Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

BTW, now that I am on the topic, I saw one guy using the plug cutter bits to remove the nails on the pallet wood slats. That way, he was able to remove the slat without breaking it. Then he used a 1/4 inch dowel to fill the plug cutter hole and cut off the excess with a flush cut saw. You can choose to use a plug of the same type of wood, or like he was doing was to use a contrasting color to accentuate the pallet wood holes. For some pallet projects, you might want to save the entire slat and show off those nail holes in the wood.

Drilling out the nails with these plug cutters, filling the hole with a dowel, and then cutting it off does take more time and effort than the methods I usually use to break down pallets, but, I can see where sometimes, on some pallet projects, it might just be the solution to save longer slats without breaking them.

Again, plug cutters...

Wooden dowels and flush cut saw.

I originally bought all these items to repair some wood chairs that the kids had broken. Was able to drill out the broken bolt, fill it with a wooden dowel, cut it off flush with the saw, and then put the chair back together with new bolt(s). Looked as good as new when I was done. Learned a bit more about woodworking and at the same time saved lots of money not buying new chairs.

It's great when you are able to pick up a new skill and save some hard-earned money at the same time.

 

[gtaus]

This will look similar to the Goat Garage, minor changes to the door area. Also we plan to hopefully utilize it as a garden shed when she's outgrown it.

When who outgrows it? Minor 9, the goats, or both?

 

[Folara]

Just a shout out for help to anyone who maybe has built an A-Frame or Hoop House in the chicken run for their chickens in the winter. My chickens will not go outside in the run with snow on the ground. This year, I am thinking of making an A-Frame with pallet 2X4's and chicken wire. Then cover it with transparent plastic to let the sun in but keep the snow out. The idea is to provide some outside chicken run space under the A-Frame that the chickens can enjoy snow-free. I would build the A-Frame up against the pop door.

If anyone has built something like that, please let me know what worked for you, or, what did not work for you. Living in northern Minnesota, I am thinking a solid A-Frame would hold up to the snow load.

But, I don't know. Any ideas appreciated.

You'll probably really like the A-frame pavilion made in this thread for the same reasons! I also built a pallet A-frame for my goats to play on - we don't get much snow but it has held up well to a couple 50+ pound goats sleeping and bouncing off of it. Attached is an older picture when it was first built, I used scrap 2x4s screwed into the pallet 2x4s along the top and 8 footers along the bottom on both sides to make sure it would hold it's shape. It is goat approved, and I'm sure chickens would love it too!

I have saved lots of my chicken feed bags, thinking they might be useful someday. A person could staple those feed bags on the inside walls to keep out the rain. Many of my feed bags are close to waterproof. The paper feed bags are not as good, but maybe good enough for a temporary fix until you find boards or something better.

And @Hedgeland Farms coincidentally I saved another thread here which not only has an amazing pallet-made coop, but some picturesque animal feed bags for wind blocks as well! I had to throw some feed bags up around the roof of my coop last winter because I didn't realize snow will float around and fly into the coop despite roof overhangs. I'll be taking some scrap plywood to make solid covers for this winter, but I love being able to repurpose those bags!

 

[gtaus]

You'll probably really like the A-frame pavilion made in this thread for the same reasons!

Something like that, but I want mine to be more transparent so I can look inside and see the chickens in the A-Frame and also transparent to let the sunshine in the A-Frame so the birds get some natural sunlight.

I saved another thread here which not only has an amazing pallet-made coop, but some picturesque animal feed bags for wind blocks as well!

I love being able to repurpose those bags!

Nothing wrong with using those old feed bags on the wall to block the weather. If they rip or tear, you could staple new feed bags over the old and consider the old bags as filler.

So far, the only repurpose use I have done with my old feed bags is using them as a barrier to put my glue ups on. If some glue drips on the feed bag, no big deal.

Loved the picture of the goat. Thanks.

