Review the Best Rollaway Chicken Nesting Boxes

Over a decade ago we were the first to introduce Amish made all metal rollaway nesting boxes to the general market. Our initial offerings which are still our most popular were 2, 4, and 8 compartment nest boxes with a rollout egg tray that protects fresh laid eggs from being messed, stepped on or pecked at as some chickens will eat the eggs 

With the cost of feed and overhead losing, just a few eggs a day can really add up.

As we made our Amish product tours a few years later we discovered another Amish company making a slightly different type of rollaway nesting box without dividers. These were being built as open concept community nesting box patterned after commercial operations.

The Community Nesting Boxes as they are called basically have the same design as our divided boxes but use a traditional laying mat which, resembles a section of Astroturf, to allow the eggs to drop and roll forward into a compartment. Instead of the dividers, they use curtains on the front to resemble separate entries into nest boxes. 

The open community concept accommodates more chickens, about twice as many as our divided boxes. So, we added the Community Nesting Boxes and introduced them to the Internet as well.

Since then several other companies have begun selling the Community Nest Boxes on the internet as well.

Sales of both styles have been strong with repeat customers coming back for more of the same models. As people would call and ask which is the best we would say it’s a Ford-Chevy discussion depending on which one you were used to as we have customers on both sides raving about them.  Then we would share the benefits of both and let them make their own decisions.

The one thing that kept sticking in our mind was the need for the laying mat.  Our original nesting boxes use a PVC coated wire mesh that allows the manure to pass through to a slide in drop pan underneath.

A laying mat basically is sharing the same surface with the egg to roll over and to collect the manure.  Extra laying mats are good to have on hand to switch clean out for dirty. Other than that, the Community Nesting Boxes offers a bit larger collection tray that can be switched to either a front or back collection based on your coop size and needs.

The Community Nest Boxes also have a solid back which means they can be set out in the middle of a coop floor up on blocks or screwed to a wall. But, we really like our traditional nest boxes with the open backs because they use wall cleats to hang on a wall so that they can be easily lifted off and taken outside to be power washed and disinfected from front and back.

So, we went back to our original supplier and learned they too have been looking for a way to build a better rollaway nesting box. We believe they have succeeded with the Colony Rollway Nesting Boxes and we are the first again to introduce them to Internet sales.

The Colony Rollaway Nest Boxes are available in the same 2, 4 and 8 compartments outside designs except for no dividers to offer the open community concept and added curtains to mimic the nest box entrances.  They are also now available as a front or rear collection box.

Best of all they don’t require the messy laying mats and still offer the quick removal hanging cleats to quickly take them outside and power wash them.

Even better the price point is lower for even a bit thicker galvanized metal used on the horizontal parts such as the tops and cross members that can easily be damaged by kids stepping up on them.

We believe the Colony Rollaway Nesting Boxes just might the best of the best of all rollaway nesting boxes. Especially, when you have the option to purchase the double layer 48” nesting box for much less than having to buy two of the 48” rollaway nest boxes. 

You can buy one Colony Double Layer and benefit with two 48” nesting boxes stacked together in one that will handle 80 or more hens.

Reversing the Colony Nesting Boxes to the outside of the coop for rear collection takes up zero space inside the coop. Simply cut a hole in the side and hang the Colony Nest Box on the outside.  

All the access to the eggs, manure tray and even reaching through to lift the roost bar to block entry can be accomplished from outside the coop. Manure cleanout is the easiest of all nesting boxes, especially on the outside rear collection.  You can roll a wheelbarrow right up to the box and pull out the manure tray just under the egg collection tray and dump without ever having to reach in or disturb the layers.

At Cottage Craft Works https://www.cottagecraftworks.com We have the largest selection of all metal rollaway nest boxes.

Cottage Craft Works is a unique emporium of old-fashioned made in America products for the farm, home, and garden.

