Brooder Hood

I come up with a lot of odd, new, and exciting things in my journeys around the country side. It never ceases to amaze me what kind - and the quantity - of usable stuff that is laying around, abandoned.

I only hope that I (or someone) am able to save some of these items before they go to the scrap yard.

I once helped a neighbor take a load of scrap to a yard. We had a load full of old rusted items (some I could have used, but it was his stuff, and I already scrounged SOME of it from him....), that had seen better days. As we pulled in, I saw another guy waiting with a load at the scale. He had on his trailer a REALLY nice IH two row mounted corn picker (well - it WAS nice until he cut it up with his torch....).

I don't need one, but I hate to see that happen to something in that good of shape, especially. I DO know people who want them.

The man told me he had quit using it about 6 years before when he gave up farming.
He didn't know, and never figured anyone would want it, so he cut it up.

I wish I would have gotten to him sooner.....Oh well, you can't save them all.

A few days ago, I managed to come up with an old "Brooder Hood". It's one of those metal covers that you use a couple 40 watt light bulbs to keep baby chickens warm with. My mom had one, but it was a different shape then the one I found.

This one is about 4 1/2' long, 2 1/2' wide, and is close to 24" tall in the middle. It has adjustable sides to help control the heat, and even a thermostat.

Here is the underside:



Notice the cat to the right of the hood, that is just about to take flight...
She was being a pest again today.

Here is a look at the top:




The chickens are checking it out to see if it suitable for their children - and to see if it contains food....

It will need re-wired and some TLC but, it should do what I need it to.

I also am getting some things ready for some "raised beds" for the garden. With bad back, bad knees, bad hips, bad ankles, etc, it will be a LOT easier to work in the garden when it is up off of the ground.

I scrounged an old rusted, beat up, and headed for the scrap yard, corn elevator a couple years ago. I originally wanted it to make a feed trough for goats out of, but this seems like a better use for it.

Since it was a 40' elevator, I ended up with 80' of trough. I cut them into 4, 20' long sections.



I will need to build "legs" for underneath, but that shouldn't take long.

We'll see how it goes...