The Chicken Coop in Cold Weather

Living in Michigan, I was concerned about how my chickens would tolerate the cold weather.  First, I specifically chose some breeds that do better in frigid temperatures.  I looked for chickens with small combs (less chance of frostbite) and ones that don't mind confinement (some go crazy not being allowed to free-range year round).

Second, I tried to get a weather resistant coop.  It has insulation on the roof and walls, and I've placed a thick layer of straw down to keep their feet warm.  I've positioned the one window in the coop towards the South to take advantage of what little daylight we have.  

On the day this photo was taken, it was in the upper 20's outside.  Inside the coop, the thermometer read 45 degrees.  I'm still concerned for when it gets really cold outside.  I'll have to check their water a couple times a day to make sure it hasn't frozen over.  My parents gave me a length of heat tape that I have considered rigging up somehow -- or perhaps a lamp.  I guess I am still researching my options.

Anyway, they seem to be doing well so far.  I can already tell they would like to be outside and eating grass and bugs.  I guess we all get cabin fever from this weather.

So, we are one week away from Christmas... yikes!  I've got a lot to do between now and then.  I've got the week off of work (yippee!) and plan to spend a couple of days in Grand Rapids to visit a couple of friends and my family.  Then I've got a bunch of cleaning and baking/cooking to do before my family comes over here for Christmas day.  Oh, and don't forget about wrapping... and decorating... and...

The New Coop and the Quiche Factory

This is the new 4'X6' chicken coop that the chickens are going to call home this winter.  In the photo above, you can see that it has a row of nesting boxes that are accessible from the outside.  On one end there is a window and a door for the chickens to enter and exit (with a ramp).  On the opposite sides are the door that I can enter through and as you can see in the photo below (left), a vent for warm weather.
I've placed their water on a crate and hung their food from one of the rafters to keep the bedding from getting kicked into them.  I may get a heated water dispenser for the cold -- but I'm not sure.  Does anyone have any experience with those?

The interior has a couple of roosts and plenty of room for the chickens to run around.  It has 6 nesting boxes -- many more than 7 chickens actually need.  Here, the chickens are excited about the pile of treats I gave them this weekend (apple slices and the last of the garden squash).  I call the chickens a "Quiche Factory".  They are putting out a couple of eggs a day -- brown, fresh, and so tasty!

This is Ruby.  She is my most aggressive chicken at this point.  She comes right up to me to try to grab any treats I might have in my hands -- and she often ends up chomping on my fingers instead.  She is at the top of the pecking order from what I can tell.  She is a pretty chicken though and as long as she lays eggs and doesn't hurt the other ladies she can stick around.

Broomcorn and Chickens

I saw broom corn in a seed catalogue last winter and decided to take a stab at growing it.  No - I don't intend to construct a broom -- but I could if I wanted to.  I knew that broom corn is decorative and I pictured a large cluster of broom corn, pumpkins and mums on my front step.  That hasn't come together yet, but the corn looks nice leaning against the house.  I read somewhere that chickens enjoy broom corn after you take down your Fall decorations.  That convinced me to try it!
The broom corn did much better than my sweet corn did.  It was quick to shoot up and grew quite tall.  Bugs seemed to leave it alone and it was basically carefree.  Just plant it and a few months later, harvest it.  Now that is my kind of gardening!
Oh, and the chickens LOVE it!  I will stick one of the stalks in to the coop and they'll have the corn picked off within a couple of hours -- leaving the broom bristles behind.  I give them one stalk every few days as part of a steady rotation of treats.
They get chicken feed and fresh water every day, but that must get boring.  They get fresh grass when we move the chicken tractor around to a new patch of grass -- but that doesn't happen often enough because of how much it weighs.  So, every afternoon I try to give them something special to switch things up.  Today they got 2 pieces of stale bread and some leftovers from a baby shower I attended today (an oriental style salad with baby corn, peppers, chow mein noodles, etc. and some fruit).  Oh, and they got a couple of cherry tomatoes too.  That little bit of variety makes them very happy.