Best APPLE CIDER PRESS/ WINE PRESS 2017

APPLE CIDER PRESS/ WINE PRESS Self-sufficient homestead, apple cider presses, wine presses, and supplies for the hobby backyard and small commercial orchards.

Only available at http://cottagecraftworks.com

4 quart Ice Cream Maker -Freezer

4 quart Ice Cream Maker -Freezer

USA Immergood Ice Cream Freezers-Makers have become the leading brand used for making homemade ice cream. The 4-Qt Immergood is perfect for a small family or couple featuring all the same quality materials that have made Immergood ice cream makers so popular.

Compact size the 4-qt measures 13-3/4” tall x 14” wide (hand crank removed)

Featuring a super insulated leak-free fiberglass tub equipped with heavy duty stainless steel tub and ear latches and a powder coated hand crank frame with, all stainless-steel gears and poly wear bushings. A Stainless Steel triple-action dasher is standard.

Large Batch Water Bath Food Canner, A Real Time Saver

Amish made heavy Stainless water bath canner quickly process up to 15-quart jars at one time. Made of thicker 22-gauge 304 Stainless Steel.

Large 20” x 12” x 12” canner sits over two burners to maximize canning time and adequately cover the tops of the jars with plenty of hot water to properly seal the lids. More uniform heating and quicker processing of large batches of home canned goods with Less wasted lids and food.

Amish 15-qt Water Bath Canner

Canner is Amish made using welded seams, no solder, totally food grade lead-free stainless construction. Use for cooking other large batch meals as a stock pot for crawfish or crab boils.

The thicker 22-gauge stainless used on this Amish canner means more stability than others using 24-gauge stainless, especially on the long sides.

Ideally used outdoors on a portable two burner LP Gas Stove as it’s easier to maneuver filling and emptying.  It will produce intense heat on the back end against the wall or some stove top controls that are mounted on the back of a standard cook stove.

This canner will work on an electric stove. It shouldn’t be used at all on glass top electric range because of the heat and weight.

The canner comes with a lid and canning rack. 

This heavy-duty canner is only available from the online self-sufficient living store at Cottage Craft Works.com

If you’re into some serious home canning look at the outdoor wood and gas fired canners also available at Cottage Craft Works. These big boys will handle up to 38-quart jars at one time and will also cook large vats of up to 30 gallons of liquids as well as crawfish and crab boils.

Cottage Craft Works.com, www.cottagecraftworks.com is a unique supplier of practical old-time products once used for homesteading, farming and ranching.  Most of the products are still made and are being used in the off-grid Amish communities.

Heavy Gauge Water Bath Canner

Wood or Gas Fired Water Bath Deluxe Canner

Amish Wood Fired Water Bath Canner

Increase Your Bass Fishing Odds, Decades of Trophy Bass

Stutzie Bass Killer Crankbait Worm is one of the best-kept secrets amongst many Midwestern tournaments and professional bass fisherman. 

When they aren’t biting the pro bass, the fisherman uses Stutzie Amish made Bass Killer as the go to crankbait.

Stutzie is not a well promoted or a well-known crankbait name in most parts of the country. In the Heartland, especially in Indiana where they have been made, the Stutzie Bass Killer is known and respected by a limited few who were lucky enough to stumble upon them on a fishing trip or know about them from a long past relative or friend that has used them.

They work exceptionally well and the reason they haven’t been promoted as much over all these years is that they are Amish made and sold mostly in local mom and pop bait shops in and around North Central Indiana and lower Michigan.

In fact, they work so well that pro tournament bass fishermen don’t really want to let their competition know what they are using to bring in the bass when they aren’t biting for others.  It’s kind of like those closely held secret fishing holes.

One thing about the Amish people is that they live simple without all the distractions and alternative things to do.  In other words, they have a lot of time on their hands to study and perfect what works best in attracting and catching bass.

