Breakdown of a Budget Chicken Coop

Here is where we ended. All that is left is the door and to carry in the hen house. Q thinks it is perfect for her. It is just under five feet so I will have to bend over in there but that is fine. We wanted to keep it below the wall.

Okay so far we spent $207 on supplies at Home Depot. We did not have a staple gun so we bought one and that is included. It was $30. We found out the wood we chose for the door was almost $50. Charged per foot and not what we thought so that will be returned and the door will be completed with the scrap wood. We are short some L brackets so minus those the cost will be reduced almost $50. The little hen house is a recycled cabinet and will be completed with all scrap supplies.

Look my potatoes sprouted. I really think they don't enough sun in this deep pot but I will carry it through and see what I get.

Had to throw in something pretty.

I am also trying an idea I got from Maureen at It's All Connected for growing celery from the bottoms of your store bought bunches. Just slice off the bottom about and inch up and put in a bit of water or like I did right into the ground. You can see it growing right there in the middle. Celery is on the list of the dirty dozen foods for pesticides so I would love to grow some of my own.

Our government is so hooked on alternatives to fossil fuels, well how about some alternatives to pesticides in our food. How about some subsidies to organic farming and more affordable availability to the consumer. Just some thoughts out loud.

Linking to:
Time Warp Wife
Homestead Barn Hop
Savvy So. Style
Raising Homemakers
Rednesday
Success U
Show and Tell Friday

Spring Blooms

Are you like me? This time of year you just look out the window and smile. So much green and oh the vivid colors just make you smile.

Everything brand new. The first blooms of the year taking all the nutrients stored up exploding in the first flowers and leaves of the season.

I look right onto this little planter from my kitchen sink window. My tree is now full of leaves of the brightest green.

This fall buy some dutch iris bulbs and you will be rewarded with more and more blooms every year. I divide every summer now and they thank you with an even better clump of flowers.

I admit this time of year I seem to do the minimum inside. I just want to spend all my days outside in the garden. I have family coming for Easter so I guess I need to stay in and get cleaning but it is so hard to do.
We usually have an Easter brunch on the patio if the weather is nice.

Linking to:
A Stroll Thru Life
Coastal Charm
Cozy Home Scenes
Tootsie Time

Coop Taking Shape and Conflicted

Here is the frame going up this morning and now here is the chicken wire going on. My husband must love me as he has been at it for hours and hours. Only day off and this is what he is stuck doing. Thanks babe!
Obviously this is the run and we will move the hen house in later. It is an old piece of furniture we modified.

The chicks have been evicted from the bathroom. This is their new set up It has chicken wire over the top and they are right out my patio door so we can see them. They are so happy in there compared to the box in the bath tub. At night it will be moved to the garage with a heat lamp and for times we cannot keep a watch over them.

Here is my dilemma. I have been obsessing over these two supposed barred rocks and posted pics on a great site and the consensus is they are roosters. BOTH! Noooooo! I knew I might end up with one but they are identical so I am worried. Some say they look like black sex link roos. Funny name I know but it is real. So do I run out and get two more chicks and hope I end up with at least three hens? I am a crazy woman I know. I believe my husband is rolling his eyes right now. This whole journey should be interesting. Our big dog acts like she wants to get the chicks and probably eat them but she has been exposed to them only twice. Our little dog is around them all the time and just hangs out by them. So this should be interesting. Oh well one of life's adventures. I have been reading on introducing our dog to the chickens but I don't think I will have them out when she is loose in the back. She has a side yard she stays in during the day and is kennel trained and can go in there when I want to let the chickens out in the back. We will have to be vigilant. I am up for it. This has been a great project so far and though a lot of work, I am loving it and
Q is gaining a great deal from the experience. Will let you know what our supplies cost next time. Two hours in Home Depot. Good times!!!

