Chicken feeder
Raising chickens can be very rewarding. You can buy little chicks, provide them with a warm place to live for a couple of months, give them plenty of food and water, and wind up with some pullets that will eventually produce fresh eggs daily for you.
Or, you can buy pullets or full grown laying hens to get a quicker start on the egg production. I’ve done it both ways. The advantage with hens is that, even though they will cost you more to begin with, they will start laying eggs right away. Your main responsibility will be to provide them with a shelter that is safe from predators and bad weather, a place where they can scratch around for bugs and seeds, and plenty of fresh water.
Chicken feeders can be pretty easy to build if you want to give your hens free choice feed. We used a party tray you can get at the dollar store (it has a round cup in the middle with four pockets around the outside), a five gallon bucket with lid and handle, a 1 inch paddle drill bit, a 2 inch bolt with nut and a couple of washers, and a drill bit that matched the bolt.
We drilled four holes that would line up with the four pockets around the outside of the tray using the 1 inch paddle bit. Then we drilled a hole in the dead center of the bucket and in the dead center of the round cup in the middle of the party tray. We put a washer on the bolt, ran it up through both the tray and the bucket, put another washer on it then put the nut on it. Don’t go too tight or you’ll break the tray.
This feeder can sit on the ground or be hung from a hook or chain so the chickens can eat from the tray. You just fill it with feed and the feed will run down into the tray without running all over the ground. Even if the feed gets a little “log jammed”, the hens will actually peck at the sides of the bucket and jar it loose. Pretty smart, I think!
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Keeping backyard chickens
A lot of homeschool families raise small livestock, if they have the space to do so, as well as raising a garden. When we were homeschooling, it was practically a given that we, as well as others, would have goats, chickens, and rabbits, that homeschool moms would wear denim jumpers, and that a trip to the grocery store would incorporate a math lesson.
I really don’t know if any of that has changed, but I’d be willing to bet that some of it still holds true. These days, homeschoolers aren’t the only ones who are seeking to be more self-reliant, though. A lot of folks are investing in backyard chickens, rabbits, and even a dairy goat or two to give them the meat and milk/milk products they need.
Many towns will allow a handful of hens to be kept in the backyard. They are generally quiet, and if they are properly cared for, don’t produce an offensive odor for the neighbors to complain about. Those who live in the country may be able to raise even more chickens along with other small livestock, provided they aren’t living in a neighborhood with a homeowner’s association that forbids such activities.
Chickens are just about the easiest way to provide your family with a protein source in the form of eggs. They will average an egg a day, though there will be some “down time” when they don’t lay at all or very little. They are also a good source of meat protein when you need to cull some lazy hens or you have too many roosters.
Hatching eggs is a good project for the whole family. Through this, your children can learn all about a chicken’s reproduction from rooster and hen to egg to chick.
Chickens are also very entertaining. Watching them chase an elusive flying bug or come running at breakneck speeds when you have some treats for them is delightful. Sometimes they’ll lay in a dusty spot and fluff and scratch until they’ve very nearly changed colors due to the amount of dust they’ve thrown on themselves. (This is also a clue that the chicken may be fighting some external parasites and it’s time for a good dusting with diatomaceous earth.)
Caring for chickens is a pleasant activity. Listening to them “sing” as you toss grain out to them has a calming effect. You can also throw all your kitchen scraps to them except for bones. They will turn it into rich, valuable fertilizer for your garden or flower beds.
The biggest concern is keeping predators away from them.
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Old time days festival
I am surely hoping that this week will be the very last of the cold weather here. We are due for rain storms and some parts of the state may even receive sleet, but by the weekend it’s supposed to be up to a high of 72 degrees F. I can hardly wait for that!
If the forecast holds true, we’ll be attending a little fun day at the feed store up the road from us. These nice folks put something like this on about 2 or 3 times a year. This one is called “Old Ways From Old Days”. Events will include spinning wool, twining, kraut making, cheese making, soap making, and so many more old time crafts I don’t dare try to name them all.
Along with those activities, they are offering free kettle corn and fresh pork rinds, and hamburgers and hot dogs to eat. There will be a live band (I really don’t know who it is yet) and local folks will have crafts for sale. The owner invited me to set up a table for free and offer homemade bread for sale, so that’s what I’ll be doing.