Aren't the girls beautiful?  And they are quite large now too!  My little chicks have grown up it to lovely young hens.  Oh, and they finally started laying eggs to earn their keep.  I'm steadily getting one or two eggs a day between the seven of them.  I'm sure production will increase as they mature.  The eggs are small, but beautiful.  They are different shades of browns, and different sizes and shapes as well. 

This week we ended up purchasing a new coop.  This is the last one, darn it!  Charlie had bought me one for Christmas last year -- but it ended up being too small and I had some security concerns (it didn't look predator-proof).  Then, we built a nice summer home for them.  It worked out very well, but I'm concerned it is not going to keep the cold of winter out and that it is still too small for seven full grown birds.  So, we broke down and did it.  We bought an Amish coop.  It was not cheap.  I hate spending that kind of money on some chickens, but the coop will last for many years to come.  Let me tell you -- keeping chickens is an expensive hobby.  I know we could do it for a lot less money than we have so far, but I guess it is part of the learning curve.

They keep growing, and growing, and growing...

The raised bed garden is still in full swing, although I can tell the end of the season is very near.  The sunflowers finally decided to show their beautiful colors.  I tried growing a giant variety and they seriously are huge!  I'm talking 12 feet tall!  I've also got broom corn that towers 9 feet tall as well.  The green beans have grown up an 8 foot teepee and are finally producing a large quantity of beans.

This was the first time I've ever tried growing okra before and I will continue to grow it in the future.  It is a unique and decorative plant that is absolutely carefree.  I planted the seeds and then next thing I knew I was frying up okra.  They show no signs of disease, mildew, pests, etc.  The unique foliage helped choke out weeds too.  If you've never tried growing them before - I would highly recommend it.

This is also my first time growing sweet potatoes in my garden.  I want to dig them up to see how big they are, but it isn't time yet.  Both the okra and the sweet potato would make an excellent addition to any edible landscaping project.  They are pretty and carefree.

The stray kitty keeps growing too.  He is a very handsome cat and he has a lot of energy!  He is always running around the yard, climbing up trees, jumping on top of the chicken coop, or attacking my leg.  Yes, he likes to play - but sometimes he gets carried away and starts getting too aggressive with me.  I'm hoping he calms down with age.

And finally, here is a photo of the chickens in their chicken tractor.  I think they are just about done growing and they are bound to start laying eggs soon.  They are turning into gorgeous birds, don't you think?

Garden Update Through Photos

Chard

Okra

Jalepeno

Cucumber

Pole Beans

Wild Black Raspberry (just harvested a bunch - I'm thinking raspberry wine...)

Yellow Pear Tomato

Summer Squash

And I had to throw in one photo of the chickens in their mobile coop.  They are getting big, aren't they?

Olivia, Prudence, Egglentine, Gertrude, Mabel, Ruby and Myrtle.

