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If I Had a Hammer:  Chicken pen...  |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 31 2008 : 5:54:42 PM
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I've been busy building a new ultra-reinforced chicken pen, sweating like a faucet. I'd almost forgotten how good it feels to sweat with total abandon—so cleansing! Anyway, I had a little chick run fashioned out of an old box spring frame that allowed the wee peeps to get out in the open air a bit (the big chickens free range during the day, for better or worse). The small run was working fine till Monday night when a rogue raccoon discovered a chink in the chicken wire and ended up killing at least one of the chicks. Sigh...So now I'm determined to make a bigger, safer “poultry porch.” That way, even the adult flock can get out and stretch their wings while we're away from home. After all, fall camping season is coming soon, and I can't run off and leave my feathered friends unprotected!
What are y'all working on??
Jen
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member #9
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2008 : 08:49:47 AM
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I just wrote this column for my local newspaper & thought it'd be fun to share it here...
“Monkey Wrenching”
Last week, before the weather turned, I started building a little chicken pen. We had a big pen already, but it was neither hawk nor raccoon proof. And since I have about 20 chicks who are desperate to fly the coop (but not nearly predator savvy enough to free range), I decided to make a safe outdoor enclosure.
I guess you know by now that I'm a do-it-yourself kind of gal, but what you may not know is that I wing it all the way. I don't have much technical knowledge, and I'm not patient enough to be very precise. My husband, in the most endearing terms, says I “monkey” my way through most projects. What he means is that although I may sometimes lack finesse, I make up for it in persistence. And I guarantee those pesky raccoons have never met a monkey who uses U-nails quite like me!
So, there I was out in the blazing sun, hacking cedar posts and prying old fencing from the existing pen so that I could re-use it for my new one. If you recall how hot it was last week, you can imagine how much I was sweating though all this toil. My kids came out to help, and their gold curls were instantly plastered to their heads. They were boasting about who could sweat the most, when they noticed my flushed and dripping face. “Wow, how do you sweat so much, Mom?” they asked in awe. Alas, parenting is nothing if not a humbling experience.
Thank goodness I didn't have an audience besides my children, who love me no matter how drippy I am, but the truth is, it felt really good to work up such a sweat. Air conditioning can be a blessing, but it also hampers our bodies' natural reaction to the shifting seasons. I think we're healthier if we get outside and experience the weather, hot or cold, as much as possible.
For eons, people have known that sweating is vital to health. From the Finnish sauna to the Russian banya to the East Indian swedana to the Native American sweat lodge, traditional cultures understood the value of perspiration. It helps rid the body of impurities, regulates temperature, and helps keep the skin supple. Did you know that sweat even contains a natural antibiotic that controls the bacteria living on our skin? It cleans out the pores and zaps the germs that cause blemishes—what a great system. Excessive perspiration can dehydrate you, though, so it's important to drink a bunch of water to maintain your fluid levels when you're working hard. Think of it as flushing out the old and refreshing with the new.
Of course, everybody's always nervous about sweat being stinky, and so the common reaction these days is to slather on a stick of perfumy, chemical-laden deodorant. If you want to save money and be healthier, reach for a box of Arm & Hammer baking soda instead. It doesn't clog your pores or poison your bloodstream, and IT WORKS. I just dust about half a teaspoon under each arm, but if the dry powder irritates your skin, try dissolving a pinch of baking soda in just enough water to make a slippery solution, then wipe that under your arms and let it dry before you get dressed.
Today my chicks are happily pecking away at real live greens in their predator-proof pen, and I feel great having sweated my way to success.
Jen
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member #9
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2008 : 7:25:55 PM
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Great article Jen!
Elizaray |
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If I Had a Hammer: Chicken pen... |
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Chicken pen...
