Feeding chickens is so easy. You go to the local feed store and purchase a 50 pound bag of laying hen feed. You put the pellets into a hanging galvanized container which the chickens peck at throughout the day. It’s good for your hens to get greens, too, but they’ll stay quite healthy when the bulk of their diet is from those tidy pellets.
It hasn’t always been like this. In the 19th century you couldn’t purchase bags of complete rations. My favorite chicken manual is a charming little book titled The Biggle Book of Poultry. It first came out in 1895 and has this to say about chicken feed: “On every egg farm there should be a large boiler or steam cooker for cooking vegetables and making compounds of meat, ground grain and vegetables.” That makes me appreciate being able to buy a bag of pellets at the Agway!
By the 1920s grain mills were marketing bags of chicken feed.
It wasn’t hard to convince the small flock owner of the convenience of this product. By the Depression, competition for customers was fierce and money was tight. Cloth sacks were printed with patterns that the frugal homemaker turned into aprons, dresses and curtains.
But, today’s feed bags are made out of either paper, which gets thrown out, or plastic which can not go into the recycling bin (at least not here, it’s a type of plastic that my center doesn’t take.) But, the graphics on the bags are vivid, and the material is sturdy and waterproof and yet flexible. I loathe to throw them out. So, I turn the feed bags into tote bags. Some I sell at the local farmers market. One I am giving away here!
Note the grommets to strengthen the straps.
To enter, simply tell me here what you would put in the bag. You can enter a second time on FaceBook – simply click “like” on this post in FB. You can enter a THIRD time by forwarding the post to your FB friends. If you’re not a FaceBook friend, do become one! I post photos there that you don’t see at HenCam. I’ve got a busy week – it’s Brimfield again, and I’ll be looking for more finds to post on The Vintage Hen – so I’ll let this contest run through Friday, July 13. The contest will close at 9 PM EDT. I value my international friends, so, yes, I’ll ship this to anywhere in the world! Good-luck!
Up-date- this contest is closed and was won by Stephanie in AZ.
I LOVE this bag!! I would use them for groceries and other supplies… or even take it to the beach!! My daughter goes to camp, and maybe she’d like to use a bag like this to carry her camp stuff (towel, goggles, sunscreen, etc.). Thank you!
What a great idea! I would use this bag to carry around needlecraft…crossstitch, knitting, etc. It would also be one of my ‘Nor’easter-maybe-evac’ bags (alongside the big blue IKEA bags ;).
It looks like a good,sturdy bag to take to the farmer’s market on Saturday. I think my 16 lb cat food bags are made of the same type of plastic and I’ve been saving them ,looking for a project to make with them.
Knitting projects, a good book, car keys and cell phone. Thanks -love your site
I am always carting my son’s stuff back and forth from daycare. This bag would make him the hippest 8 month old in class. :)
I would also use at farmers market and shopping at my local farmstand.
What a great idea! Perfect bag for the weekly grocery shop or a trip to the farmers market. I would say the beach and the pool too, but that would require some sunshine, and that’s in extremely short supply this summer (at least on my side of the Atlantic!).
What a lovely bag.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Love this!! I’d use it to carry towels and lunch to the beach… Or yarn and knitting projects… Or bring to farmers markets to carry fresh local veggies!!
What a cute bag! I would love to take it to the library and fill it with library books about chickens. Oddly enough today at breakfast I was telling someone about these bags and how cute I thought they were.
Thank you! I love your website!
Hi Terry: I would use it to haul around the chicken quilt that’s in the queue to make!
Love the bag. Will fill it with fresh vegies from the farmers market, use it when I travel to see my kids.
Since I’m in Vermont for school I would carry by books and some maple syrup and my swimming holes of VT guidebook. Maybe even a woodchuck plush :).
Cute bag!! I would use it to tote groceries, and at the beach to tote snacks and sunblock.
Hi Terry
I would use the bag for grocery shopping – but would also like to know
exactly which bag that is so I can order some with logo of my band –
http://www.hensinthehouse.com I sent you a private email also.
In my circle, I’m known as The Farmgirl, simply because we live in a suburban area and I have managed to squeeze 5 laying hens on my property. I would TOTALLY show up to bookclub with this tote, or take it to homeschool meetings, or buy produce with it. Thanks for the giveaway, Terry!
I will be homeschooling my son this year and we will be taking many “field trips” around Boston! I’d use it to carry our maps, lunch, and anything else we need to explore Revolutionary times!!!
It is darling! This would be my “car bag.” The one i keep in my car for errands that i run during my work day or on the way home.