Creative Juices

It amazes me what a few vacation days can do for my spirit.  I feel bursting at the seams with creativity right now but I'm not sure where to direct this creative energy.  It all started with a visit from my mother. We both needed some down time -- some girl time -- some anything-but-the-same-old-thing time.  On Wednesday our first stop was to a book store.  I found a publication called "Artful Blogging" which is giving me some inspiration (the photographs in it are lovely).  Mom got "Where Women Create" which showcases artists' studios.
We then went shopping in Frankenmuth.  We visited Those Nature People -- a wonderful smelling shop full of lotions, soap, oils, teas and spices, etc.  I found an oil blend to help me deal with my daily headaches that I get at work.  I also found more inspiration to get back into blending essential oils and making bath products.  It is something that I used to do, but have neglected for a long time.  Perhaps it is time to revive some of my forgotten interests and see where they take me.
We went to my mother's favorite shop -- Rapunzel's.  They have lovely home decor items, jewelry from local artisans, clothing and hats, and yarns/patterns for knitting and crochet.  She found a blouse and earrings for herself and I found a funky, eclectic purse which she ended up getting for me for my birthday (thanks again Mom).  I debated for a long time about whether I wanted it or not.  The purse is bright and has a variety of fabrics and textures.  It has some spirals, peace signs and some ॐ symbols (Om).  The purse resonates with me, but still I hesitated.  Mom said I needed to express my creative side more and I realized she is correct.  I have been becoming dull -- I need to liven things up in my world and get out of this rut that I am in.  Due to the nature of the internet (open to everyone and permanently out there) I cannot really go into my dreams and schemes that I am thinking in my head.  Let's just say that I am working toward de-rutting myself.
On Thursday, Mom and I enjoyed good conversation over coffee and a muffin at the Harvest Coffeehouse and Beanery.  More ideas swirled in my head.  Finally we went to Healthy Habitz -- my local health food store.  It turns out that they are opening a new space for a wellness center.  I am considering returning to doing some Reflexology on the side and that space is available to be rented for sessions.  Just one more idea to toss around for a while.
Eventually Mom had to go back home.  I still had a couple of days left of vacation and a husband willing to take me anywhere I wanted for my birthday.  Friday we went out to lunch together but I could find little energy for much else.  I think my body was trying to catch up for a lack of sleep from the long hours I've been pulling lately.  It was nice to take a day to just relax -- I even took a nap in the middle of the day.  I pulled some old photographs out and scanned them and posted some of them on facebook for friends to look through.  Yesterday, I worked outside.  I planted two blueberries, one raspberry, one blackberry, six sand cherry, two elderberry and one mulberry tree.  My knee is a bit sore from all that shoveling, but I'm feeling accomplished.  Charlie made a platform for the chicken coop to keep the chickens elevated above the wet floor (I think I mentioned that we regretted not having done this in the first place).
Today we are going to go out and enjoy the lovely weather after I finish this post.  First, I felt like using a bit of my rediscovered creativity to produce some art.  The photograph above was an image I made of some wildflowers and foliage I found in our yard.  I cut the flowers and arranged them in a small vase -- and I was pretty proud of how the arrangement turned out.  I used to arrange flowers in a previous job, another art that I would like to delve into again.  Anyway, I added some texture to the photo and de-saturated the color a bit.  I'm pretty happy with the result.  I am open to any and all critique of the photos.  I have been considering printing some of my images and matting them to sell.  Please let me know what you think.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings today as I strive to store up some of the "juices" that are flowing through my blood right now (to save for days of drought to come).

Progress

I just had a long weekend by getting a couple of days off of work.  I vowed to work in my garden -- and I think I made some definite progress.  The photo below was shot just a few feet from our house.  You can see my raised beds that Charlie and I built last year.  Beyond that, a rock retaining wall that stretches the entire length of our pole barn (in our front yard) all the way to the backyard.  A good chunk of our property is on this side of the house.  Although the soil is sandiest there, it is the best place I have to put my fruit and nut plants.  I had to amend the sandy soil first with compost and some bagged topsoil after digging some holes.  I planted 3 hazelnut shrubs (from the Arbor Day Foundation's hazelnut project), 5 blueberry plants, 3 raspberry plants, 1 blackberry and 1 gooseberry.  The blueberry planting instructions said to get them in the ground as early as possible in the spring, but they already look sad after a couple of cold days.  Hopefully they will pull through.  

I also have some wire mesh to put around the new plants -- to keep the deer and rabbits out.  It is just a matter of cutting the mesh and assembling the little cylindrical fences.
You can also see in the photo above that I am working on my raised beds.  Last year I put down whole bags of topsoil to start my garden inside of.  I had heard that the plastic would choke out and kill the grass and that you could just grow inside the bags.  It was only half true.  While the grass under the bags did die, around the edges and where two bags met, the grass managed to come up anyway.  And I  did grow a lot of produce in those bags -- but it wasn't ideal.  This year, I raked and shoveled the topsoil (emptied from the bags last fall) to one side of the raised bed.  Then I put down cardboard and newspaper as a thick sheet mulch.  I literally picked the grass roots out with each shovel of dirt and piled up the soil on top of the cardboard -- and then did the other side of the bed.  It took a long time and made me wish I thought to put down the cardboard last year instead.

