Journal Entries
Amy P's NaJoPoMo 2014--22
Posted Nov 22, 2014
The design of a chicken coop is limited only by one's imagination* ( http://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops {probably linked to word "design"}). Of course, budget, skillset, and material availability have some influence, as well. Coop building can be a great opportunity for upcycling--people have made coops from old plastic playhouses, with hardware cloth over the windows, as well as old pallets. People also conveert old outbuildings into coops, or build structures resembling hoop greenhouses. There are also flatpack coops available, but those aren't always the best solution. Quite often, the manufacturers overestimate how many chickens can dwell in their coop, and the coop can* end up being flimsy enough that, by the time one is done reinforcing it, the money and time spent could just have easily have gone into something built from scratch. The flatpack coops *are* cute, though.
*And any local regulations, which should be looked into before work starts.
*But not always.
Discuss this Journal entry [6]
Latest reply: Nov 22, 2014
Amy P's NaJoPoMo 2014--21
Posted Nov 22, 2014
Today is Tom's birthday 
In 2 more years, we will have been married half of his life! We had dinner with our soon-to-be-neighbors (well, the male half already is, and Tom's going to be his best man on December 7) and Tom's been asked to do a couple of songs at their wedding. Cue the ridiculous suggestions mixed in with the sensible ones
(An example of ridiculousness--after the set (the set isn't, well, set yet, but it's going to include Amazing Grace) for the couple, asking if he can sing a song for a special someone (ie, me) and then singing something by Barry White or Marvin Gaye
).
We'll do something with Tom's parents for his birthday later. While they live here in town, Tom's dad had some teeth extracted today, so doesn't exactly feel up to anything tonight...
Discuss this Journal entry [5]
Latest reply: Nov 22, 2014
Amy P's NaJoPoMo 2014--20
Posted Nov 21, 2014
Housing Chickens
Chickens don't need elaborate housing. As long as they have a draft-free, well-ventilated, predator-proof place to stay dry, they will thrive. Space requirements are fairly simple, too--to prevent overcrowding, an coop should have 4 square feet per bird, and the coop should be enclosed in a run/yard of 10 square feet per bird*. This is a rule-of-thumb minimum--it doesn't hurt to have more room per bird, and having more room will help if one's flock grows larger than originally planned*. Healthy, fully-feathered birds do not generally require heat in the winter*.
How much ventilation is enough? One rough rule of thumb is that if you think you have enough ventilation, double it! Another, more quantifiable rule is at least one square foot of ventilation per bird. More is better, so long as there aren't any drafts hitting the birds as they sleep--while chickens wear home-grown down coats, a draft can ruffle their feathers and let out the heat. Ventilation is
vital to let out excess humidity from chicken breath and droppings. If a coop is dry, chickens can withstand subfreezing temperatures
quite easily, but a humid coop can lead to frostbite in temperatures above freezing. Even in warm weather, excess humidity can encourage mold growth and lead to respiritory distress.
Almost all carnivores and omnivores love chicken! Because chickens have worse night vision than humans, they are very vulnerable at night and twilight, so predator-proofing their sleeping area is a must. Predator-proofing requirements vary according to what predators are in the area*. However, there are some basics that are applicable everywhere. Hexagonal chicken wire is only good for keeping chickens in, not anything else out. Any animal strong enough to take a chicken can break through it. Racoons can not only chew through it, but they can reach through the openings and pull heads off. Chicken wire also rusts comparatively quickly. 1/2 inch hardware cloth ( http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20724242,00.html ) is a much better choice. There are various ways to protect from diggers, and from birds of prey.
*For adult large fowl breeds. Chicks, juveniles, and bantams require less room.
*Chicken math! ( http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/472434/what-is-chicken-math )
*There are chicken keepers near the Arctic Circle who do not heat their coops, and their chickens are quite healthy.
*Pet dogs and cats are just as much predators as wild animals.
*****************************************************************
More next time.
Discuss this Journal entry [4]
Latest reply: Nov 21, 2014
Amy P's NaJoPoMo 2014--19
Posted Nov 20, 2014
Rain.
I like rain. At least if it's at least close to vertical--rain should not be horizontal! But if I can be inside, I don't even mind horizontal rain.
We need rain. The average rainfall here is 100 inches a year--80 of which fall between Halloween and Valentine's Day. The last few years, the rainy season (we don't really have summer and winter--some places, you can get a range of 40 degrees F over the course of a day, while around here, it's rare to get a 40 degree difference over the course of a year) has been quite dry (California *has* been in a record-breaking drought, after all). The rivers around here usually threaten to flood around New Year's. This past New Year's, the rivers were as low as they usually are in August.
If it must rain, I really wish it wouldn't rain during the school day--or at least not during lunch recess (morning recess is finished before I get into work). Rainy day recess is awful. It's bad enough when I'm not shadowing a student--find-the-rainy-day-recess-room is not one of my favorite games, especially since my students may be spread over more than one room. When part of my duties include shadowing a student... Well, let's just say that 20 minutes of coloring in an unfamiliar room with someone that has impulse-control issues even when able to run free is problematic...
Discuss this Journal entry [6]
Latest reply: Nov 20, 2014
Amy P's NaJoPoMo 2014--18
Posted Nov 19, 2014
People procure poultry in many different ways. Many times, a local feed store will sell chicks in the spring, and may have chickens of various ages available occasionally. Other people have found chickens near them on Craigslist, or via groups on Facebook. There are many hatcheries to be found that sell online and via mailorder, and chicken breeders also have websites. One can also sometimes rescue spent hens from egg farms--quite often, the hens are only 2-3 years old, so they're still laying, just not every day. Hatching eggs can be bought from hatcheries and breeders, and are also available on EBay*. BYC has a section for buying, selling and trading hatching eggs, day-old chicks, older chicks, and adult chickens, as well as other animals and inanimate objects.
*Live animals can not be bought on EBay, though some sellers will circumvent the rules by offering a 'hatching service'.
**************************************************************************
Just a short bit tonight--Tom and I are going out, and I don't know if I'll be back online when we get back.
Discuss this Journal entry [4]
Latest reply: Nov 19, 2014
Amy Pawloski, aka 'paper lady'--'Mufflewhump'?!? click here to find out... (ACE)
Researcher U180656
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."