The Amish are also the perfectionist in their crafts and trades and build and make things with remarkable quality. They have really perfected the Stutzie crankbaits using color and hook size combinations that really hook those trophy sized basses.

You won’t find Stutzie crankbaits at your local bait shop unless perhaps you live in Indiana or lower Michigan and they no longer have a web site, they are, however, available in cards of 12 online at Cottage Craft Works.com

Stutzie, also makes a weedless cuttail and salted crankbait.

Cottage Craft Works, www.cottagecraftworks.com is an online store that specializes in goods and products made by the Amish as well as small America businesses where the owner still touches the products that they make and sell.

Like the Stutzie crankbaits you will find some astonishing old-fashioned products at this general store.

Stutize Bass Killer Crankbait

Amish Made Ice Cream Maker-Freezer to Last a Lifetime

Astonishing old-fashioned quality in the US made homemade ice cream maker built by the Amish.  Lifetime Freezers are simply built to last a lifetime and are backed by a lifetime warranty.

No more annoying catastrophes during family gatherings when people are glaring at you ready for some homemade ice cream and you have none because your freezer failed.

The Amish are simple people with a straight forward honest approach to the products they make. To them, it’s still about old-fashioned quality and durability as it used to be. The Amish just make things to last expecting the next generations will be able to enjoy it as well.

Planned obsolescence’s, boosting corporate share holder profits, using cheaper imported parts just isn’t the Amish way of doing business. 

That’s also a good thing for others who seek out Amish made products because of that commitment to the quality US made products.

Those who haven’t discovered this unique and limited source may just be throwing money away. Just look for an 8-qt ice cream maker and you will quickly find that only the Amish are making them, wonder why? It’s some of supply and demand but much of it is because the cheaper parts made in the imports just won’t hold up to churning 8-qts of ice cream at one time.

The Amish love to make frequent homemade ice cream year-round. So, when the US manufacturers moved operations overseas they began noticing a decline in how long the parts were lasting.  At first, they made their own replacement parts then over time discovered they were basically replacing so many parts on a new ice cream maker they just began to duplicate the old-time ones that they grew up with.

They incorporate modern day materials such as stainless steel and insulated formed poly into the tubs. The Amish made ice cream makers even further improved on the old classic designs.

Lifetime 6 and 8-qt freezers hand crank models use a durable powder coated cast brass hand crank housing equipped with stainless steel gears, stainless steel shaft and a stainless-steel hand crank with a wooden spinner. No concerns of rust or corrosion on these ice cream makers.

The exclusive Lifetime freezer tub is made from high-density poly with an inner Styrofoam insulating core. It holds ice cream for hours longer than the old wooden bucket tubs. Lifetime uses only quality stainless-steel for all the tub latches, the freezer can and dasher. An optional insulated poly tub cover is also available. The insulated cover holds the ice cream for even longer periods. A great option if you’re making and serving ice cream later or have people coming and going over a period.

Lifetime freezers are more comparable other more expensive all stainless-steel Amish ice cream freezer options.

The Lifetime dasher is cut from a solid sheet of ¼” stainless eliminating the need to have multiple welds. Their efficient paddle design provides more mixing surface eliminating the need for a secondary fixed dasher blade as found on a triple action dasher. The Lifetime dasher is equipped with durable food grade poly dasher scraper blades.

The lifetime dasher has fewer moving parts and is much easier to maintain and ensure sanitation. It is also easier to pull out of the ice cream and clean off the excess instead of a triple motion dasher and with all its rods and bars.

Lifetime is considered a dual action ice cream maker as opposed to a triple action machine. The Lifetime dasher turns in one direction while the freezer can spins in the opposite direction. On a triple action machine, the dasher has another inner part that spins back once again with the can to supposedly mix the custard better.

We have used both machines and couldn’t tell any difference in the outcome or time it took to freeze our ice cream. We liked the many attributes of the Lifetime dasher when it came to clean up. If anything, the Lifetime freezer may have frozen a bit quicker, but so much about the freezing time is about the ice and salt mixture rather than the inside churning process.