 

[chickengr]

I think that type of design is especially good for people with limited space for a coop and run. You can have the coop inside the run and not lose ground space if the coop is on legs. I bet your pallet coop was better built than the prefab chicken coops sold at our local Fleet store for over $800.

exactly! it was not fancy but very functional. I needed 5 coops in a small urban plot, lol. then I decided to move to the country. still waiting to sell my house so that I can finish my new house and build coops. pallets have been sitting there as well.

 

[chickengr]

Just a shout out for help to anyone who maybe has built an A-Frame or Hoop House in the chicken run for their chickens in the winter. My chickens will not go outside in the run with snow on the ground. This year, I am thinking of making an A-Frame with pallet 2X4's and chicken wire. Then cover it with transparent plastic to let the sun in but keep the snow out. The idea is to provide some outside chicken run space under the A-Frame that the chickens can enjoy snow-free. I would build the A-Frame up against the pop door.

If anyone has built something like that, please let me know what worked for you, or, what did not work for you. Living in northern Minnesota, I am thinking a solid A-Frame would hold up to the snow load.

But, I don't know. Any ideas appreciated.

be careful with hoop house and snow. my uncle (zone 7b) built a hoop parking space. luckily his car was not there when they had a bad snowy winter.

 

[chickengr]

Thank you!! Doubling up is definitely the way to go! I used pallets for my goats' shelter and its just one row of pallets with a slanted roof so I can walk halfway in, but I'm always hitting my head in the middle.

I think I read it's better to stack the pallets so the 2x4 supports are vertical (slats running horizontal) which makes sense structurally, but we did not want to try putting the roof up at 8ft tall. With the pallets positioned the other way (slats vertical) the total height is less than 7ft so it's much more manageable. I'm sure putting in some scrap 2x4s vertically in between the horizontal pallet 2x4s would provide more structural support, but I'm going to play the wait-and-see game on that!

Your hay shed is looking great too! I like the bracing you did on the outside, I need to do that on the inside seams to keep the walls from bowing out. I'll be covering the outside gaps and leaving the inside just as it is - I thought about adding plastic or tar paper (we bought a whole roll when renovating a bathroom) to make sure no water gets in but I'm afraid to create a haven for rodents to live in the walls. I'll probably wait and see how that goes as well, most likely I'll be out there in the middle of winter putting something up because I underestimated how agile water is!

No progress on the shed for a while, we're in a heat wave and the cool mornings/evenings have been claimed by other projects. I can't wait to get started on the doors!

do mites harm goats? I plan to get a couple of goats and 3 sided pallet shelter might be an option.

 

[chickengr]

I have saved lots of my chicken feed bags, thinking they might be useful someday. A person could staple those feed bags on the inside walls to keep out the rain. Many of my feed bags are close to waterproof. The paper feed bags are not as good, but maybe good enough for a temporary fix until you find boards or something better.

feed bags here don't last. after a year or so they break.

 

[gtaus]

be careful with hoop house and snow. my uncle (zone 7b) built a hoop parking space. luckily his car was not there when they had a bad snowy winter.

That's why I'm thinking of an A-Frame design. I don't want to come home one day to find my chickens crushed under the weight of snow on a hoop house dome.

I just got another load of pallets, so I would have enough to build an A-Frame out of pallet wood, but it would not meet my goal of being mostly transparent. Maybe I could cut out lots of slats on the pallets and open it up for sunshine, then cover the pallets with transparent plastic to keep the snow out. However, I'm thinking of just building an A-Frame skeleton with pallet 2X4's and covering the frame with plastic. Still considering my options.

 

[gtaus]

feed bags here don't last. after a year or so they break.

I don't imagine feed bags would hold up forever, but as a temporary fix, I think they would be fine inside a pallet shed. Also, you can just staple new feed bags over the old ones, so not a big deal. At least it would buy a person some time to look around for wood or other more permanent options. Might as well use those empty feed bags for something.