behind my house and the farmer lets me spread it on the feild when he has no livestock outside during the winter.
Pete.
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
2727 posts
Mar 21, 2009
12:12 PM
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Butch here you go
I made them small so I can put them in cages and easy to carry ,they never go in it and the dowel rotates when perch on it.simple to make..
now its cheaper to buy the feeder Tony has because you have to buy the 4 inch pipe which don't come small and wood unless you have scrap I happen to have this piece so I made mine ..he has it for $7.95 you can't beat that with a sledge hammer..
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Ralph.
miss opportunity are the curse of potential well if opportunity is not knocking you build the door...
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Ralph.
miss opportunity are the curse of potential well if opportunity is not knocking you build the door...
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