It starts at 10 AM and ends at 2 PM. Not a very long festival, but the feed store owners also run that business as well as own farm animals that need to be tended to. This isn’t one of the new, uptown feed stores that offers sparkling new riding lawn mowers for sale. These folks offer feed, seed, fertilizers, and groceries, along with a few animal meds and equipment. Oh, and they sell bait, too.
I hope there is a big turnout for this. I’d love to see children there, learning about how things used to be done and what kinds of entertainment there was before the invention of the video game and the i-devices. I think this could easily be rolled into part of their history lessons.
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Cool weather gardening
I have begun my gardening for this year, even though we are expected to have a few more days of wintry temperatures. We got some below-freezing temperatures last week.
I checked today, and the onions and radishes are sprouting. I have also planted sugar pod peas, lettuce, carrots, and kale. These have yet to make their appearance, but I feel confident they will do so in a few days.
These are all considered cool weather crops which makes them fairly safe to plant here in the South, even though we can’t seem to get rid of winter.
I noticed my lemon balm and mint are also starting up in the herb bed, as well as the chives. My asparagus looks pretty pitiful, though. The chickens had scratched among them a lot last year and it almost killed them completely. However, they are trying to grow now. We won’t be cutting any fresh, delicious asparagus from them, though, because they were so severely set by by the chicken damage.
If you have kids, and I assume you do if you’re reading this blog, this would be a great time to get them started on gardening. You can use pots, number 10 cans, plastic milk jugs cut in half, or just about any kind of container to grow small salad vegetables such as radishes, lettuce, and green onions.
You can even just cut into a bag of good potting soil and plant your seeds directly into that, if you want. Shallow rooted plants will do just fine in that. A friend uses half rotted bales of straw or hay for planting. Be sure these are place where the veggies will get lots of sun. Just open up a few spots on the hay, put in a bit of potting soil to help the seeds get started, then watch them grow. As they develop, their roots will take good advantage of the decomposing hay for their nutrients. You will probably need to water them a little more often than other methods because water tends to flow through the hay, but I’ve seen some awesome plants growing like this.
You can actually plant your tomatoes and peppers in the rotted hay setup and harvest plenty of fresh tomatoes and peppers later. Be sure to cover tender plants such as these this early in the year because they just aren't cold-hardy. You can use old milk jugs with the caps removed (for ventilation) and the bottoms cut out for individual plant “hot caps”.
Small backyard or patio gardening is a great way to introduce your child to the benefits of fresh vegetables and a way to teach them where some of their food really comes from.
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Flights of fancy
Did you ever dream of taking your family to faraway, exotic locations? Do you have a dream of visiting these places yourself? I do.
For years, I’ve dreamed of going to Australia. There’s something irresistible to me about the rugged outback. Maybe because it seems so much like our own Old West. I tend to dream about living in a time and place where the work hours are determined more by the sunrise and sunset than an alarm clock.
It would probably be wise to research Australia a little more, of course, but in my mind’s eye, I can see myself getting a kuwait airways ticket and flying off to the Land Down Under, and staying there a very long time.
Of course, a plane ticket could take me any number of other wonderful places. Maybe to Italy, where I can see the great works of Michelangelo or visit the Roman Ruins. Or to England, where the roots of my family reside and where our own country’s history has its beginning.
Air travel has really come into its own, I think. You can travel the world in mere hours and find adventures where ever you go. And these days, you can shop online for the best deals on airfare, tourist packages, and lodging. You can even check your flight status and other details concerning your trip just by the click of your mouse or using your smart phone.
The world seems to be shrinking because of all these great new options, and that’s not a bad thing at all. Places we’ve only read about or seen in pictures can be visited without much more bother than deciding just which place you’d like to visit first.
I think I’ve just added this to my Bucket List.
Labels: Geography, Homeschool families
Take a new look at the library
When is the last time you visited your local library? You might find there is a lot going on that you didn’t know about.
Many libraries now loan out DVDs, which you probably already knew about. Did you also know that you can borrow eBooks for your Kindle or other e-reader from your library?
The library also offers many free or low-cost classes, such as beginner’s yoga. Our library does this every Tuesday evening. The only requirement is that you wear comfortable clothing that you can move easily in, bring a yoga mat for floor exercises, and yoga socks for foot comfort.