I still have to add compost and more topsoil and composted manure to build up the volume of the beds.  Then I will put more newspaper on top to help keep the weeds out.  I didn't get that completed though because the weather turned fowl and the carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand became very painful (originally, my job is what caused my carpal tunnel problems -- but apparently shoveling doesn't help the situation either).

Today we picked up some shelving for the garage at a home improvement store.  I need to get the garage organized so it is easier to work out of it this summer.  Right now there are buckets of bird seed piled in with our camping chairs and recycling bins.  I got a new garden hose and Charlie got a heavy duty pruner (he loves cutting trees for some reason).  There really is a lot to do around here -- I have chickens coming later this month and raised beds to finish and get planted.  Oh, and I forgot to mention that I had two more small raised beds to set up (got a good deal from the Tractor Supply store).  I think I made a decent amount of progress on it so far.

Coming Soon!

 Hurry up, Springtime!  I cannot wait for warmer days.  I have so much work to be done -- all this snow and ice is slowing me down.  These past couple of weeks I have started gearing up for Spring and now I just want to get started.  Anyway, here is a peek at things to come...

This week I went to Uncle Dave and Aunt Mary's house (our prior landlords) to place my order for chickens.  I could have picked some chicks up at the Tractor Supply Store, but I wanted a few specific breeds.  Dave is ordering his a bit later than normal this year so he doesn't have to spend so much time and energy keeping them warm.  I'm getting 6 chickens total -- 1 each of the following: Barred Plymouth Rock, Araucana, Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, Silver Laced Wyandotte and Rhode Island Red.  Sounds a motley crew, doesn't it?  Anyway, I'm acquiring everything I need for their brooder box to get them started.

I've also ordered my seeds for the garden and received most of them already.  I've got more seeds than I have room for in my two little raised beds, so I'm going to have to expand this year.  That means a lot of work -- but what's new.  I've also purchased a bunch of fruit plants and a few hazelnut bushes as well.  We are going to cut down a bunch of box elder trees in the back and clear out a nice area for the mini-orchard.  While we are at it, I think we are going to finally tear down that cute little red shed in the back. With the roof caving in, it really isn't worth fixing up -- so down it must come.  Work, work, work!  I want to get started now!

I'm hoping to have some great adventures this summer once all the work is under control.  Charlie and I intend to do some more fishing this year.  We didn't even go fishing once last summer -- that is just sad.  I'd like to travel to some new places this year as well.

Mama kitty also has some big plans in store for the warm weather.  She is pregnant again and getting fatter by the day.  I'll have to figure out a new shelter for her if we end up tearing down the shed.  Perhaps I could find an old dog house somewhere.
Today I re-filled the bird feeders and have a bunch of happy visitors.  We also had some deer in the yard and I heard a few gobbles from the wild turkeys.  Things are coming to life around here.  Stay tuned for the show!

200th post - Happy New Year!

Yes indeed!  I have finally made it to my 200th post.  It took 2 3/4 years, but here I am.  I would love to be one of those full time bloggers who manage to post something new and exciting every day or so, but that just isn't my life.  For the entire time I have been blogging, I have been working a crazy amount of hours at my job (and commuting an hour and a half each day).  

When I look back, a lot has happened since I started blogging.  Of course, the major thing is the purchase of our home here in the pines.  Now we are focused on improving the property and personalizing it.  I'm interested in the homesteading lifestyle - or "simple, agrarian self-sufficiency" (according to wikipedia).  Charlie is pretty supportive of the whole thing -- if I want it, he will help me make it happen.  I am quite grateful to have such a supportive husband.  

