Our first batch of mail order all-female Buff Orpington chicks were raised for their first several months, last year, in this little wading pool, in our livingroom. The plastic surround for them was recycled from what we used to keep our bunny from falling through the railing, in our old apartment's loft. The watering bucket is now one of 2, hanging alternately, in the chicken run, and the tposts are helping with the goat fencing. After that, the pool was dragged out to the
compost heap to be emptied, cleaned out, and put to a new use, as a raised strawberry bed. I filled it with some of the used straw bedding from the goat stalls, and some purchased soil, then threw in some blackstrap molasses-coated non-gmo oatgroats, for all the chickens (both the BOs and the new Black Austrolorp pullets, we got, this spring, and let one of the BOs raise) to go into and turn, and mix, and add their own manure. Next spring, the strawberries will get planted into this incredible combo, in a bright, sunny spot, that's easy to water and weed, and cost us essentially nothing, and only minutes of my effort. I found some 3/4" pvc pipe, left by the previous owners, that I'll make into a frame to throw some netting over, to keep the birds and other critters out, until I an ready to share the leftovers with them. I may have some netting of some sort in my sewing supplies...
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