Chicken Update

Well, I've done it. I've officially become the chicken lady. People send me pictures and blog posts about chickens. Empty egg cartons show up on my desk at work, and I have no idea who left them. When I catch up with friends and co-workers, one of the first questions out of their mouths is, "How are your chickens?"

It's true.

And I love it!

The update on the chickens is that they are doing quite well. As of mid-February, they were officially seven months old, so they are called 'pullets.' (They will be considered hens at one year of age.) They are also consistent egg-layers. One day we may get four. Another day we may get six. Overall, I think we're averaging between 3 and 3 1/2 dozen eggs a week. Incredible! 

It was a 6 egg kind of a day!

The first time we had our chicken's fresh eggs!

We've thoroughly enjoyed having our own fresh eggs, and we love being able to give them away to friends, co-workers and neighbors. I've decided it's one of the coolest ways to have an excuse to get to know your neighbors and to start a relationship with them!

We continue to learn a good deal, as new situations present themselves. One recent challenge was the cold temperatures, even for our cold-hardy chickens. When the temperatures were dropping to -15°F with a windchill of -30°F, we put a heavy painting drop cloth around the coop, and then a tarp over that to provide further insulation. Then we put a heat lamp inside the coop. 

There are differing opinions on providing heat sources for the chickens during cold temperatures, but we decided to help them out when I found dried drops of blood on the top of our heated water bowl inside the coop. It scared me enough that I decided I wasn't going to chance frostbite or anything worse by telling the chickens to "tough it out." 

In the end, they seem fine and are doing well. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks, as they've been enjoying the warmer temperatures post-polar vortex. :)

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Since discovering that I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, I have attempted to make gradual adjustments to my diet and lifestyle. One goal of mine is to move more and more to natural home products. Or at least home-made ones that can cut costs and don't require a midnight run to the grocery store.

About a month ago I happened upon a friend's blog post about homemade laundry detergent, and I decided to print out her recipe. Jody bought the ingredients, and we made our first batch.

The verdict: It works!

If you are interested in trying it yourself, here's Kelly's blog posting: @ kellycain.com : Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent!

Observations, a month in:

1. The ingredients are right next to each other on the cleaning aisle in Walmart. Easy to find. Maybe $7.50 for all three.
2. Easy to make. Very easy.
3. The detergent does separate, so it takes a good stir before using.
4. The consistency depends on room/outside temperature. As it's gotten warmer outside, I've noticed the consistency of the detergent thins and pours more easily.
5. It seems to get the job done. No fragrance or perfume to irritate skin, but it gets the dirt out of our clothes, linens, etc. I'm a happy woman!

My next goals: homemade soap and deodorant.