DIY For Fabulously Scented Laundry!

No, this is NOT in praise of home made laundry detergents. Though it is a fabulous feeling to know exactly WHAT your detergent contains and that you are only spending about twelve dollars on ingredients that make enough detergent for about nine months (for our household anyway)! There are many rewards to making your own detergent other than saving money. You can find the recipe I use and more info on it on the DIY page of our blog.

Make your own detergent!

The only drawback to making your own detergent is getting your laundry scented without having to use liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets (mfg. have to use chemicals to keep that scent hanging in there, ya know). I like my laundry to smell fresh - not fake or  perfumey. I tried adding essential oils, EO's, to the detergent. That made the laundry room lovely smelling but the EO's were literally washed away. I tried other DIY ideas and since none really worked for me I will skip the details.

My current favorite EO is lavender and sage.

Two things finally worked for me. I made wool dryer balls that keep the static down and Harry uses these in the dryer with his clothes. He prefers his clothes with no scent.  The way I get my laundry scented and the whole area smelling great is using all cotton dish washing sponges and EO's. You can start out experimenting with inexpensive EO's but with the better grades and brands of oils you tend to get by with fewer drops.

Grab a damp sponge...

...add amount needed.

Wet the sponge very well then squeeze out excess. Pick your favorite scent and add some drops to the damp sponge. This is where you have to play around with the amount of EO drops added,  depending on how strong you want the scent to be (and remember that you are getting aromatherapy while working)!  I have used as much as twenty drops on each side of the sponge to get a big dose of lavender when doing linens. Maybe ten drops of ginger tea for lingerie or smaller loads. Citrus is great to add to a load of kitchen dish towels….  I go wild with scents for almost everything except - my husbands clothes!

Throw in dryer and run load

Toss the sponge in the dryer with your laundry and the load. No special settings. I've used this with all different colors a fabric types with no problems.


Try this and enjoy!
And don't forget to follow our other posts on Community Chickens !


* Like with anything else though, be aware that EO's, even though natural, can set off allergies, sneezing etc.

Liz-

make a chicken coop

make a chicken coop

Building your individual chicken coop can be a gratifying experience. Currently come to it's similar to, no one is aware your back garden like you in fact it is but normal that you should control designing your chicken-coop on it. Making a chicken-coop even though is a high dollar question for most. It doesn't have to be so because it is not difficult an activity. If you are a person wondering learning to make a chicken coop, you can create a success from the jawhorse, if you were to contemplate certain main reasons. Let us examine them 1 by 1.

1. The 1st factor that you should consider could be the breed of your chicken that you will be flexible in the coop. Distinct breeds calls for different types of strategies. So prior to deciding to find responses for how to produce a chicken-coop, you should to start with decide on the particular breed that you just intend to boost in your garden.

2. Making a chicken-coop is focused on proper organizing. You should to start with decide on the dimensions of your backyard chicken-coop. The complete size of your current yard in addition to the number of chickens you want to have within it are the aspects that you need to think about. You will also require sufficient volume of space around the chicken coop. This is to allow for the chicken run. Don't forget, chickens do will need plenty of workout in order to keep balanced and therefore put more offspring.

3. The world wide web is a good method to obtain information if you'd like answers for your question, how to make a chicken coop. You will discover plenty of design and style ideas on-line. You can always experience them along with modify the idea according to your preferences. This is one of several easiest ways to finding your chicken-coop layout ready.

