I enjoyed reading your entries and finding out what you’d put in the bag. So many of you mentioned my favorite things – farmers market produce, kittens, knitting, crafts, books and beach towels, art supplies and dog treats – no wonder you all log on here, and no wonder that I have such a good time writing to you!
But, there is only one winner and that person is “Stephanie in AZ.” She’s going to put the makings of a chicken quilt in it. Stephanie, email me your mailing address and I’ll get the tote out to you. And send me a photo of the quilt when it’s finished!
Even if you didn’t win, you can still have a chicken feed tote bag. There are bags on etsy.com. I even saw bags for sale at the Brimfield Flea Market!
Totes at Brimfield Flea Market
I sometimes have bags for sale. I’ll be at the Carlisle Farmers Market on and off this summer with the bags and other things. (Tomorrow I’ll have canning jar vases brimming with hydrangea flowers.)
If you can sew a straight line, you can make a tote yourself. The pattern that I use is one that I came up with. I started with an illustration in a Japanese craft book on how to make bags (all in Japanese!) and then there was trial and error to work with the material and my sewing machine. I don’t think that I’m the best person to teach bag-making skills. But, Backyard Poultry Magazine has directions here. It’s not how I do it, but it looks sensible enough. Instructables has directions for how to make one with a lining, and a more basic bag. Let me know if you start sewing them up!
I started saving my chicken feed bags after I saw a blog post on making them. I had to rescue them out of the trash. They are a little wrinkled but I used one yesterday at the grocery and it held up just fine.
These are brilliant. I really want one or seven of them!
I have just discovered your website today and love it! I am the mother of 7 backyard hens who have survived from one week old to 15 months old now. My Rhodie started brooding and won’t stop regardless of what I do, so I was looking for help on the net. I will try the brood cage and see if that “cures” her. This is the first time I’ve ever had chickens and I love it – they each have their own personalities and it’s so much fun to observe them. I sing to them sometimes in the morning, and every night and they run up to the backyard fence and “sing” with me, making their gutteral sounds. For the first 11 months I locked the hen house every night, then decided to leave it open because I don’t like to get up that early every morning – not really a morning person. Love to hang around with a mug of coffee and stare for awhile before starting the day! So far, no mishaps. Should I lock the door? I have heard there are Racoons around but haven’t seen any. I would appreciate any good advice any of you have for raising laying hens (no rooster, the neighbors won’t allow it!.) So glad I discovered your website!
Glad to have you here! I, too, did not lock my coop. I had good-luck for four years and then one night a raccoon got in and killed everything, so, spoken from sad experience, I wouldn’t risk it.
Oh, I guess I should have mentioned that my backyard where the hens run free is 1/2 acre and full of wiggly, buzzy things!
What a great idea for the bags!!! We have been using them as garbage bags, but I love the idea of taking them to the supermarket. Besides, who else is going to have a Layena bag at Shoprite lol???