Birds of a different feather...

If you've been reading my facebook page, you will know that I purchased 2 Cochin bantam chickens a couple months ago and they're very sweet and friendly. 

I have been checking the roosting boxes daily in the hope that I might find some freshly laid eggs.  Each day I came up empty.

Yesterday, while installing the new hay feeder for my boy goats, Chipper and Corduroy, I heard crowing.  Lots of it. 

I stood and watched my chickens for awhile and noticed that they were ALL crowing.  Hmm, I thought, that's interesting.

Dominant hens will sometimes crow, but since I bought these 2 as a pair, that really isn't the case in this situation.  And yes, these chickens were sold to me as hens.

So, I called my son, Jacob, the chicken guru, to come and check out these chickens.  He was with me when I purchased them, kept them for me while my coop was being built and even he was fooled.

To make a long story short, Joslyn and Jorja are now Jach and Jorje. 

Girly little roosters, they are, too.

So now, once again, I'm on the hunt for some fuzzy footed egg laying HENS!

10 neat ideas to simplify your life

Via http://www.marthastewart.com/308036/how-to-keep-matching-sheets-together-in?xsc=eml_org_2011_02_03

Give your linen closet a makeover - To avoid hunting through piles of bedsheets for a match, store linens inside one of their own pillowcases.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankfarm/2255448059/in/gallery-32241009@N08-72157623956149936/

Rather than cluttering up the floor, use wire to suspend your gift wrap from the ceiling.

Via http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/magnetic-tote-672404/

Use a muffin pan and plastic cups to create a craft caddy.  Magnets hold down the cups to keep them from tipping.

Via http://www.marthastewart.com/276989/organizing

Find that extra button fast with this 3-ring binder sewing kit.  A felt needle holder (spray starch will make it sturdier) keeps your needles in place, while zipper pouches hold all the essentials.

Via http://www.squawkfox.com/2010/07/27/popcorn-recipe-gourmet-popcorn/

Pop your own popcorn in the microwave using a plain brown paper lunch bag.  Less expensive and lots healthier than the other stuff.

Via http://www.kiboomu.com/2011/07/25/birthday-party-ice-cream-cone-cupcake-recipe/

For a treat that's easier and more fun for kids to eat, bake your cupcakes in ice cream cones!

Via http://www.realsimple.com/new-uses-for-old-things/iphone-speaker-00000000054283/index.html

The concave shape of a bowl can amplify the volume of your iPhone or iPod.  Drop it in and turn it up!

Via http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/new-uses-for-old-things/28-uses-for-every-day-items-00000000007991/index.html

Got a jar lid that won't budge?  Wrap a rubber band around it several times to get a better grip.

Via http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/quick-tip-clean-your-toilet-wi-137538

Clean your toilet with Kool-Aid!  Lemon and Orange flavored Kool-aid contains citric acid that is great for cleaning the bowl!  Sprinkle the packet in (the kind with no sugar added), swirl it around with your toilet brush and let it sit overnight.  By morning, the acid in the mix will have gotten rid of tough stains and build up.  And it's eco-friendly, just in case Fido is a toilet drinker.  Haha!

Via http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/post-26-140517

Have you seen the "As Seen On TV" ads for watering globes?  Now you can make your own.  All you have to do is submerge the top of a glass bottle filled with water into the dirt.  Make sure there is no immediate leakage or air bubbles and you're set! 

Let them eat hay!

If you find yourself with a goat, you will quickly learn some important stuff about caring for them.  Such as, they are prone to parasites and need regular deworming.  They also require a specific diet to keep them healthy, which consists of hay, grain and certain vitamins and minerals.

As a novice goat herder, only finding myself in this position this past summer, I wasn't entirely prepared.  Sure, I had done lots of reading and research, but the funds to carry it through hadn't completely fallen into my lap before I took the plunge into "goatdom". 

This being the case, I had been using a small plastic swimming pool as a hay feeder.  I had to use what I had available and this at least, kept it off the ground.  It isn't necessarily a good idea to feed your animals in the same place they use the bathroom!

This worked for awhile.  Until fall came and it began to rain consistently.  Rain and hay don't really mix.  Then winter came and with morning temperatures dipping into the teens, I began to dread going out in the mornings to feed the goats.  Nor did they relish the idea of leaving the nice cozy barn to eat wet hay out of a plastic pool.

It was time for a change.  What to do, what to do...

First things first, take a look and see what I have lying around that can be used for this project.  I managed to round up some leftover fencing and some poultry wire.  With just a few snips of my wire cutters, I began shaping a basket.

Once I had the basic shape wired together, I added the poultry wire to form a bottom for the basket.

Attaching the poultry wire was the hardest part of the whole process.  That stuff isn't so easy on the fingers!

Once this was done, I just had to find a place for it in the barn. 

I hung a 2x6 board to attach the feeder to on the barn wall with 3 inch screws. 

Then I screwed on a small piece of wood from the front side of the wire to hold it in place.

It still needs to be attached this way at the top.  There's only a nail holding it in place in these pictures.  I noticed too late that I had dropped my screwdriver bit.  Talk about a needle in a haystack!  Either way, the girls, Joy and Willow, love it!

I may get busy in the spring and build something a little fancier, but for now, this is working great! 

Tomorrow, I start on one for the boys!

Hey There!

Just a welcome to all those who have arrived here via Facebook or my sister site, http://www.merrymoonchildsoap.com/.  That means you guys are paying attention!  :)