With the growing popularity of Amish, ice cream makers also come the proliferation of online retailers trying to cash in on the made in the USA movement. Just a few years ago just a handful of companies offered Amish made ice cream makers.

Cottage Craft Works.com is one of the original companies to do so. They were the first to find and introduce Immergood Freezers and now at the time of this writing are the first to introduce Lifetime Freezers.

Cottage Craft Works is the largest supplier of Amish made ice cream makers meaning they have the largest selection of all three Amish brands, Country, Immergood and Lifetime. They also have them in stock and ready to ship when others are listing them out of stock. You will also find all the parts and accessories to go with your purchase plus a live person to talk to on the phone when you call with questions or problems.

Cottage Craft Works, www.cottagecraftworks.com is a full line general store that carries a wide variety of the old-fashioned products made to last for the home, farm, and garden. They are your self-sufficient living go to place for practical products that are as useful today as they were in yesteryears.

*Lifetime warranty on all stainless parts and Poly tub. Warranties are extended directly by the Lifetime Freezer Company.

Lifetime Hand Crank Ice Cream Freezers 6-8-qt

Lifetime Stainless Steel Can & Dasher

Lifetime Freezer Stainless Steel Tub Latch

Lifetime Freezer Hand Crank Gear Frame

Lifetime 8-qt Ice Cream Freezer With USA Motor

Best Hand Crank Ice Cream Makers Ever Made

These are the real McCoy, old-fashioned hand crank ice cream makers built like things used to be. Built for serious homemade ice cream making year-round.

No more disappointing the family when the ice cream maker fails. These old-fashioned US made high-quality ice cream making machines are still being made even better than the originals that were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Direct from the American Heartland these brand new old-fashioned hand crank ice cream makers ship directly from the Amish shops that make them right here in the US.

Modern day materials allow the traditional hand crank ice cream freezers from yesteryear to be enhanced with stainless-steel gears, stainless-steel hardware and insulated molded leak free poly tubs that will keep finished ice cream frozen for hours

When it comes to making and consuming homemade ice cream the Amish know how to do it best and they know how to make the old-fashioned ice cream machines like they grew up with.

You might call it a homemade ice cream revolution as the public discovers the level of quality in these Amish ice cream freezers.

For years the Amish have been slowly and quietly manufacturing their own ice cream makers as they became disenchanted with the ones being made by outside companies.

The shift started when their favorite hand crank ice cream machines once made here in the US became caught up in the shift of American made products going to overseas manufacturers fuel by the demands of the mega discount stores to sell cheaper discounted products.

At first Amish machine, shops began replacing the hand crank gears with their own gears they made to last longer. Then, as the tub latches and tub ears started to decline they began making the old-fashioned cam lock tub latches from stainless steel to replace those coming from the foreign factories.

Before long the Amish had all the parts and started making their own brands of ice cream makers to sell within the various Amish communities. The Amish ice cream makers which, they call ice cream freezers were a throwback to the late 1800s and 1900s when things were just so well built you could count on them to last a lifetime and then on into the next generations.

Immergood Amish Made Ice Cream Machines

Unbeknownst to the Amish, other people, in general, were becoming as frustrated with the run of the mill imported ice cream makers. Those who visited the Amish stores soon caught on to these better-quality ice cream makers and purchased them to take back home.

When other friends and neighbors saw the quality and how well they worked, they just had to have one of their own.

If you're fortunate to live close to an Amish community you might luck out and find one there.  If not Cottage Craft Works.com has done all the leg work for you.

This unique online general store specializes in combing the back roads in the American Amish communities to discover these high-quality products and bring them to the online marketplace.

Amish made ice cream makers have become so popular that several suppliers are now selling them online. Many will have just a few of one model sitting in a back room and have them listed on the Internet, kind of here today gone tomorrow. Many of them quickly run out of stock or have a back-order list.  They also don’t provide other options for insulated tub covers or additional parts to support the purchase long term.

