skip to main content

really cool potting bench, made from chicken feeder

15 years ago

Take a look at what a friend of mine did with some chicken coups and feeders

Here is a link that might be useful: blog here

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

susiewantsroses
15 years ago
I am so impressed on how many items your friend has produced. It must be a fulltime business. That blog is so wonderful. It is everything we love!

Susie
luna_llena_feliz
15 years ago
Very cool! I like the planters made from chicken feeders too. Love the look of galvanized metal and old rustic wood! Thanks for sharing, robolady!
Related Discussions
potting bench bragging rights !!!
Q
Comments (23)
Several years ago I was lucky enough to get a shed-your basic barn-type, but I was so thrilled! One of the first things we did was brainstorm on a bench for the inside. I don't have a picture & it's too dark now, but here are a few features we used to make it SOOOOO useful. Height-if you've spent years planting & potting on the kitchen table, your back knows what I mean. The correct height for you makes all the difference! From the ground up: I got 3 plastic storage totes with lids that fit just right lined up side by side on the floor of the shed between the frame of the bench. These hold my potting mix, compost & such-I just slide them out to access them & slide them back. I think this would also work outside if you find them without a concave lid (don't want to breed those skeeters!) Above this is a shelf, not a terribly high space, but perfect for some pots, tools, row cover-you get the idea! On top is the top. It extends 3-4" in front of the frame so that after potting you can just pull your tote forward & sweep the fallen soil back in-easy & tidy! The front edge of the frame being in back of the surface gives you a conveinient place to drive a couple of nails to hold your brush to sweep the dirt with, a dustpan if you need to dispose of the debris, a flyswatter, or anything you'd like to have ready at hand. Since it's inside a shed with exposed studs, we notched out the rear side of the top to fit around the studs to prevent stuff from falling down behind the bench! Another cheap tip-2 screw eyes & a piece of dowel that slides into them makes a dandy paper towel holder! Mine was built of mostly used wood, topped with old rubber conveyor belting & while it is totally functional & not as pretty as some of those you've done, these are features that you could use even on the cuter ones!
...See More
Potting bench from recycled bits
Q
Comments (17)
Yeah. It should hold up to the elements well and the grid shelving lets detritus fall through. The tubes are solar lights so I can work in the evening too. I don't do a lot of potting in the dark but I had them so I put them on the bench and I live in SoCal where you don't necessarily want to be outside working on some days. ;> Thanks for all the kind words!
...See More
Suet feeders, recipe/ratios, warding off chicken hawks
Q
Comments (16)
I make my suet mixture using suet or lard. I melt the fat in a glass bowl in the microwave until liquid. Then I add crunchy peanut butter, which melts in the hot fat. Then I add the dried ingredients - corn meal, flour, oats (usually ground in blender), ground eggshells, crushed nuts, a little jam or jelly, etc. The mixture is about 1/2 fat, 1/2 dried ingredients - maybe a little more dried. I aim for a mixture that is the texture of Play-doh - it clumps together easily for the suet log, but also crumbles into pieces that I spread in a tray feeder. I made the suet log over 3 years ago out of an old red Pine log and glued lots of perches and branches. It did not have much bark on it - which is fine, except that over time the log has darkened quite a bit, perhaps because of the oils in the suet mixture. Also, most of the perches and branches have broken and fallen off. This birds don't seem to care. If you put perches on the log, this will enable many more birds to eat more easily. However, this isn't necessarily a good thing because with mine, it enables the Starlings and Blue Jays to hog the suet log, and it encourages House Sparrows. My suet log is pole-mounted with a squirrel/raccoon baffle, so nothing gets onto the log but the birds. Here's what the suet mixture looks like - Some Bluebirds on the suet log a couple years ago. They don't eat that much on the suet log any more, because I usually spread crumbles in a tray for them.
...See More
Please help. ? re: crock pot bbq chicken breast.
Q
Comments (17)
I don't like the taste of dark meat poultry, so I usually substitute breasts for dark meat in chicken recipes. But the last time that I tried boneless skinless breasts in the crockpot they ended up being overcooked; there was a lot of liquid in the curry recipe, so they weren't technically 'dry,' but the texture was not tender and it was quite disappointing. The crockpot that I used tends to run 'hot' so they overcooked really fast (about 2 hours on high). In contrast, I've used that crockpot to make the exact same curry recipe with bone-in chicken breasts, pre-browned on the stove, and those breasts were very tender although I cooked them longer than 2 hours. So if you are using boneless/skinless breasts I'd recommend that you keep a close eye on them to make sure you take them out before they're overcooked.
...See More
kudzukween
15 years ago
Great stuff! We raised chickens when we were little kids in the 4-H but we don't have a single feeder left!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kudzu's Blog
tennesseetrash
15 years ago
Awesome blog. Lucky you robolady to have such a cooooool friend! ~tenderlee
Marlene Kindred
15 years ago
Great idea! I like the kingly frog too! And your potting bench is awesome! It's wonderful to see so many great uses for old things. I love being able to give new life to things! Thanks for sharing with us.
sunnyca_gw
15 years ago
Love the pics! Potting bench is great & love the large area going front to back so you have room to change over large plant. I would put something like a couple of painted cut tennis balls over that metal strip near bottom, looks dangerous to someone's ankles, maybe cut the ends back so they don't stick out! Chicken feeders are so cute hope she gets pic of little "forest in the feeder" Dogs are beautiful too!! Jan
oreos_mom
15 years ago
Love the chicken feeders! I purchased two feeders like this and several small,metal round ones at my feed store a couple of weeks ago. The large ones were filled with small pumpkins,leaf garlands,fairy lights and small mums and set on the tables for our family reunion. I filled mason jars with candy corn,m&m's and jelly beans and put them on the small feeders and put them on the dessert table. The kids loved these ! I had cut some pine limbs into different lengths and drilled holes in the center and put candles in them. With the chicken feeders,mums,etc. it really made some pretty tablescapes.
cait1
15 years ago
Sweeeeet! I especially love the potting bench. There are always so many wonderful ideas shared on this forum - the creativity never ends!
jeannespines
15 years ago
Potting bench is wonderful...and ck. feeders also. I filled a ck fdr. with "hens and chicks" a few yrs. ago...appropriate, uh? They did fairly well...although needed some holes for drainage. The feeder had a cover across the top...oval holes where each hen could each peck away...and that's where I planted h & cks. And then, sensible DH, gave away all our ck. feeding waterers & feedrs...well, we haven't raised cks. for yrs. so he knew someone that could use them. I love what your friend has done! Jeanne S.
concretenprimroses
15 years ago
Soo cool. Love the potting bench.
katy
akup_a
15 years ago
I love the way the chicken feeders were re-used, esp. the one with the pine cones. What a neat potting bench. I like the way you used the chicken feeder as a shelf to hold pots. Very ingenious.
Vickie

