Poop aprons

On May 3, 2019May 2, 2019 By CarynIn Craft

Say what? Yup. Poop aprons. My eldest and I both want to have the chickens be lap chickens, but we don’t want to have to change clothes afterwards. We tried laying a cloth across our lap, but it was difficult to handle both the fabric and the chick. Hence we need poop aprons. I used some scrap blue cotton and blanket binding to make two simple aprons we can wear in the coop.

I had blanket binding in my ribbon stash, which makes a very quick, rather fancy sash. I cut the ends at an angle and used a match to melt the edges so they don’t fray.

End of blanket binding cut at an angle and sealed

Then I put a small hem on three sides of the fabric. (My hem foot is my favorite accessory ever; it makes it so easy to do tiny hems!)

I then ran a basting stitch across the top edge and pulled one thread to gather the top of the apron. Matching centers, I sewed the fabric between the layers of the blanket binding.

The aprons do their job! Although I may make longer versions later. These don’t quite cover my eldest’s knees. But hey, not bad for using scrap cloth and an hour of time.

I’m luring them onto my lap with meal worms. Can’t be too bad, one fell asleep!

They got it

On May 2, 2019April 30, 2019 By CarynIn chickens

It took a couple days, but the chicks figured out the new feeder. It is a hanging feeder, but I needed to put a block underneath it to keep it from perpetually spinning.

I gave the chicks more dirt and grass. Here is a chick’s eye view.

Closing time…

On May 1, 2019 By CarynIn Coop

with new doors on the lower storage area.

I used more siding scrap and was able to cut matching doors and install the hinges, handles, and latches. All the better to keep the chickens out.

And here is a cute picture of a chick roosting.

And here is some video of the chicks trying to get meal worms out of a treat dispenser.

Expanding the area

On April 30, 2019 By CarynIn Coop

We opened up the “fence” and made even more room for the chicks. While their inside area was opened up, they experienced bright sunlight outside for the first time. They preferred the shade.

I use some scrap wainscoting and screws to attach the ends of the barrier to the posts so we have less chance of escapees. They are really enjoying running around. We also gave them some grass clippings for the first time. They LOVED it. It was so fun to watch!

Nest

On April 29, 2019April 28, 2019 By CarynIn Wildlife

Someone is building a nest in our honey suckle! I was weaving in loose ends, and gently avoiding pollinating bees, when I spotted something that was not a product of my weaving. I’m not sure which kind of bird is nesting here, but I will have to check back to see if they complete the nest, or abandoned it (it is rather close to the front door).

Here is a picture of one half of the honey suckle. The smell is wonderful!