Cottage Craft Works, on the other hand, works directly with the Amish shops to maintain in stock inventory and feature all the accessories and parts to support your purchase. Their web pages give you in-depth information and pictures of the ice cream machines to understand the many different brands and options.

Best of all they will directly answer the phone to walk you through any questions and Yes, you can talk directly to a knowledgeable owner that can explain the many differences in the Amish ice cream makers they have available or quickly help you to resolve any issues that you may have with one after the sale.

Cottage Craft Works.com is the largest supplier of Amish made ice cream makers offering all the brands and models made by the three Amish companies, Country, Immergood and Lifetime Ice Cream Freezers. Electric motor models are also available.

Cottage Craft Works.com online general store is full of the old-fashioned products of yesteryears still mostly made by the Amish.

In business now for over 10 years and accredited by the Better Business Bureau, Cottage Craft Works.com is definitely a reliable source for Amish ice cream machines.  

Lifetime Amish Made Ice Cream Maker

Country Amish Made Ice Cream Freezers

Wagon Mounted 20-qt Ice Cream Freezers-Makers-Machines

Wagon Mounted 20-qt Ice Cream Freezers can be operated by both gasoline and electric motors. Some models have on board freezer compressors and require no ice or salt.

For decades, the old-fashioned ice cream freezer has been churning up homemade ice cream at county fairs and festivals.

The 20-qt Amish made Country Freezer is the most popular and the only remaining company still making this large of ice cream freezer.

Many have adapted it to run off all types of motors including the old hit-n-miss motors.

As the hit-n-miss motors have become difficult to find Amish companies have moved forward to using more modern-day gasoline or electric motors.  While many can hook a motor belt and pulley to the 20-qt freezer one Amish company has engineered them to be used with onboard freezer compressors requiring no ice or salt to facilitate the freezing process.

These iceless ice cream freezers use a coil of tubing inside the tub to circulate the Freon. The tub is then filled with a food grade glycol that transfers the cold over to the ice cream freezer can. This solution is then saved and reused time after time.

This type of setup is perfect for making multiple batches of ice cream since there is no ice to empty and refill to reinsert the freezer can. Over a period, the savings of not purchasing salt and ice can add up.

Simpler models are available with the belt driven motor setups. One electric powered freezer uses a direct drive angle gear box and an electric motor on the side.

This combination has become very popular for commercial ice cream shops, organizations and just individuals who love to make homemade style ice cream. The unit is compact, doesn’t have the belt pinch points when being used around employees or in a crowd of curious people.

All the Country Ice Cream 20-qt freezers have NSF certification available as an upgrade. The symbol is stamped on the can, dasher and lid if local health departments require it.

The electrically powered Country freezers are very sophisticated with an onboard amp meter to show when the motor is pulling high amps indicating that the ice cream is completed.

Cottage Craft Works.com is an online company that specializes in finding quality Amish made products and bringing them out of the Amish communities to offer to the public.

Cottage Craft Works has the largest selection of Amish made ice cream freezers and brands from all three Amish companies. The company also carries all the Accessories, parts and support for those products. They even carry replacement parts for the older White Mountain Freezers that are not available anywhere else.

Self Contained Iceless Electric Country 20-qt Ice Cream Maker

Self Contained Country Iceless 20-qt Gas Power Ice Cream Machine

Country 20-qt Wagon Mounted Gas Ice Cream Freezer

Country 20-qt Direct Drive Electric Ice Cream Maker

Bulk Homemade Ice Cream Maker-Machines-Churns

Commercial duty old-fashioned homemade ice cream maker-machines-churns bring old-fashioned ice cream to events, venues, festivals and church socials.

The Amish USA made old-time wooden tub ice cream makers relive the memories and flavors of making homemade ice cream on location at county fairs and festivals.