This year for Christmas, he got me a chicken coop!  I wanted chickens last year but never got around to figuring out some housing for them.  Our shed in the back yard wouldn't work for the task -- the roof is caving in and we are going to tear it down.  Anyway, we assembled the coop yesterday and it is ready to go for this Spring.  It is a fairly small coop, but plenty big to hold 4-6 chickens.  

Charlie assembling the coop...

The finished coop...

The two nesting boxes...
We will probably raise it up off the ground about a foot.  I am also going to be constructing a chicken tractor so they can spend the summer outside.  I would let them free-range, but because of all the trees we have, I'm concerned about predators.  I'm just really excited about the coop and the prospect of keeping chickens!
We have a few more projects planned for this year as well.  We have decided to cut down some clusters of box elder trees in the back yard and to smooth out the ground back there.  Right now there is a steep drop off back there from when the septic field was re-done.  We are gonna try to get a more gentle slope and clear out the brush so that I can plant a small orchard.  I realize it could be years before I get much fruit, but I'd like to use that space for something other than deer/turkey trails.
I'd also like to tear out that old shed, expand my gardening space (amend the soil in a few areas of the yard for plants that won't fit in the raised beds), and plant some fruit trees, bushes, canes, etc.  We also need to get the wood burning portion of our furnace checked for safety and have it cleaned out.  It would be nice to try it out next year, so we may need to stock up on some wood this year.
Other goals:  go fishing more often, explore food dehydration/freezing techniques, look into keeping rabbits, continue pursuing home fermentation, etc.  The list could go on and on.  Right now, we'll see what actually gets accomplished as the year progresses.  Life always seems to have it's curve balls and I hate setting anything in stone.  We also have a trip to Georgia in March (for a wedding) and a week in late summer to do with as we please (perhaps travel west?).  I'm itching for travel so I am really looking forward to these two mini vacations.
2011 has a lot of potential -- I can't wait to see what happens!  I hope you have an awesome new year!

Coming soon -- wine making!

I am attempting wine making!  More details to come...

Easy compost bins

I put together a couple of compost bins last weekend and managed to fill them up this weekend.  They were really easy to make too.  I just bought some wire fencing from the tractor supply store and some zip ties.  I formed two round bins -- about 3 feet in diameter.  I used the zip ties to keep the bin closed.  I can easily snip those off to open it up and get the compost out.  

I placed them on the side of our property -- because compost piles are not exactly pretty to look at.  Last Fall when we moved into the home, we raked a HUGE pile of leaves into this area.  I stacked it up the best I could, but the wind and snow flattened my pile out over the winter.  Some of it has decomposed, but a bunch of the leaves look like they did last fall.  I'm hoping these compost bins help speed things up.  I also need more nitrogen to get things going faster (I don't have a good source for manure yet).  I may need to make another one to hold this year's leaves.  Anyway, I'm happy with how they turned out.  I'm looking forward to having all that gorgeous compost to use in my garden next year.

I'm a cheese wiz!

I got out of work early today and found some time to finally try my hand at making cheese.  I'm not going to go in depth with the directions. If you are going to try it you will want to follow some fairly specific directions.  I bought a kit with everything I needed -- which was convenient but was not entirely necessary.  The whole process was described in "Hobby Farm Home" March/April 2010 which you should be able to find in stores right now too.

So -- here are the basics...

Start with whole milk - pasteurized is fine, ultra-pasteurized is NOT OK to use.  Heat it up then add some dissolved citric acid and stir.  It starts to look like soupy cottage cheese.

Then you heat it a bit more and add some dissolved vegetarian rennet.  It starts to look really nasty then.  It clumps up and the whey separates out from the curd.  

Then you scoop out the curd, drain off the whey, microwave the curds until they are hot enough to stretch, and add salt.  Then stretch it and form it however you would like.  I think I needed to get mine hotter because it doesn't look very smooth -- but overall I am very happy with the results.  I think tomorrow I will make pizza and see how it melts.  I can make the crust and the cheese -- now I just have to master making tomato sauces and canning them... but that is coming up this summer.

