41 Cheap And Clever DIYs For Happy Healthy Chickens
Chickens: the gift that keep on giving.
Pampered Chicken Mama / Hobby Farms / Instructables
1. Make a healthy salad necklace/garland.
They actually double as holiday decorations.
2. Use a feather duster to mimic a mama hen's warmth.
THIS IS THE CUTEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN.
3. Put some seeds, dried fruits, or veggies in a wiffle ball and let your chickens peck their hearts out.
4. On a hot day, freeze chicken treats in a block of ice. It'll keep 'em happy for hours.
5. Make "magic water" for your baby chicks — a concoction of warm water, honey, apple cider vinegar, and smashed garlic.
This healthy concoction will ensure vibrant babies.
6. Turn your chickens into musical geniuses by mounting a toy xylophone.
Or put some cracked corn on a mini toy piano and watch 'em go to town.
7. For a calcium-rich alternative to oyster shells, bake and crush egg shells instead.
8. Build a mess-free chicken feeder with a plastic bucket.
Your chickens will be like, "Whatever is this palace?" in a British accent. Get the instructions here.
9. Make your own chicken egg incubator for under $20, using a styrofoam crate and a light bulb.
10. Keep your chickens healthy with this all-natural, immune-boosting blend that will keep parasites away.
11. These PVC chicken feeders are cheap, simple, and actually kind of attractive.
Instructions: DIY PVC Chicken Feeders
12. Give your chickens a taste of summer with this corn cob on a wire.
Instructions: "Corn Cob on a Wire" Chicken Treat
13. A simple roasting pan can be turned into a cooling ice bath for your chickens.
14. Leftover lobster carcasses make great chicken treats (cooked only).
15. Plant perennials, like currants and gooseberries, for free chicken food.
16. Hang a pumpkin for your chickens to peck at.
Get full instructions on how to create the hanging pumpkin party ball.
17. You can do something similar with a head of cabbage.
18. This might sound wild, but hanging an old CD from twine could keep wild birds like sparrows out of your chicken coop.
Read more about it here.
19. You can hack your chicken eggs to make the yolks more yellow by feeding them marigolds.
You can also feed your chickens certain kinds of vegetables for a richer yolk color, like cabbage, kale, and carrots. Get the full list here.
20. Make a chicken "flock block" that they'll go nuts for.
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They don't call it chicken crack for nothing. Get the ingredients for your own flock block here.
21. Repurpose a rabbit/guinea pig hay ball to create a hanging treat.
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Fill 'em up with their favorite veggies or fruit.
22. Use an old wine bottle as a grit feeder.
23. Use some strong tree branches to supplement your chicken gym.
24. Put a mirror in the run.
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Chickens are vain just like us! It'll keep them entertained for hours.
25. Repurpose old tires to use as easy DIY dust baths.
26. Drill some holes into plastic water bottles filled with corn.
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Costs barely anything, and they'll be peckin,' peckin' away.
27. Water + vinegar + lemongrass essential oil in a spray bottle is your ultimate DIY chicken coop cleaner and deodorizing spray.
28. Freeze corn (or chopped berries) for a yummy summer treat.
29. This DIY no-waste feeder cost less than $25 and took less than 20 minutes to put together.
Get the full instructions at My Pet Chicken.
30. Make an A-frame cover for your chickens' water cooler so that 💩 doesn't get in their water.
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No one likes drinkin' poop bits, not even chickens.
31. Use an old tent and bring your hens inside when the winter gets too rough.
This Reddit user keeps the tent in the garage.
32. Use sturdy nylon rope and a log to DIY a chicken swing.
33. Grow sprouts from seeds is a low-cost way to get lots of nutrition into your chickens' feed.
See how she did it here.
34. Throw in a rotting tree stump for an easy DIY chicken perch.
35. Fill empty kitty litter buckets or ice buckets with pine shavings to create nest boxes.
36. Get a feeder off the ground by using a vinyl gutter segment and cement blocks.
37. A metal grate + cable ties acts as a DIY chicken feeder.
38. Know what chicken-friendly plants you can grow alongside your chickens.
Plants like cabbage and basil will improve your flock and help your chickens get the vitamins they need. Get a full list of chicken-friendly plants.
40. Make a fodder system using cheap plastic bins from Target.
Instructions from the Pin: "Fodder system... This is a great idea. Buy three sets of 3-drawer storage bins from Target $8.99 each = $24. Drill holes in the bottom of all drawers except very bottom (3 inch spacing). Mark each drawer 1/2 inch from the bottom. This is the max fill line for seed. Water top once to twice daily and let water run down through the rest. Empty lower drawer before watering again. Start one drawer each day to have a new flat of fodder every day."
41. Finally, I have to include this egg-gathering apron as one of the coolest DIYs for chicken owners.