Many families began as couples sought out using ice cream as an initial way to bridge introductions while visiting at church socials, county fairs, and festivals. Later many family arguments were also settled over a scoop of homemade ice cream as it always brings a smile and compromise to almost any situation.   

Whether if you’re looking to make a profit at making homemade ice cream or just wanting to please a large crowd of people these combinations of Amish made Country, Immergood and Lifetime Ice Cream makers will fit the bill.

Ice cream maker manufacturers have become so competitive using imported parts these days they have lost sight of the end user consumer and their needs.

A simple old-fashioned ice cream freezer built strong enough to hold up to multiple batches of making ice cream just almost seems non-existent these days.

Most store-bought ice cream makers are either for an occasional small batch of homemade ice cream at home and are just not made to last. Many have become frustrated when they break down using them to make even small batches of ice cream for family reunions and events.

Many families discover when they pull out their ice cream freezer out of storage for the 4^th-of July Holiday that it is no longer working.

Generally, ice cream maker manufacturers are no longer offering anything over a 6-qt size as they know their gear frames and electric motor heads just will not withstand the pressures of making an 8-qt batch of frozen hard ice cream.

To find a bulk ice cream machine most will Google and quickly find commercial soft serve machines running thousands of dollars above anyone’s budget. Plus, soft serve is just not like old-fashioned homemade ice cream.

Once upon a time in the late 1800s and early 1900s, several US companies were making well-built ice cream freezers up to 8, 10, and 20-qt sizes.

As generations moved away from the old-fashioned social events the demand for those ice cream freezers declined and the few remaining companies shifted focus to discount mega store sales and smaller families cutting sizes and cost by using cheaper made imported parts.

This became a real problem within the Amish communities who love to make homemade ice cream several times a week for their large families, weddings, and social events.

So, several Amish companies began reproducing the old-time ice cream freezers that they grew up with to feed the demand of future generations of Amish ice cream events.

The Amish made ice cream freezers are truly amazing in the old-fashioned materials and quality that are still being built into them. Country Freezer is the only company still making the nostalgic 20-qt wooden tub freezer that is still available on the old-time popping hit-n-miss motor powered wagon.

Country Freezer also has NSF certification available on the freezer can, dasher and can lid for commercial applications where local health departments require it.

As those old hit-n-miss motors have become more difficult to find the Amish have transitioned to gasoline and electric power for the Country 20-qt freezer.

One Amish company has gone as far as making an onboard wagon mounted 20-qt freezer and compressor to provide iceless homemade ice cream without using the old salt brine.

10-qt freezers are no longer being made but three Amish companies, Country, Immergood, and Lifetime are making an 8-qt and 6-qt ice cream freezer durable enough to serve ice cream to larger groups of people.

Cottage Craft Works.com is an online company that specializes in finding quality Amish made products and bringing them out of the Amish communities to offer to the public.

Cottage Craft Works has the largest selection of Amish made ice cream freezers and brands from all three Amish companies. The company also carries all the Accessories, parts and support for those products. They even carry replacement parts for the older White Mountain Freezers that are not available anywhere else.

The 8-qt Stainless Immergood freezers have become very popular for large families and even churches who purchase several at a time for their annual ice cream socials fundraising events.

The Country 20-qt direct drive motor ice cream freezer with the NSF certification is very popular with ice cream shops, carnival vendors, and even restaurants as far away as France and South America.

These ice cream freezers not only make ice cream they can be used to make all types of frozen treats. One vendor only makes and sells frozen lemonade in his 20-qt Country freezer and sells out early.

Country 20-qt Direct Drive Electric Ice Cream Freezer

Country 20-qt Self Contained Gas Powered Ice Cream Maker

Self Contained Iceless Electric 20-qt Ice Cream Maker

Gas Powered 20-qt Ice Cream Freezer

Immergood Ice Cream Freezers