I saved the left over whey in the milk jug it originally came in.  They say you can give it to chickens (coming soon?) and cats.  So, that is what I did.  I let Sassafras try it first.  She tried it out -- but she isn't really an adventurous cat (she doesn't like much besides her own food).  I gave some to the orange outdoor cat who is coming to be known as "Ralphie".  He really liked the stuff -- so I will continue to feed it to him for the next few days.  

So, I am well on my way to being a cheese wiz.  It is going to take some practice -- but this was an encouraging first step.  

A day in the sun

This past Sunday was absolutely gorgeous.  We spent the entire afternoon and into the evening outdoors.  Charlie and his brother work with a guy that is fairly self sufficient and has his own homestead out in the middle of nowhere (I will call him "D").  We went over to his place along with my brother in law, his wife and their 3 kids.  First we went out into the woods to look for morel mushrooms.  Although we didn't find any morels, we filled two paper bags with beefsteak mushrooms.  I came out of the woods blistered and bruised (ill-fitting size 12 rubber boots + shin level fallen trees = ouch) but it was good to hike and get lots of air.  Oh, and a photo of a gorgeous trillium...

Then we fished on D's pond.  Charlie caught a nice trout and someone else caught a bluegill.  D. cooked up a mess of food while everyone kept fishing.  He made venison burgers, potatoes, corned beef hash, beefsteak mushrooms, applesauce, and of course the fish.  I don't eat meat but the rest of the food was amazing.  Apparently D. does a lot of hunting.  He has a sweet dog named Clover -- he made her a fox hat.  Here she is modeling it for you...

Here is a photo of D. and his bee hive.

And a photo of the honey he sent home with us, and some homemade raspberry wine that was also gifted.  Yum!

Overall, it was a great day.  I got some sun and fresh air, spent some time with Charlie and some of his family, and daydreamed about having my own little homestead someday soon.

Now it is mid-week and I'm just getting this post together.  Monday rolled around and life got busy again.  Last night and tonight I managed to plant some peas, lettuce and onions.  Much more news will be coming from the garden.

Sassy seems to have a urinary tract infection.  Right now I am trying to treat her with homeopathics but I worry that I am doing the wrong thing for her and am considering taking her to the vet for antibiotics.  If you pray for animals, send one out for her -- because she is uncomfortable.

Wonderclean!

I have tried out my new time-saving, non-electric, handy dandy new gadget that I got.  "What is it?" you ask.  It's the "Wonderclean"! 

It is a miniature washing machine that works with hot water and a good seal.  You throw some clothes in, add a little soap and the right amount of hot water.  Close it up nice and tight and pressure builds up inside.  Then you crank the handle for about 2 minutes.  Voila!  The clothes are washed.  Well, almost.  Then you have to rinse the soap out of your clothes, wring them out, then hang them up to dry.  

I have been frustrated with having to go to the laundromat.  Sometimes I only need a clean pair of jeans or some underwear.  The laundromat is expensive and boring and takes up my valuable time.  But up until now it has been inevitable.  Then I saw the Wonderclean in the Lehman's catalogue (they have cool stuff for living off the grid or self sufficiency).  I thought it was worth a try.  It was only $45.00.  I think it will pay for itself quickly.

So, my first experience was interesting.  Things I learned:  Wash darks alone -- they will bleed for sure (maybe my water was too hot), be prepared for some water getting spilled, rinse the soap out well.  I wish the base was a little sturdier.  It would be great if I could mount it directly to a laundry room sink (if I had one) so it didn't wobble around so much.  

On the positive side:  I don't have to spend 2-3 hours at the laundromat when I need a few clean clothes.  I will save money.  I'll use less electricity.  This would have been handy during my time in Mali.  I'd like to find a good quality, good for the planet, powdered soap.  Any suggestions? 

Overall, it won't replace the laundromat for my big laundry days, but it will definitely help.