Birds love cats….Cats don’t feel the same way. Don’t worry, kitties. I’m not a fan of birds either đ
DIY Bird Feeders
I grew up with my Dad always keeping bird feeders at the house. There was a hummingbird feeder on the porch, and at least two feeders filled with bird seed hanging from trees in the yard. I love watching them (especially hummingbirds- they’re hilarious), and helping them out- especially in winter. For a fun indoor craft you can do with kids, check out this post by Erica at What We Do All Day for some creative DIY bird feeders:
-Pine cone bird feeder- pour melted suet onto pine cone, hang with yarn or string from tree
-Hanging orange bird feeder- Step 1. Scoop out orange halves. Step 2. Poke 3 equidistant holes. You need at least three holes to keep it from tipping easily. Step 3. Thread string or twine through the holes for hanging. Step 4. Fill with tasty bird treats. We used bird seed and cranberries.
-Paper roll bird feeder- coat a paper towel roll with shortening and roll in bird seed.
Cheap Chicken House Ideas
Last week, I went camping at my friend’s family farm. The s’mores were delicious, the weather was perfect, and the scenery was gorgeous. But, the best time I had that night was before we even got to the campsite. It was when we were visiting her mother at the house….and she introduced us to her new chickens. They were so sweet and loving- especially when you had bread to give them. The best part? They were âeaster eggâ chickens- and their eggs came in a rainbow of colors. Olive green, light tan, dark brown, sky blue, and pale pink– and they were absolutely delicious when cooked over a camp fire the next morning. Her mother also told me that they are expecting two new chicks sometime in December, and it took every ounce of my willpower to turn down her offer of taking them. One day though, when I have the time and the land, I will have my own chickens. And when that day comes, I’ll be ready! If you are thinking of getting chickens, read this post by Hal Gall at Hubpages for easy and cheap chicken coop ideas:
-Use recycled materials, like scrap wood
-Choose the correct size for your needs
-Always choose long lasting quality over cheap materials to get your money’s worth
-Build a fence to keep predators out
Chicken Food No-Nos: What Not To Give Them
Chickens will eat just about anything. Like humans, they are omnivores and will eat whatever is put in front of them: seeds, bugs, grains, fruits, veggies, meat (a lot of people report watching their chickens happily chomp on toads, frogs, and rats)….Yum, right?! They also love âpeople foodâ table scraps from the kitchen. However, just because they will eat almost anything doesn’t mean that they should…especially fingers! Check out this post by Jill Winger at The Prairie Homestead for what NOT to give your chickens:
-Avocado pits and peels- can be toxic
-Chocolate- toxic to dogs AND birds (besides, who throws away CHOCOLATE?? đ )
-Junk food- processed foods are bad for them
-Green potato skins, dry beans: both contain toxic substances
-Citrus (peels)- MAY thin out eggshells, chickens tend to not eat them anyway.
Friday Fun Video: Winter Chicken Coop
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How to keep your feathered friends warm in the cold!
Friday Fun Video: A Goose in Love
Probably the cutest and most hilarious love story ever. A goose decides she’s in love with a retired man and won’t leave him alone!
Natural Chicken Coop Cleaner
Having your own chickens is great. There is nothing that tastes better than a freshly laid egg in the morning! But, chickens can get gross. And they get gross fast. They require constant attention: above and beyond just feeding and cleaning. Coops can become health hazards for both you and your animals if you let it slip for even a day. This post by Jill at The Prairie HomeStead has a tutorial on how to keep your coop clean and disinfected the natural way:
First, shovel and scrape all of the manure, dirt, shavings, cobwebs, and feathers out. It
Next, take a hose to it! Give the walls, floors, roosts, and nesting boxes a good spray down
Next, mix up equal parts white vinegar and water in a bucket OR just slosh straight vinegar onto your wet floor. I preferred the sloshing method personally. Then take your broom or brush and give everything a vigorous scrubbing, making sure to distribute the vinegar solution as thoroughly as possible.
Winter Birds and How to Attract Them
Nothing cheers up an icky winter day faster than the chipper chirping of a pretty cardinal. Winter birdwatching is a great activity to do alone or with kids. Sometimes they can be a little tricky to find, though. Lots of people have different strategies for attracting these winter birds: what sort of feed to put out, what kind of feeder they’re likely to flock to, what height in the tree– the list goes on and on. But, here’s a few basics from Katie at Premeditated Leftovers:
Opt for food high in fat.
Birds are not watching their waistlines in the winter months.Â
Offer some refreshing water.
Birds love to drink water during the winter months just as they do during the summer
Offer some rent free housing.
Birds love a warm place to lay their heads just like we do. In the winter, that can be hard to find.Â
Once you get the hang of it, you can fine tune your own strategy and see all the birds you could ever want!
Make Your Own Hummingbird Feeder Juice
Hummingbirds are always a welcome sight at my house. They’re fast, cute, and really fun to watch. They also help pollinate your flowers, so attracting them definitely has benefits for gardeners. You can attract them a number of ways: from planting colorful flowers to avoiding using pesticides. But the easiest way to bring them into your yard is by installing a red hummingbird feeder. Pam at BrownThumbMama shares her list for the perfect hummingbird feeder solution:
Hummingbird feeder solution is easy to make: 1 part plain white sugar to 4 parts water (e.g., 1 cup sugar with 4 cups water). Bring it to a boil to to kill any bacteria and allow it to cool completely before putting it into the feeder.
