An excellent idea for a short term retaining/transfer box came along with a Red-breasted gander from David Moniuszko in Poulsbo, Washington . He had used a Rubbermaid storage box obtained from Wal-Mart which he altered by punching holes around the top. The top has a fastener on each end which is nice during the loading phase, but not secure enough for my satisfaction. The top can be secured by drilling holes through the border of the top and the top of the box. Plastic wire ties can be pushed through the holes to secure the top to the box.

18 and 30 Gallon Sizes

The equipment to transform the storage box into a shipping box can be obtained from Campbell Bosworth Machinery Company. The Osborne Number 245 Belt Punch which cuts a 5/8 inch hole was selected for use, but there are a variety of sizes in the array of Osborne Number 245 Belt Punches. All you need to operate the 245 punch is a hammer. About four whacks will drive the punch through the Rubbermaid plastic. They also have cutting boards made of 1 inch plastic that can be placed under the box to protect the punch as it passes through the side of the plastic box. The plastic cutting board is recommended, even though it is a bit expensive.

Tools

An alternate way to cut the holes is to use an Irwin Speedbor Short Length Spade Bit of appropriate size to fit the need. This is a flat wood bit that has a protrusion or spur on each side of the blade. The protrusion cuts through the plastic before the flat end of the bit engages the plastic. With a little care this system is as neat as the former idea and a great deal faster.

Irwin Speedbor Short Length Spade Bit

The idea was impressive in the name of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, etc. Environmentally what we use may not be as important as the length of time it takes the item selected to reach the landfill, the longer the better. Economically these boxes are winners as the largest box (about 30 gallons) is usually around $10.00. The smaller boxes (about 18 gallons) are close to $5.00. They are light weight, but strong. They can be easily cleaned inside (hay or wood chips to absorb fluids during transfer) and outside. These can be used over and over so I request their return from borrowers.

The converted boxes work great for short term holding of Anser geese. A pair placed in a comparable sized wire cage would have their bills torn up in a matter of minutes as they try to push their bills through the spaces in the wire.

This file was placed in service 07/06/2003.

The University of Tennessee at Martin is not responsible for the information or views expressed here.

Last Modified Wednesday, 28-May-2008 16:38:40 CDT