I know most of you all are not going to find this useful but.......

[MissJames]

OK- posting pictures is so slow on a pokey dial up but here it is-

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e201/4humboldt/poopsifter003web.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e201/4humboldt/poopsifter004web.jpg

The first pic shows it open where I dump dirty sawdust in and the second is where it folds shut to allow me to shake all the sawdust out.

I have now used the same sawdust for 15 days and it is still really clean. I just remove the wet spots each day then sift the rest. Takes me half the time or less that I used to spend cleaning straw.
Eventually I will have removed enough wet sawdust that I will have to add more but not yet............

That's brilliant!

 

[patandchickens]

ETR, that is a *brilliant* design. I may try making something larger-mesh like that for stalls, if I ever get bored. I do like to thoroughly-thoroughly clean the stalls every so often, and have always done it by tossing everything against a wall (the chunks of missed manure run down and accumulate around the edges of the pile where they can easily be scooped out) but every year the dust from that bothers me more and more.

If that design is your own, you should think about either patenting it if you're ambitious, or getting it published in a magazine if you're not so ambitious.

Seriously!


Pat, wondering whether "I want to try out someone's design for a goat poo sifter" would be enough to convince DH that we should get goats... alas, it probably wouldnt <g>

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I don't have goats, but that looks great!

 

[PamsPride]

ITA!! BRILLIANT!!

 

[enjoy the ride]

Aww, ladies- blush blush (keep it coming) blush blush........

What has worked out about it so well is that I really don't have to lift it up - I just use the handles to tip it and sort of shake it while it rests on the "prow" end. I only close it and use the loop at the end to shake the last little bit of sawdust out.

Please feel free to spread the design around if you think it would help someone. I'm a firm believer in sharing ideas that work which, when you think about it, is the founding idea of this site.

I thought about one for horse stalls too but I don't bed the horses any more- they have chips in their night paddocks. I would think that chicken wire would work for that- might even be able to do shavings with that size of screen.

 

[enjoy the ride]

Today I finally decided to add two buckets of new saw dust to what was in the goatie shed. That is 21 days (or more I can't remember) of cleaning the same sawdust. Then I still had enough useable that I did not replace it- just added.

 

[shareneh]

I think you are on to something. Great work.

 

[FarmerChick]

Now that is a money saver big time. I like what you designed!! Very innovative! You keep thinking up great ideas to save you will be banking up a good stash of extra money!!

 

[patandchickens]

At least write it up and send it off to Dairy Goat Journal or Countryside or some other magazine (if the first one declines, keep shopping around), other people OUGHT to see this, and you may get a year's free subscription or something out of it

Pat

 

[ShadyGlade]

Terrific Idea! I thought I'd add that Progressive Farmer magazine has a monthly contest for homemade devices with excellent cash prizes.