NEST BUCKETS   Reduce, reuse and recycle. Isn't that the "green" motto? I try to keep it in mind when working around the house. If you are looking for a good source for second hand building supplies at a reasonable price, try Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. There are many out there and they are worth your time searching out. I buy hinges for my coop doors, nails, screws, roofing and other sundry items there. The proceeds help build low income family homes. I paint apartments, and it would be unthinkable to throw away a five-gallon paint bucket. Most of us have a couple hanging around the house. I wash each one out and tote them home. I have a stack of them in the barn that needed a use. I have found a good use for them in the chicken barn. I call them Nest Buckets. 1 bucket 2 1x4's eight inches long 1 1x4 fourteen inches long 1 1/4" screws I screw the 2, eight inch pieces to the inside of the bucket. The four-inch end is flush with the lip of the bucket. This makes a sturdy backing for the faceplate that keeps the nesting material from sliding out. I then screw the fourteen-inch piece to the face of the bucket. I then just screw the buckets to the wall of the coop. They should clean out pretty easy because they are plastic. Written for the CHICKEN CHRONICLES by JORD WILSON  copyright 2003 Background Photo By Jord Wilson Background created by Phyl