chicken coop plans designs

chicken coop plans designs

As many contemporary backyards can be found in small sizes, developing a good list of chicken coop plans designs is really a tool which will optimize the application of your short space, turning chicken keeping straight into an exciting enterprise.There is a number of products declaring to be helpful to growing chicken keeping industry. While some of such products are evidently not essential, the one that no metropolitan chicken keeper are capable of doing without will be a chicken coop. It is your substitute for either sprinkle considerable amount of greenbacks to purchase the particular coop or decide on an economic answer. For as few as a third with the retail price you'll be able to build your very own high quality, higher functional chicken coop.If you would like make finest use of your current limited space also to save money simply by constructing your individual home-made coop, a good group of chicken coop plans will make suggestions every step over the preparatory point as well as the coop developing process.
To start with, the ideas may seem yet another expense we could do without. But when we understand that, just by delivering a functional chicken house, ? individuals chickens health is actually catered pertaining to, considering a couple of coop building ideas begins to be the better choice. Good programs are not just your plans. They're a combination tool that can take into account all of the elementary elements, things such as your current climate, landscape configuration, yard size, quantity of chickens you plan to help keep and so on, leading you to create your own excellent and longer lasting hen house. A set of constructing plans could have thousands of intends on disposal, permitting and letting you choose a number of that fit situation along with your individual requires. The ideas are given all the risk-free short reduces, fast-tracking you through the whole building method.

Modern male's desire to combine elements of conventional food generation into his or her modern life-style has resulted in rising fascination with chicken keeping. Keeping the actual chickens can be very inexpensive if there is a new vegetable yard that provides veggies, possibly a number of corn and also some gets warm for the chicken to move on, at the very least seasonally.

Due to minimal spaces, it's not unusual the chickens are trapped in tiny far-end edges of some people's backyards. Even during such restricted spaces your coop can be incorporated with a modest chicken run, forming a built-in unity that fits chickens needs pertaining to outdoor space, sun, dust bathing pools as well as for the safety from the aspects and potential predators or innovators.

Chicken coop plans and designs contain the welfare of the chickens in mind. Great designs take into account terms for air flow, natural illumination as well as the efficiency, artificial lighting effects and more.

Chicken coop can be your chicken's home along with the home must be comfortable, giving the essentials including wooden pubs for perching, nesting containers and, especially, stress-free living. The most effective we can target in an metropolitan environment is actually semi-free-range living. Perhaps the smallest chicken coop may be coupled with your chicken run, which is closed space in which protects your birds via predators nevertheless enables them to get pleasure from fresh air, turf and the sunlight. Having access to out-of-doors for as long as they need keeps your chickens in good health along with the highly ovum nutritious. Using vast range associated with chicken coop plans and designs, you do not have difficulty finding engineered to be applicable on the shape and size of the garden.

How You Can You could make your Chicken Coops and Runs

Chicken Coops and Runs

Chicken coops and runs can come in diverse shapes and sizes. These could fit into the many categories that many poultry raiser is looking for. The standards include the offered space in places you can make your coop and the variety of birds that you just intend to boost. When you have consumed note of the things, then it is time to search for your new poultry residence.

 You can have your current chicken coops and runs constructed employing 2 distinct strategies. One of these simple strategies is always to build a coop on your own. Another method is to purchase ready-made chicken coop kits. Whichever strategy you'd probably take, it is essential that these buildings are made tough, to withstand different weather conditions knowning that these constructions should provide conditions are good to the progression of fowls -- whatever the get older. These are essential because you will want to provide the very best conditions intended for your chickens, and you also would want to cut costs from vehicle repairs if these kinds of coops aren't produced right.

 Chicken coop kits can be found in various stores, may it be through local companies or online stores, able to be constructed. Complete pieces of the coop are generally included in the bundle. These bits include snowboards, nails, insane, bolts, wall, nests, and roofs material. One of them kit include the instructions you need to follow to really make the construction operate. These coaching materials are generally complete with step-by-step particulars and are built to be as fundamental as possible to ensure even newbies may comprehend it. These coop packages are available in almost all shapes, and you may select the coop type that can very best fit your great deal. Some coop systems may not specifically come low-cost, but the simpleness of getting this upward is worth the cost. And you will be assured that those who designed these kind of kits possess the welfare with the chickens in mind.