Frugal Challenge - Trying New Things

Okay does that look good or what?
Last night we had home made roast beef sandwiches for dinner. I have been wanting to cook and slice our own lunch meat for EVER. Not only for the cost saving but because I want to avoid all the additives and sodium. This week I picked up a roast just over $3 a pound on sale. It was 3 1/3 lbs. We went ahead and had it for dinner and froze the left overs for lunch meat as we have turkey to eat up.

I found a great way to cook it and I am just going to give the link so as to give full credit. It worked wonderfully and was tender and juicy. Here is the recipe at The Hungry Mouse.

I think about $3 a pound for good home made roast beef is a bargain. I shall find some more roasts marked down and turkey breasts. My in-laws gave us their slicer to use. I made hubs do it as that blade scared me. It was sharp. I think I can handle it next time.

As I was finishing up the chicken coop area, I decided to disassemble an old art easel of the kids to toss and noticed the legs could be cut and used for the chicken ladder and there were good hinges we could recycle for the coop door. I took the power drill and broke that sucker down. Good to be rid of it and to salvage what we could.

My goal is to spend as little as possible on the coop but still do a nice job. I see where people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars and that is not my plan. Of course I love the chicks, but the chickens are part of my "grow us much of my own food" plan. Don't want to go broke doing it. So far I have spent the initial $26 when I bought the chicks and the supplies and then I spent $9 more on feed and shavings. We will see what the total at Home Depot is today. I will let you know.

I am up at 3:30am with my little sicky. I bad spring cold is going through the house and she could not
sleep. Not going to make for a rested mommy come coop building time. I see lots of strong coffee and maybe a Starbucks treat in my future today. Skinny Caramel Macchiato is my favorite right now. Iced of course.

Lastly, someone got new boots yesterday. UPS came and delivered. This guy rarely buys for himself so I was so glad to see him enjoy some very good boots. He is excited as they are similar to military design for hot weather. Supposed to keep his feet cooler this summer. The other boots of course are Q's muck boots. She wears them in the yard. I raised all of my kids in rain boots for yard play in cooler months. Keeps feet dry and socks clean.

Linking to:
I heart naptime
Sat. Night Special
Sunday Blog Love
Seasonal Sundays

Stuck

The rope on this old birdhouse broke so we set it up in the tree and as time passed and the tree grew, the house became wedged in between and is stuck for good now.

My little welcome gal over grown and stuck in those vines.

This ceramic chicken is stuck in a pot with vines growing up his rear. Poor guy.

And I am stuck. I cannot comment today. I woke up at 5:00 am with hubs, made him some breakfast, grabbed my coffee and headed to the couch for some good blog hopping and commenting. Well, blo**er must be having problems because I cannot comment. So I am reading you today but just cannot let you know that I am there. Hoping to get the coop almost done this weekend. Tried to talk hubs into calling in so we could work on it but he shut me down. What a guy. Work over a chicken coop.

Linking to:
SNS 127

Me

Here is my green onion experiment. Growing nicely.

I was on Vintage Garden Gal's blog and she did a review of Sunset's new garden guide and asked for us to share what their garden books have meant to us. I thought this was written just for me. Mine is my gardening bible and I have had it and poured through it for almost twenty years.

I thought I would share my comment as it it so perfectly explains me. Sometimes I think I have been born in the wrong era and most certainly the wrong part of the country. My dream has always been to be a country girl.

But I grow where I am planted and that is a lesson a long time coming. You have to make the best of where God has placed you on this earth.

Here was my comment:

What a treat for you. As for my old, about 20 years old, Sunset garden guide, it is so dog-eared and underlined. I have studied that book many a year. I may not know a Marc whatever purse and rarely visit a Nordstrom, but take me to the nursery and I know the names of most flowers and can get lost in the aisles of blooming color and veggies. My guide has been by my side as I have tended a garden as a newly wed and now 23 years later, I still refer to it to see if I can plant a tree here or shrub there. I always save all the plant markers that come in my pots if I buy a new to me plant and then pull my guide to read as much as I can on the plant. I guess with all the new plants introduced, I could use a new guide. I would never part with my old one as my notes in it journal my garden's journey and my tastes over the years. 