Related Stories

LIFE Tell Us: What Made You Fall for Your Kitchen?

By Annie Thornton

Show the heart of your home some love for Valentine’s Day

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Get the Dirt on Potting Benches

By Becky Harris

Possibly a gardener's best friend, potting benches have some surprising uses both outdoors and inside the home

LAUNDRY ROOMS Get More From a Multipurpose Laundry Room

By Lisa Frederick

Laundry plus bill paying? Sign us up. Plus a potting area? We dig it. See how multiuse laundry rooms work harder and smarter for you

KITCHEN DESIGN 20 Kitchen Must-Haves From Houzz Readers

By Jennifer Ott Design

We asked you to tell us your top kitchen amenities. See what popular kitchen features made the list

DECORATING GUIDES World of Design: Decorating Ideas From 10 Renters Around the Globe

Even if you don’t own your home, you can live beautifully. Browse these ideas from international tenants who’ve made their spaces special

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING See a Family Greenhouse Grown From Scraps

By Annie Thornton

Can-do resourcefulness and less than $400 lead to a new 8- by 8-foot home for plants on a Tennessee family's property

DECORATING GUIDES The Dumbest Decorating Decisions I’ve Ever Made

Caution: Do not try these at home

SHOP HOUZZ Houzz Products: Spring in the Garden

Have even more fun in the garden this spring with handy potting benches, outdoor accessories and tools from the Houzz Products section

TINY HOUSES Houzz Tour: A Custom-Made Tiny House for Skiing and Hiking

By Mitchell Parker

Ethan Waldman quit his job, left his large house and spent $42,000 to build a 200-square-foot home that costs him $100 a month to live in

KITCHEN DESIGN 15 Farmhouse Kitchens That Made Us Swoon This Month

By Mitchell Parker

Raw wood, natural light, shiplap siding — we just couldn’t get enough of these farmhouse-style kitchens uploaded to Houzz in January

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

Any ideas for repurposing Water Softener Systems?

4