 Even so, if you are imaginative and you desire to save on your allowance, you can always navigate to the "do it yourself" course. There are benefits of going for this tactic. First, you might be bound to conserve a lot of money through creating your individual chicken coop from scratch. Next, you can personalize your coop in line with the size, curves, and surroundings of your garden. The key regarding creating a wonderful DIY coop would be to plan it effectively, from the planning to the design itself. In the event that done properly, homemade chicken coops and also runs could serve you well, and may add up to the complete poultry raising expertise.

make a chicken coop from pallets

make a chicken coop from pallets

In the economy these days cost is constantly a concern. One good reason people desire to raise chickens is for the advantage of fresh offspring. Low cost of one's fresh offspring is a big stimulating factor regarding raising your own personal chickens. If you add together the cost of getting your ovum at the market place today when compared with 20 years previously, the cost can be outrageous. A family group of 4 ingesting eggs enjoying for 72 hrs per week is often a dozen offspring at $4.Double zero dozen. Grow that simply by 52, along with your paying $208.Double zero a year regarding eggs. A high level family which eat offspring everyday you are able to double the charge to $416.Double zero a year. A high level family whom likes to make or employ eggs throughout other meals, your expense per year might be estimated from $500.00 each year for offspring. Now which is no chicken feed.

make a chicken coop coming from pallets is the 1st step in your hunt for fresh ova. Here are some tips in getting so now.

Materials necessary for your chicken coop:

One particular. 2"x 2"x 8' lumber 8-10 pieces, These kinds of pieces is going to be for the shape of your coop. $10

A couple of. 2 items 4'x 8' plywood for your roof along with floors associated with the chicken coop. $10

3. One box gal 6d nails to lock the body and chicken insert. $2

4. Little roll chicken insert to enclose framework. $5

5. Modest bag involving straw with regard to roosting boxes. $2

Six. 25lb. bag regarding feed for six chickens last approximately.2 months $8

6. 6 the baby birds $15

The total cost via start to finish detailed with chicks as well as food beneath $100. When the commencing cost is paid out, the cost each year will only be purchasing the chicken feed every Eight weeks. That's $48 12 months for your refreshing eggs in comparison to $500 per year! That is certainly every year it will save you about $450 while using benefit of fresh new eggs to your meals. There is the cost of fresh chicks with regards to every Several years but if anyone rotate by 50 % chicks each year that's only a different $5 per year.

In the event you still need to cut the fee down you need to use scrap components for your framework? Wooden pallets are usually an option you will discover thrown away behind grocery stores as well as warehouse shops in your area these people work well. Previous fencing supplies can work fantastic too! They are able to either be metal or wood; both supplies will keep the actual chickens in along with the possible potential predators or innovators out.

Through the use of scrap components for building a chicken coop the cost could be reduced and you're simply helping the surroundings. The Win-Win approach works in this case for both as well as our planet. With all the pallets for content, you can make slats a part and recycling the nails and also the lumber.

To be able to build a small chicken coop out of pallets disassemble the top of A few pallets 1"x3" slats. Conserve the nails as well as the slats. Endure the test pallets on side. Nail the actual corners and also nail one particular pallet on top to get a roof. The particular slats which were saved can be used as dividing packing containers and a front door. This is building a chicken coop while cheap along with quick as possible.

pallet wood chicken coop building plans

Poultry Cup Drinkers (Waterers) - Winter Update!

By Sue -

(See the original post aboutcup waterers here.)

I ABSOLUTLY LOVE my cup waterers!

Photo:  Cup waterers on bucket at back right.  Cute 7 week old baby Swedish Flower Hen in front!

There are many reasons why I love using cup waterers for my chickens.  You can read about some of them here. They don't get filled with litter and other debris and are absolutely the easiest waterer to keep clean.  They also allow the chickens to drink water in a position that is natural to them (as opposed to reaching up to drink water from a nipple device).  

Photo:  Even the babies learned to use the cup waterer by watching mom!  Broody-raised 5 week old Swedish Flower Hen.

In the previous post about cup waterers, there was a brief section entitled:  "Current Winter Use Assessment".  When that post was written I stated that we had not yet had sustained temperatures lower than mid-20s (F.).  After having gone through most of the winter, it's time for a new winter weather use assessment!

