Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

Its a fine line but I'd much rather raise as a pet (like we do the chickens) and harvest when time vs having them not treated well, squashed in minimum sqfootage etc...its a line I walk just fine lol...living creatures all deserve love and respect ...and then they become food...maybe I am not the norm...

Well, my chickens are not my pets, but they do get special treatment like you mentioned. Lots of coop space and a big chicken run full of good stuff to dig around in and to eat. I don't raise meat birds anymore, so I just let the laying hens do their thing as long as they can. They have a pretty good life.

He will be roughly 250-280lbs when we butcher

That's a nice size. Lots of ham and bacon for the freezer.

Speaking of old chickens and pigs, there is a guy on YouTube named Joel Salatin who runs a commercial farm. He raises lots of chickens, some for meat, others for eggs. When he gets a new flock of laying hens, he kills his old layers and feeds them to his pigs. I guess there is no market for old laying hen meat; too tough, not tasty enough, etc... I think if I had a pig, that is what I would consider doing too.

BTW, I have seen some pictures of pallet fences. Is that something worth considering for a pig?

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

He sure is cute!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

A pallet fence would take me too long to make as far as having one done tomorrow...but in the future yes...

And I totally spoil (ETA as much as I can) any animal while they are here...I just love taking care of them!!

 

[gtaus]

Here is another idea of using pallets for your chickens, this one on storing leaves in paper bags and preventing mold. Stole this post from the thread Are pine shavings necessary in the run?.

This, and also make sure to use paper bags, not plastic, so the leaves can "breathe" and dry out if the bags get wet. They'll steam up in a plastic bag and likely mold, as it's hard to ensure they are 100% dry when you collect them. I collect around 20-30 bags each fall and store them on top of wood pallets under the back porch, where they aren't in direct rain but it's open on the front so they get snowed on from the side and rain blows in on them. They dry pretty quickly once the sun comes out though (the pallets really help with drainage, so the bags aren't sitting in water), and I haven't had mold issues. One downside to paper bags is if you don't use them the first year, after a while they start to break down... So lift gently at first and make sure the bottom is still attached, before you heave the whole thing up and dump it on yourself out the bottom

Pallets are just great for getting things up and off the ground. If you don't have a back porch to store the leaf bags, I suppose you could just lay down a bunch of pallets, put the paper bags full of leaves on the pallets, and then throw a tarp over the bags to keep the rain/snow off. Still plenty of air to circulate and keep things from getting all moldy.

 

[gtaus]

A pallet fence would take me too long to make as far as having one done tomorrow...but in the future yes...

Understand. I have always used tee-posts and wire fencing myself. But I do like the idea of making a pallet fence and adding to it bit by bit as a person gets more pallets to use. I like my wire fencing because I have chicken TV all day long. I don't think I would be very happy with any fencing that blocked my view of the animals, but, wire fencing is getting more and more expensive and a pallet type fence may be a good option for some people.

Some interesting Google pictures of pallet pig pens for inspiration...

 

[chickengr]

Not really. I have been taking my trailer into town once a week for the past couple of months and picking up 6-8 pallets per trip. I've got a big stock in the backyard, probably 30 pallets now even after using 10 full pallets on the pallet wood storage rack.

Probably going to have to build a pallet shed to store all my pallets!

More seriously, I'll probably cut back on how many pallets I take home real soon. When winter comes, I don't plan you using my trailer again until next spring. Also, since I don't have a heated workshop, my building projects will cease for the winter. Too cold out in the unheated garage to work.

Before winter gets here, I might make some more pallet wood raised beds, but of a slightly different design to use up some of those 2X4 stretchers that have the cutouts in the wood. I have one design that can use those cutout 2X4's behind the wood slats so you don't see the 2X4's. I try not to throw out, or burn, any pallet wood that I have. Sometimes, a simple redesign of a project allows you to use different parts of the pallet and hide the flaws (cutouts on the 2X4's) of the wood.

Currently, I have more reclaimed wood and pallets then I have projects to build. I guess that's a good problem to have. Hope other people on this thread continue to upload some good ideas of how I might use my stock of pallets.

I am thinking to build a pallet shed. please post pics if you build one.

 

[chickengr]

He is a pet for now, food for later...
He will be cared for and treated as a pet by me (minors may not wanna get attached) and he will then go to butcher in abt 7m or so...

Pics to come once we get home!!!
ETA he is a Berkshire

I want a pet-then-food pig but I am not sure I can do it. I still have a problem to butcher chickens (of course someone else does the job).

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I want a pet-then-food pig but I am not sure I can do it. I still have a problem to butcher chickens (of course someone else does the job).

I think going into it with the mentality that this is food, but we can still enjoy him, and play with him, and love him lots while he's not food ...give him the best life.... and then appreciating the fact that he is also feeding us.

But the life I am starting is a life I've dreamed abt for yrs..since I was in my 20s.... so over that time I've come to terms with the fact that some animals will serve their purpose by feeding our family.

I've always wanted to raise cows...it is unfortunate that we do not have room to do such things! Pigs were the next option, Doc is my trial run....

Who knows, i may end up with a pet pig,
but I highly doubt it...

All you can do is give it a shot!!! We aren't butchering ours, we will drop him off alive, and pick him up later...that may also be helpful to not have to do the killing and harvesting ourselves.

ETA ever since we started discussing pigs last yr, the minors were told that he is for food. Minor 14 has chosen not to help raise him which is fine...this life isn't for everyone. My other 3 are just fine and excited abt the process. We homeschool, and this is a great opportunity to teach.

 

[chickengr]

I think going into it with the mentality that this is food, but we can still enjoy him, and play with him, and love him lots while he's not food ...give him the best life.... and then appreciating the fact that he is also feeding us.

But the life I am starting is a life I've dreamed abt for yrs..since I was in my 20s.... so over that time I've come to terms with the fact that some animals will serve their purpose by feeding our family.

I've always wanted to raise cows...it is unfortunate that we do not have room to do such things! Pigs were the next option, Doc is my trial run....

Who knows, i may end up with a pet pig,
but I highly doubt it...

All you can do is give it a shot!!! We aren't butchering ours, we will drop him off alive, and pick him up later...that may also be helpful to not have to do the killing and harvesting ourselves.

ETA ever since we started discussing pigs last yr, the minors were told that he is for food. Minor 14 has chosen not to help raise him which is fine...this life isn't for everyone. My other 3 are just fine and excited abt the process. We homeschool, and this is a great opportunity to teach.

I got my first chickens for eggs and eventually for meat when they turn 2-3 yo. that was a plan. but I got attached to them. I do eat my chickens but it is really hard for me. when I move to the country I will keep goats and rabbits as well. thinking about pigs (vietnamese pot bellied).

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I got my first chickens for eggs and eventually for meat when they turn 2-3 yo. that was a plan. but I got attached to them. I do eat my chickens but it is really hard for me. when I move to the country I will keep goats and rabbits as well. thinking about pigs (vietnamese pot bellied).

I can understand that!!

I personally do not have the space to keep aging birds and still have my egg production going which is why we will cull eventually, and then replace. (We have done meat birds...)

We are planning goats as well (pets not food, and possible milk) and I told my husband yesterday I want a pet potbelly one day...but today isn't that day...but one day!!