Our library also offers community events, such as the annual seed swap. This is a time when folks can bring in heirloom or open-pollinated seeds, root stock, and cuttings to share with others who love to garden. In fact, the even is occurring this weekend in our area but I’ll be out of town, so I’ll miss it this year.
Your library may also offer summer children’s programs that include reading time, games, and fun activities.
Most libraries also offer free internet services and computers to use to access the internet and do research, or even just have fun on social networking pages or blogging sites. They will generally limit access to pay sites or adult themed sites.
Our library also offers a room full of books for sale at very reduced prices. They may be novels or they may be resource books, but I’ve even seen children’s books on the “for sale” tables and shelves. Once a year they have a really big sale where not only older books from the library are offered, but also books that are donated specifically to this fund raiser.
Go visit your library and see what they have to offer in your area!
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Newspaper seedling pots
You and your children may be interested in gardening and in starting your garden plants from seeds. Whether flowers or vegetables, it’s fun and inexpensive to start your own plants. It also gives the children an opportunity to watch as seedlings grow, pushing up through the earth, getting their first leaves, then getting their “true leaves” and growing stronger.
You can purchase peat pots or the peat disks that are watered and swell into seedling pots, or you can make your own newspaper pots for seed starting. This is a very inexpensive and earth-friendly way to start your seeds. The newspaper pots are easy to make, too, and the children can join in.
We have old newspapers that we use to line the rat cage, put in the bottom of our chick starter cage, or simply shred and add to the compost heap. You probably do, too. If not, you may know of someone with newspapers you can get for free just so they can get rid of them.
The pots, once filled with potting soil and then watered, are quite sturdy yet they can be planted straight into the garden where they will naturally decompose and allow the plant roots to develop.
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The perfect classroom
Some of you homeschool at your kitchen table. Some, in a more formal classroom setting. Either way, you need a place for your child to sit while he works on lessons or worksheets, don’t you.
Our kids did their school work all over the place. Sometimes, in their bedrooms. Sometimes, in the kitchen. Sometimes, in the living room. Sometimes, in a little library corner I had set up.
I can remember wishing I had a real classroom setup, complete with work tables, american made church chairs, desks, and a big white board. We never did have that setup, but we were still able to homeschool right through high school!
Labels: Homeschool families
Getting in the door
When my kids were younger and we were still homeschooling, one of the things I liked was being able to shop at school supply stores and get discounts. The only thing many of them required was a letter of some kind printed with my homeschool's letterhead on it. I had to create this myself, but now you can get your letterhead printing online.
If you are part of a homeschool coop, getting their letterhead printed may be a foot in the door for many fascinating and educational field trips to places where your group might otherwise be turned away. Most businesses and other concerns are not opposed to homeschooling. However, they may indeed desire some kind of official looking paperwork to verify that you are who you say you are.
Where I work, groups may request donations for their events and those requests are generally granted IF they make the requests on their official letterhead instead of by phone or just asking.
Labels: Homeschool families
Dreaming of spring
Well, the leaves on the many trees around my house have changed from greens to golds and reds, and now to browns. It seems like only yesterday they were green, and so was the grass. Now, everything has begun settling in for its long winter's nap, to be awakened again in the warmth of the spring sunshine.
While all these things lay dormant for the winter is a good time to actually begin planning next year's gardens. This is the time of year when we gardeners pore over seed catalogs, issues of Mother Earth News, and gardening and farming websites.
It's also the time when we begin planning what we'll do differently in our landscapes, such as shopping for fountains and a wide selection lawn statues to bring beauty and whimsey and spots for relaxation into the theme. Next spring, I'll be taking in part of the woods behind my house, not disturbing it too much, though. I want to plant shade loving flowers and shrubs, create a grey water filtration system that will be part of the back landscape, and add paths and benches to the area.
What are your garden dreams like?
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING
It's Thanksgiving Day in the United States! A day to gather family and friends around a table laden with delicious foods. It's almost decadent, the amount of calories we take in on a day of feasting such as this. I guess it's one of the few days of the year when we go all out, spend maybe hundreds of dollars, to set out this much to eat all at once. I daresay, most families could probably eat for a week or two on the amount of food that's prepared for this day.
It's all done in love and fellowship, though, and if your family is like mine, at the end of the day many of the foods will be divided out and sent home with the attendees. It's a way of sharing the bounty that stretches through the coming days.