Books, books, books! I am teaching Children’s Literature this fall, and “Tillie Lays An Egg” is a staple of the course! We use your book to discuss how to integrate developmentally appropriate technology with literature. SOOO, I would use this gorgeous bag to carry my teacher stuff….and my Nook e-reader, too! Thanks! ~heidi
Wow!! I want that bag!! I work in a nursing home, third shift. I would use this great bag for transporting my can of coffee and filters..etc…as I am the official coffee maker on our shift. Looks like there is plenty of room for cookies too. :)
I would use it for shopping, I use recycled bags every time I shop, I would use it for weekend getaways also, they r so handy and more sturdy than plastic and paper bags. Plus what fashion statement it would make. Awesome idea!!!
Great bag! We have a group of ladies that get together to do crafts. I would use this bag to take my craft supplies to our get to-gathers.
We don’t get chicken feed in the plastic bags here in Delaware. We do get sunflower seeds & cat food in this type of plastic bag.
I have been saving all of,them – just can’t throw them away. Could you post the directions for your bag?
Louise
I have work at a very casual office, so this would be my new book bag, lunch bag, and shopping bag. Love the idea!
So cool – I would put musical instruments and art supplies in it. Nicely done!
I would put my two red star girls in my bag, heehee ….my girls love to be with me all the time.
It would also work as a fabulous food bag, when I go to the market.
Love it
This bag would fit the bill to carry lunch and work stuffs back and forth to work during the week. My book, iPad, camera etc for weekend trips.
This bag is SUPER cute! Once my 31 girls start laying (they are 4 weeks old now).. I can carry cartons on eggs in the tote!
I would come up with excuses to carry that bag – chicken treats, groceries, the kids’ bathing suits… you name it!
a would put chickken food in it and a love chicken so a would hafe it for my coletion sorry about my english a em from belguim
Being that I start teaching a Kindergarten class this August, I will likely load it full of all the necessaries to run a fun kinder classroom. : ) and, of course, I’ll stuff in a copy of Tillie Lays an Egg to read to my students. : )
What a pretty reminder of Eleanor and Edwina. I’d love it for groceries and vegetables. Might even hang it in my “pantry” with grains and pastas in it.
I would love this bag for my farmer’s market trips on Friday night. Love how colorful it is. So pretty!!
I would use it to carry my camping supplies in.:) I saw how to do this is a magazine.:)
I love the bag and your idea for making the bag in the first place. I am always toting stuff back and forth to work. This cute tote would be perfect for that and it’s sturdy too. What a nice giveaway ~ I love it! Thank you :D
What a neat way to recycle a feed bag! I would probably use it for groceries, and take it camping. I’d put my magazines and cross-stitch project in it.
EVERYTHING!!! Most cities in my area of CA now charge you for a bag. I’ve been bringing my own bags to the store for 20 years now. Long before it was fashionable. And some of my older canvas bags are really beginning to show their wear. So this would go next to my set in the car to grab and fill with all the little things I pick up as I run errands all week long.
Brimfield again! I am jealous…. watch out for that oddly beautiful young ‘forsaken’ man and his roof-rail tying skills, I need you to report back on the state of his trousers. What are you after this time?
Perhaps I will find you a lion for your pride! I am looking for the odd, cheerful and quirky. Who knows what that will be?
I would love to take it to the pool, with my towel, books, and sunscreen in it. What a conversation starter that would be! Thank you for all the fun stuff you do Terry, and for letting us enjoy your little animal farm!!
Wow! I’d use it for groceries AND taking lunch to work. Love it! You should patent the idea. Someone is going to start charging $25 for knock offs!
I would fill it with the essential beach supplies, sling it over my shoulder, hop on my bike and head for Harbor Beach!
I wish my feed bags were as colorful as this one! The Star Feed bags are only red, black, and clear plastic—but they do have a nice hen on them. I reuse them a lot: “splashguard” behind upper rung of ladder roost, storing compost, growing potatoes, hauling yard trimmings, collecting dog poop, etc. etc.
I would love to have this bag to tote just about anything! Probably would use it for carrying books to and from my volunteer gig: reading coach for fifth-grade “reluctant readers.” It is very hard to impress a 10-year-old, but they would love this bag!
I love this bag! I work in a city now and my co-workers think I am a country bumpkin because I raise chickens and live in the country, they do however love the fresh eggs that I bring to them. I would use this bag to bring the eggs into my coworkers and then on Fridays I would shop the farmer’s market across from my office with it.
TREATS of course!! Treats for my chickens, treats for canine and feline and treats for me!!!
i love this bag…it would be perfect to carry to school…my students LOVE to hear about my bossy hens! :) and the Little RED Hen comes to visit when we read her story.
I use tote bags to bring back books home from the library. Since we homeschool our four kids, there are many library trips and we always seem to be a bag or two short. We are voracious consumers of books at our house!
Oh wow! I LOVE this bag! ha I’d use it as a knitting bag. Great blog. I love watching the chickens.
Knitting projects! My motto is: “If you can count the number of projects you have going, it’s time to start another one!”