My garden is my refuge. If my house is crazy I just step outside and pull of few weeds. The soil and plants get me. When both my parents were dying from cancer and I knew I was going to lose both of them very close together, I maintained my garden and had my most beautiful yard ever that year. It was as if the only place I could totally forget was at the nursery and tending my blooms. My yard was stunning. When my dad passed we had his memorial on the patio he put in and I had zinnias blooming all over perfectly timed for that day. As if God had it all in His master plan. They have never bloomed as pretty since.

My old neighbor sends me pictures of my old wisteria every year blooming in our old back yard. She can see it perfectly on our former patio cover. It is stunning. We moved before it really took off. We have been enjoying warm sunny days this week out back with the chickens and I just sit and for some reason I can breathe deeply out there. It is for sure my stress reducer for life. What is yours? Do you have a garden addiction like me?

Linking to:
Thrifty Thursday
A Glimpse Inside
Home Sweet Home
Show and Tell Friday

Chicks Provide Hours of Entertainment

Everyday that the sun is out we take the chicks out to the back for some leg stretching and grass scratching. The are entertaining but we have to watch carefully. One flew out the other day and we have a scrub-jay with nest in our tree and it swoops down and lands on the plastic fence we have them in.

The best time was had today. Q was pulling up my spinach starts and holding them for the chicks who I think thought they were worms. They were going crazy and the hysterical laughter from my babe was the best. Her sisters came out so what all the laughing was about. Now this is a kid that is busy and doesn't sit long but she played with them for 90 minutes. They wore each other out.

Hmm. Interested in a whole our doggie keeps digging up.

Okay now lets all jump in. They are at the stage where one goes they all go hoping that they don't miss out on anything good.

Getting real feathers.

This is one of the barred rocks getting lots of feathers and variations in color.

I have one I fear seems masculine. I sure hope it's not the case. I am very attached to all four. Hate to have to get rid of one. See my post on my set up here and here.

Linking to:
EBTKS
Fun Stuff Fridays
Weekend Whatever
Natasha In Oz

SPRING!

My irises are blooming!!

Experiments and Growing Green Onions

Okay, chuck building our own coop plans. We have been looking at some of the old furniture taking up space in our garage and I think are going to try to modify this old end of a bunk bed to use for now. This is just a mock up and we will enclose a little door in front and add rungs to the ladder and enclose the bottom.

I will be able to come behind the coop and lift the lid for the eggs. The nest boxes will be stacked at the back end. It is deeper than it looks in this photo but I should be able to reach fine. I will make a slide out bottom to clean out the poop.

If it doesn't work nothing lost and more space in my garage which you can see has loads of junk in it.

Okay update in the potatoes in a pot experiment. That is spinach growing on the top. I could not stand it and dug down and found the potatoes are growing but have not broke through yet. Yeah!!

Okay, here is something I read and have tried with success so far. When you chop up your green onions take the little end with the roots and pluck it in your garden. A new plant will grow. As you can see it is working. I will keep you updated. Those are radishes Q planted around my green onion. She picks packs of seeds whenever I drag her to the nursery.

Linking:
Met Monday
Coastal Charm
Cozy Home Party
Not Just a Housewife
A Bowl Full of Lemons

Easter Shelf

Decided to use what I have and just add a bunny and a sign. Blue and yellow this year. The little bunny is fiber optic and comes on in the evening thanks to timer.

The yellow rolling pin, and check drink thermos as well as the wire kitchen tool are all from the thrift store.

Decorating on the cheap.

Linking to:

The Tablescaper

I Heart Naptime

Sister Sunday

Show off Your Cottage Monday

Mod Mix Monday

Lily Rose Cottage

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Not Just a Housewife

Weekend Happenings

Holy cow. I swear to you that every time my husband goes out of town. The first day, something breaks, blows up, crashes. It is a curse we carry. Last time it was our garage door. Just had it fixed this week. Yesterday when hubs left to go camping for the weekend with some guy friends for a little shooting, my daughters call me that they hit something on the freeway and slit the side of one of our BRAND NEW, LESS THAN A MONTH OLD tires. Oh well. Like my momma used to say, if you can fix it with money then it isn't really a problem. It is those things that money can't fix. Like your health or the death of a loved one. Those are the real trials in life for sure.