There will also be foods that will be carefully packaged and stashed in the freezer for meals later on. Those will make prepping the future meals faster and easier.
There will also be many families who will take all their fresh leftovers to a shelter or mission, to give some joy and fellowship to those who don't have a home table to gather 'round.
Think on these things: We are blessed beyond measure and often don't realize it. We go through our daily activities, sometimes mumbling and complaining, not realizing how bad it really could be for us.
Let's carry the attitude of gratitude with us daily, throughout the year, and the heartfelt sharing, as well.
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The old wooden toy box
Toy boxes. No, this isn't a lesson. It's just something I thought of. A memory from the back of my head from many many years ago when my now grown children were still very young.
Over the years, we've had several kinds of toy boxes. But the best one, I think, was actually a machinery crate, bound together with steel strapping, that we had for our two older boys.
Let me tell you, if anything could be broken, taken apart, buried, painted, or demolished, those boys could do it. But that old crate held together until they completely outgrew it. It looked like new lumber when we got it. Their Daddy picked it up from a construction site when he worked for a construction company. By the time they were done with it, it had crayon art, chalk art, and stickers all over it. The top edge was worn smooth from them leaning into it to unearth some favorite toy. It looked like an antique, even though it was only a few years old.
But, that crate served a good purpose. When it came time to clean their room, all they really had to do was pick up toys and toss them into that sturdy crate. Nothing they threw at it made a difference. Sturdy, not very pretty, and free. What a great toy box!
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Easy gifts
Do you have a budding young dancer in your family? Maybe you actually teach a dance class yourself. If so, then you might want to take a look at some wholesale dance gifts I found online.
These are so sweet. They have Christmas decorations (it's not too soon to be thinking about that), jewelry, coasters, magnets, tote bags...well, the list just goes on and on. You do have to order in bulk, but the prices are so reasonable that it wouldn't be any problem.
In fact, I can see a homeschool family ordering these and reselling them on an online auction site or local selling list, Maybe even to friends and relatives, or your church family. They also have gifts for kids interested in cheer or gymnastics, so don't think it's limited only to dance!
If any of my grandchildren was involved in these activities, I'd be jumping on this for Christmas and birthday gifts! I wonder if I can find anything music related there. Three of my grandchildren play several instrument apiece and would really love something that centers on their favorite activities.
Labels: Homeschool families, Shopping
Selling at conventions
I have known a few homeschool families who make at least part of their living by selling books, both old and new. Doing this means carefully scheduling trips to homeschool conventions. With children, this can take no small amount of effort but it can be done.
It also means you need to have equipment for both hauling and displaying books, curriculum, and educational games and accessories. One dear friend used to have an enclosed trailer along with quite a few covered totes plus tables and a few chairs. The totes contained all the books and accessories she had for sale. The trailer was pretty large and she had to find a hitch through a source like curt trailer hitches in order to hook it up to her Suburban.
She and her husband were able to ride comfortably, along with her daughter, in the truck and had lots of room for luggage. Probably the only drawback was that they did have to find a motel for out-of-town conventions. Still, by selling some of the top rated curricula and manipulatives, they were able to add quite a bit to their income.
Labels: Entrepreneurism, Homeschool families
New school year begun
I'm sure by now everyone has begun their school year. Maybe not. Maybe you're like me and plan to go the old fashioned route of starting it after Labor Day, which is what we did when we homeschooled.
In any case, you are probably still looking at curriculum, worksheets, printables, and lesson plans. A lot of these things can be found free on the Internet. You may live in a remote area where you include a conference call price into your school budget so you can speak with other home educators. Chatting on the web or posting to forums are also good ways to get ideas, learn of new educational products, and find out what's working for others.
Labels: Homeschool families
Enter the fall garden
It's August, which is technically still a summer month. However, if you are using gardening in your curriculum, then you probably also know that it's the time for planting the fall garden. This will be produce that sprouts quickly and comes to maturity before heavy frost sets in. You can also create a cold frame or put up a small greenhouse to further extend the gardening season.
There are other things you can do to accomplish fall gardening in the south. Clean out garden beds, add to your compost heap, and move some plants inside. It's never too early or too late to enrich garden beds and the soil of potted plants. I do this organically using rabbit manure and my own compost.