Each project needs its own bag, and as it grows I have to switch it to a larger bag :-)
As a prekindergarten teacher, I would use this tote for daily to and from class use… or put a center activity in it for the class. It is so precious! Reading about your animals and life with them is my daily therapy. I thank you for that!
I would simply take it everywhere with me, I always have a tote with me but they are so dull looking, this is just GREAT and it would show how I love my girls!!
What a great idea! I would use it to carry things to work.
So cute! I have 3 barred rocks so this is even more special. I would use it to carry things like books and eggs and such to my mother who we visit about once a month. Or I might use it to carry more gifts to my daughter’s newborn born one week ago. I have chicken “things” decorating my whole house so I would probably hang it on the hallway door knob somewhere when not in use. Thanks Terry!
In my house, things put themselves into bags – my two kitties who love to get into any bag, box, bucket, or other items used to carry things.
Here is exactly what would happen if you posted this to me.
My kitties would hide from the postman when he rang the doorbell to deliver the package. He would likely leave it on the doorstep as he is somewhat lazy and over here they can just dump a package and run unless it needs a signature. I would open the door and the two kitties would appear to investigate what is going on.
They would try to sniff the package and the easiest way to get around this is just put it down on the floor and let them have their way with it. Once they are done with it and look up at me with bored faces, it is ok to pick it up and open it. Ooh, something noisy, the kitties will suddenly become unbored.
Once I remove the item from the wrapping/packet, they will then want to investigate that. If possible, they will climb inside it. If not possible to put all of themselves into it, they will try to fit whatever parts of themselves will fit.
I would put the bag down on my coffee table, and they would climb into it, and then look at me with pay attention eyes until I picked them up and carried them around, in the bag.
And that is all. Until the item catches their attention again, at which time they will climb into it for a nap and hope that someone notices so they can be carried around some more.
Weird animals they are – but they are good friends with our 6 chooks so I let it slide. :)
Cheers!
Snoskred
What a great idea‼ I Would put my baby Nigerian Dwarf goat in it‼ Lulu would love it‼
This is great! I’d take Herman, my Malaysian Serama hen in it;everywhere I could convince someone she is a service animal!
I love this! I’d carry my knitting in it, for sure. I could take it to the market, too, or use it to carry home produce from our parcels at the local community garden. Thank you, Terry, for the opportunity to win this adorable bag.
I love the grommets on the handles! I would put my Agricultural Handbook in this to take to the Town Meetings to promote the Right To Farm By-law! Everyone should have the right to farm if they want.
Excellent reuse idea! I would use it for shopping and running errands around town for all to see!
I love this bag! I would carry homemade treats that I make and deliver to friends. My girls are on the verge of laying and I could also deliver their fresh eggs to those who are looking forward to receiving the bounty (I can’t wait). The chicken feed I have available does not come in such a cute, fancy bag so I may have to start shopping around!
Love this bag! I would use it for everything, from my many trips to the library, to toting my art supplies to all my seminars and classes. And I would defnitely paint the bag on something to display in my kitchen, on something to hang on the wall!
Groceries!
I would use this handsome tote as my new Girl Scout bag! If it was strong enough for 50 pounds of feed, then it can definitely handle our meeting supplies, we’re a very busy troop.
Our 4H kids have made these bags. They are great. Also…in October, Purina makes their bags pink for breast
cancer awareness, which in turn makes beautiful recycled “art”! I’d carry my crochet projects in it!
I like to paint with watercolors…this looks perfect for hauling around my painting supplies!!
Love this! I would use it to tote around my larger crochet projects….like the blanket I am about to begin for a friend’s wedding present. :)
Such a clever use for an old feed bag! :)
I would put all my first grade papers that need correcting in it to make my “homework” more appealing.
I would use it when I go shopping for cat food. Couldn’t ask for a better bag to bring home food for my furkids in! I think it would be purrfect. And, the cats would see the bag and know there are morsels in it (probably even some chicken dinners) for them!
OMgosh, what wouldn’t I put in it…but at least for summer it would be my swim towel/lotion/hat/book etc!
During the summer, I would take it on my walks to the Sunday Farmer’s Market. In the fall, I would use it to cart my work back and forth to school. I work at a boarding school where the students ask each day how my chickies are, intrigued by that side of my life.
veggies from my garden to bring in the house!
I would use it as my lunchbag for work.
I would use it at my local market Gerrards and Trader Joe’s and the Grove school’s Saturday morning farmer’s market!
Love the bag! I would use it as my new catch-all. I rarely carry a purse, I usually carry some sort of recycled bag I can put the things I need for the day – magazine, book, water, wallet, snack, sunblock, sunglasses. It would go with me everywhere! I just looked at feed bags on etsy to buy! I love the reinforcing grommets too, very durable. Thanks for sharing:)
I need this bag for three reasons…. 1st, the chicken looks just like my girl Penny. Secondly, grocery stores here in Los Angeles Co. charge .10C for each bag they “give” you. So- bring your own bags is a must! Thirdly- it is one really cool original! A conversation starter for sure!!