USING THE CUP WATERERS IN WINTER WEATHER

I really wanted to use these waters year-round.  Now if you add heat to keep your chicken housing above freezing during the winter you don't need to read further.  But for those of us who do not heat our chicken housing, any watering device that is left with the chickens will need to have added heat when the temperatures fall below freezing.

The cup waterers pose an additional challenge because the necks leading from the bucket have a small spring device that stays wet and will freeze in place, not allowing the chickens to trip the nipple to release the water.  Additionally, if water is left in the bottom of the cup, the nipple device can become frozen solid into that water as the heat is in the bucket - not in the cup!

I first experimented by using a bird bath heater in the bucket.  These bird bath heaters are a 250 watt device with a thermostat that turns on just above freezing and shuts off again at approximately 40° F. This heater worked very well to keep the water from freezing, but when the temperature dropped to the teens, the spring devices froze.  I tried moving the heater right up against the necks of the cups but this did not solve the problem. 

After some thought (and research into the safety factor) I found a heater that works much better than the birdbath heater.

A Submersible Fish Tank Heater

-The fish tank heater keeps the water warmer than a bird bath heater.

-It has a thermostat to set the water temperature manually.

-The one I'm using is 50 watt vs. the 250 watt bird bath heater.  (This was the largest that could fit in my bucket completely submerged as I'm only using a 2 Gal. bucket currently.  Larger and higher watts are available depending on the size of your water containers.)

-Can be purchased at your local pet store (or online if you prefer). 

-Can plug into a Thermocube which will turn it on when the air temperature is 35° F. and off at 45° F.  (Can be found locally at the hardware or home improvement store.  I got mine at Menards.)

 

Caution:  Fish tank heaters must be kept completely submerged under the water.

-It comes with snap on brackets for a suction cup.  I didn't use the suction cups since my bucket is too small to set the heater completely vertical.  To keep the heater completely under water, I attached a package of marbles as a weight onto the suction cup brackets and snapped them onto the heater.  The weight of the marbles keeps the heater from floating or moving about.

FINAL WINTER EVALUATION

I have continued to use my cup waterer throughout the entire winter.  Especially after beginning to use the fish tank heater, it has worked quite well in my circumstances.  As I had a broody with chicks that hatched at the end of December, I provided a "canning jar waterer" for the little ones as I did not intend to teach them how to use the cup waterer until they were a bit older and there was no concern about water not being available due to freezing.  (I have a heat source that keeps the canning jar waterers from freezing at all times.  We'll have a post showing that in the future!)

I absolutely LOVE these cup waterers, and the fish tank heater does work well at least down to the lower single digits.  However:

Even with the use of the fish tank heater, I would not recommend these waterers for use in unheated housing during winter temperatures below 20° F. except under the following circumstances:

Use only if you're available during the day to check on the waterers on a regular basis. 

I am able to check on my waterers several times a day to be sure they're not frozen.  While I only have to do that when the temperatures are below about 19° F., I would definitely not leave the chickens with this as their only water source if I were traveling or worked long hours during the winter. 

If you or someone in your family are available to check on the waterers periodically, whenever you go out during the day you can give them a quick check to be sure no water is standing in the cup and simply twist it to the upside down position to empty it.  You can also press the nipple to be sure it isn't frozen which will break off any ice that may have formed on the springs.  If any water has already frozen in the bottom of the cup, it's easy to just pop it out with your finger and get it running again.  Of course, all this requires your presence from time to time during the day! 

If desired, you could also bring the water bucket inside at night and take it outside in the morning when you feed if you don't want to run the heater throughout the night. (Remember - the chickens don't drink at night!)

A GREAT WATERER FOR SPRING, SUMMER, AND FALL

My conclusion?  It's my favorite waterer style that I've run across so far and I'd definitely recommend it for spring, summer, and fall.  You'll have to decide if you want to take the time and effort to use them during the winter! 

-  Sue 

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