Homemade Things for Chickens

You believe wholeheartedly in sustainability. In fact, you believe in it so much that you've started raising a flock of chickens in your backyard. Sure, your neighbors might be disturbed by the clucks and b'gawks they hear coming from over the fence, but you aren't particularly fond of their pit bulls, either. You have the chickens, that's step one. But what do they need or want, and what can you make for them yourself?

  1. Chicken Coop

    • While you might be content to let your chickens free range around the backyard, they need a place to roost. The coop will provide shelter, a place to keep their food and water, and a nest in which they can lay their eggs. With scrap lumber and a roll of chicken wire, you can build a chicken coop yourself. Of course, if you've always wished every day was Easter, don't build a coop. You'll have eggs hidden in every nook and cranny in the yard in no time.

    Incubator

    • If you want to raise your own chickens from eggs, build your own incubator. You can make a heated enclosure for hatching your own chicks using scrap materials that you have around the house. With a source of electricity, a container, a thermometer, an old lamp, some lightbulbs, and a few odds and ends, you can make a working incubator and watch the miracle of chicken birth.

    Chicken Diapers

    • While it sounds gross, chicken diapers are the answer to the barrage of guck that constantly exits out of the backside of your chickens. Put a diaper on your chicken, and watch a barnyard staple turn into a house pet. You can pay top dollar for designer chicken diapers, or you can make your own with your sewing scraps.

    Chicken Feed

    • Once the coop is established, the largest expense in maintaining a flock of chickens is the food. You'll find that the ravenous birds go through as much feed as you toss them, and even then they spend all day pecking and scratching the dirt in search of more. With the one-time expense of a grinding mill, you can grind home-grown grains into chicken feed. Or if you lack the space, purchase whole grains and grind them at home.