I love this bag and would use it to “deliver my girls eggs to my neighbors”. I sent an inquiry to my neighbors to ask permission to have hens in my back yard. One of my neighbors questioned the noise and reputation of the neighborhood if I had hens. I replied that the noise was no more than the motorcycles and trucks that we hear from 495 and the neighbor’s dogs that bark during the day! So…I do have a flock of 5 girls that I love very much and would love to share eggs with my neighbor and give the family a beautiful bag as a reminder that we can live with our gorgeous girls and appreciate the work that they (girls) do for us!!!!!!
Lovely bag, I would use it to carry the small antiques I bring into the antique coop I’m a part of. I’m using something from Whole Foods at the moment, and this would be so much nicer! ; )
I love this bag. I would use it to put fabric and thread in or quilt tops to and from the local fabric store.
We go through dog food quickly, I only wish those bags were more vivid like this one. Love the chicken. Actually I have my kitchen area decorated in chickens and am doing a quilt in chicken material. I would probably put some knitting or spinning in this bag. Quite a conversation piece to take out in public.
So cute-what a great way to re-purpose the the feed bags! I’d use it as a travel bag to keep handy in the car for books, magazines, etc.
I love the graphics on this bag! I would use it to haul stuff from the car, or take it to the store, library, etc.
I made one and use it for everything, groceries, junk bag for work, overnight bag, fishing bag. Everything or anything that will fit.
I would put yellow yarn the color of baby chicks i foud last night in stash
Love the bag – looks like my girl “Hermoine”! I would use it to carry my kindle, walking sneakers and maybe lunch to and from work.
This bag would be great for groceries, food market finds, craft fair finds, things to carry for a beach outing, things needed to bring to a picnic, for carrying gifts to a party (birthday, Christmas, home-warming, etc)…ENDLESS possibilities!!
I would have to agree with others it woud make a great knitting bag. I can see a growing sweater in that bag.
College school books, just as a purse, because I love big purses and always carry too much with me.
It’s such a lovely bag. The grommets are gorgeous. I think I would mostly use it for marketing. But I’d surely stuff it with costumes and other projects that need toting around as well.
WHAT AN AWESOME IDEA!!!!! I LOVE IT!!! I WOULD USE IT WHEN I HAVE TO TAKE MY GREAT NIECES OUT AND ABOUT. I’D USE IT TO PUT THE THINGS I BUY FOR THEM TO TAKE HOME!!!
As a bag- aholic, I use them for everything. I am new to backyard chickens but would love to tote around this bag bringing a chicken on the road wherever I go. I see books, needlepoint, towels, snacks and more just waiting for their turn to hop in!
Too cool! Hmmmm–I would take it to the farmers market and stuff it full of veggies. My current tote has seen a lot of hard years and deserves to be retired!
Definitely groceries and fresh produce and veggies from the farmers markets!
Groceries or maybe books to and from the library. My cat loves to burrow into the current library tote – it’s black and so is she. Invisible cat! :)
How darling! I would use it to carry lunch, etc to the office in the big city to show everyone that my heart is in the country.
My whole kitchen/dinning room is chickens/roosters. This bag would have a prime place in a chair next to the counters to hold my clean dish cloths and drying towels – no auto diswasher for this girl :-)
I’m impressed! The girl can sew too! I think it would be a fun project bag for a quilt of some kind. I have some feed bags from my father’s home. They look like 40’s or 50’s, no fancy prints, just printed with the name of the feed.
Deb
Oh my goodness! I LOVE THIS BAG!!! This idea is the bomb!!! :) And I’m not just saying this to win a bag. Anyway, I would use this bag for grocery shopping, farmers market trips, going to the beach and swimming pool, vacations, and whenever I need a big and super cool bag! Such a great conversation piece, too!!! Kudos to you for finding such a neat way to recycle the feed bags!!!
I work in a city that has allowed hens for several years. The city that I live next to just this year created an ordinance that allows hens. What a silly struggle it was to convince “city folks” (surrounded by farms) that hens are nicer and quieter than most dogs. I’d carry my bag shopping in support of the cities that said YES to hens! And because it’s colorful and an excellent reuse of the feed bags. Nice job!
This tote is way too popular :(
We, my son and his wife and 5 children, have picnics a lot during the summer and I usually bring the plates, cups, napkins, silverware (because I love to shop around and find really cute patterns in the disposable stuff, along with drinks and dessert. I think this would make an adorable tote for this!
OK, I’m fluctuating! I would also like to keep my favorite “Paula” and “Taste of Home” magazine in it by my reading chair.