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Crazy spring and summer
It has been awhile since I've posted anything, I know. Well, it's been a crazy spring around here -- tornadoes, floods, chilly weather, then blistering heat. It's been about enough to do anyone in. But, I just want to say I'm back and will be posting more regularly from now on.
In light of that, let me share some things with you all. We got some rabbits and quails that we are raising now. They are doing well and growing. The quails are even laying eggs. We use them just like regular eggs, except they are tiny so it takes more of them. I think it takes 4 quail eggs to equal one chicken egg. We are getting about 35 eggs a week from them, so that's really working out pretty good.
They are interesting birds. We have three kinds -- Jumbo Brown Couturnix, Manchurian Gold, and Texas A&M White. The Jumbo Brown lay larger eggs and have very calm dispositions. I'll probably eventually switch to only raising those kind since the others behave like wild birds every time you approach the cages.
Later on, we'll hatch quail eggs and raise more so we can have more egg production plus meat for the freezer.
The rabbits are New Zealand variety with one being the familiar white with pink eyes, one brown with brown eyes, and one black with brown eyes. We'll begin breeding them soon. Then we'll sell the bunnies for pets and have some for meat for ourselves. I know some of you are cringing now.
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Family garden
I am really hoping we don't get another round of extremely cold weather, but it is only February and I figure we'll get possibly another ice event and another hard freeze before spring fully settles in.
In the meantime, I can get some early gardening done with plants that don't mind cold weather, such as onions. I'll be trying to grow as many vegetables and herbs as possible this summer so I can add to my pantry and stop hemo rageing so much money on groceries!
I'm waiting now for delivery of non-GMO/non-Hybrid seeds for my garden. This way, I can actually save seeds during the summer harvests to use in coming years. If you can garden at all, even in containers, I strongly suggest you do so. Gardening is a great learning activity for kids, as they watch seeds burst forth from the soil as tiny plants, tend to them, and watch them grow and produce. My kids actually started eating veggies they had previously shunned when they grew them themselves!
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Teen drivers revisited
When my kids were teens, I taught them to drive defensively. I rode with them for many months until I felt secure in the knowledge that they could be trusted on their own. I set limits about things such as where they went, driving at night (a big no-no), and friends in the vehicle with them (another big no-no). I instructed them on a basic premise to always be in control of the vehicle no matter what.
You are probably scratching your head over the last point. "Always be in control of the vehicle"...well, duh! That's easier said than done when a dog or other animal dashes across the road in front of you. My instruction to them was to never swerve or brake hard. Slow down to give the animal a chance, but under no circumstances were they to swerve into the path of oncoming traffic or into a ditch, tree, or fence on the right. Braking hard might cause them to skid and lose control. Hit the animal in their lane if they must, sad as it is to do that. Their lives are a million times more valuable than a loose dog's.
There were even times when I was with them that they had opportunities to practice that particular skill. It's hard to not swerve or brake hard when someone's pet or even wildlife is in the road, but they practiced and rarely hit any animal because they let off the gas and would brake lightly to slow down. Usually, the animal would have time to scurry off. Occasionally, a squirrel or rabbit would be run over. Sad, yes, but no person was in danger, at least.
They have now been driving, accident free and ticket free, for 6 years. This means their insurance gets lower each year, so the rewards are good. You can look at carinsurancelist.com to find insurance companies that are a good fit, but you can also find quite a few great articles there with driving tips, insurance tips, and explanations about various types of car insurance that would add to your knowledge as a parent, and to your teen driver's knowledge as well. Definitely worth a lingering visit!
Labels: Homeschool families
Easy to clean
This time of the year, when we have a lot of snow being tracked in, I am reminded of years past when tracking in gunk from outside was a daily occurrence while homeschooling. We had outside animals that needed to be tended -- goats, chickens, rabbits, and dogs. Year 'round animal tending means that even if it's snowy or rainy, those chores must be done.
We never had carpeting on the floor because of the muck that would be dragged in on shoes and boots. Now, as then, I really wish for pergo flooring for a more durable and easy-to-clean floor. I don't have all the outside animals anymore, but I do still go outside for gardening and taking my dog for walks.
I'm also considering getting more chickens, which will mean spending more time outside to tend to them and gather eggs. I have a good pair of muck boots which I leave just inside my front door, but it would be nice to be confident in cleaning the floor in an easier fashion!
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