Anyway on to fun happenings. Here is my babe heading out to the midnight showing of Hunger Games. They sat in line for six hours to make sure they could all sit together. A brave mother volunteered to take them. She loved it. She bought herself this t-shirt for the event.

We re-did this little hill of planter. It was overgrown and in need of some changes. Hubs had to have this baby blue spruce. Before you could not grow them here but now they have a hybrid you can. It will only grow to four feet tall. I hope.

Lastly, and you cannot laugh, but I almost killed Rocky last night. I was leaning over their new spacious box they got yesterday and slipped, and my hand crushed my porch chick. She freaked out and was flopping around. My oldest was telling me to calm down and gave her a look. She said at this stage they are very flexible so she will be all right. I felt HORRIBLE.

It was hilarious but not at the moment. For the rest of the night they huddled in the corner of the box whenever I came near. Poor chicks. Now I am trying to crush them. My kids say now I am officially the crazy chicken lady. All my friends cannot believe I have chickens. They think I am very strange. Why raise them when you can buy eggs they say. Exactly. I want to raise my own eggs. Have a great weekend. This momma is off the breakfast with a friend and boy do I need a few hours out.

Trick to Use Flash Indoors

If you are like me and have a dark house and find you just sometimes need flash, I wanted to share with you a tip I found online a long time ago and use often. When you need a flash and just can't get around it, take a white 3x5 card or like me just a white envelope laying around and hold it right in front of the flash as you take your picture. It adds the much needed light without all the washed out looks and shadows.

Below is the photo I wanted. The light outside was making the shot indoors dark but the flash trick added what I needed.

Okay here are the three untouched photos so you can see the difference.

First is the photo using the trick. Pretty good and not all washed out.

Now without the flash. The light behind prevents my ISO from picking up the indoor light. I have not mastered that end of photography yet. So I rely on this trick. But you can see clearly too dark.

Now here is a shot with the flash uncovered. You can see it is washed out and has those funny shiny spots and shadows. Try it next time you need some light indoors.

Linking to:
Fun Stuff Fridays
Sat. Night Special

Dirt Under My Nails

You know when I spotted this gal at the thrift store for $1.99 I had to have her. I think she will reside on the window sill.

Yesterday I mowed the front lawn. I only do one lawn at a time. Now you may ask why I do the lawn and the answer for now is that I love it and am available to do it. Our oldest did it for about seven years but with school and the hospital she is never home and number two has many allergies which keep her from doing it. Number three may learn soon but she is a big helper in the yard and keeps number four busy while I am working. My husband does it when he has time but because of long work hours I prefer him to spend any chore time on projects I cannot do.

We took the girls out the last couple of days for some time in the sun on the lawn. They love it and take a big nap after they head in. I clean their box everyday. Maybe not necessary but it smells better if I do. When we move them to the garage in a bigger box I won't be able to do it but for now I am.

Everything is blooming so beautifully right now. Love spending time out there with the warm sun on our backs.

I am trying a method of growing potatoes in a large container. This pot is enormous. About three feet tall but I fear the inside is not getting enough sun. No action yet. You let them sprout and grow a couple of inches and then keep adding more soil and repeat the process. Not sure this is going to work.

Been clearing out where the chicks will go eventually. This space looks really narrow here but is actually about three feet wide and twenty feet long. It gets midday sun. I am about half done. The coop will be at the far end with lids on the laying boxes so I can come around the other way and get the eggs but I will be able to go in the front way to clean the enclosed run and feed the girls. I was so tired when I came in. I have the hands of a man I swear and I wear gloves but they just still get so dirty out there.

Linking to:
Potpourri Friday
Home Sweet Home
Common Ground
Show and Tell Friday
Simple Home Life