Mobile Hen Enclosures - Fitting Them To Your Needs

I'm really a fan of the farmers who make or purchase those mobile hen enclosures that you see on youtube.  They look similar to the following image:

Now there are several reasons to like these enclosures:

• Hens get fresh air and fresh food daily (new day = new spot)
• New fresh spot means that it is free of hen droppings accumulating over several days/weeks
• They are fertilizing each new patch of land day by day
• The little guys get to travel (hey, they don't have facebook, so let them live a little)

Most folks who live in rural areas who dream of farming may be on the verge of getting some chickens. Does that sound like you? If so, you may wonder about the expense of either purchasing or acquiring a large commercial hen enclosure like the one shown above.

The trick with farming is to ease your way into it. Start out small and take baby steps, just like in What About Bob...

Recently I was at an open house (open farm?) over at Squash Hollow Farm in New Milford, CT. The owners, Austin and Kendra Martin, are very nice folks who have also eased into farming and have really done things right. If you are in or around the New Milford, CT area you should really drop by and get to see what they have been able to do.

What really encouraged me was how they used some conventional ideas but innovated them to work for their specific needs. Here is a quick example: They wanted to have an enclosure for some of the hens that were not quite full grown, however building a monster sized mobile enclosure was over kill.  Instead, look at what they created to fit their needs:

This is two views of the same pen. It is small enough to drag around easily, while having plenty of room for the little ladies to play in the sun, or sneak inside if they like. Fresh food for the chicks, and fresh fertilizer for the lawn, what could be better?

This is just one clever example of what any homeowner could put together in their spare time, without having to necessarily spend a fortune on a gigantic hen enclosure.

Choose Your Watering Containers Wisely

My Cup Poureth Over

Most folks use a hose to water the garden, while some folks prefer to use a watering bucket of some kind. It depends primarily on what watering methods you have available. It also depends on how mature your garden is. If you just have little seedlings barely starting to peek out of the ground, then you may want to desist from blasting them with a fire hose.

I prefer using a watering bucket as well as smaller clear glass containers. Now, granted, this is a little more work, but in my case time is less of an issue whereas getting extra sunshine (Vitamin D) and exercise is much more desirable.

There are several reasons why I like to use both types. Here are the reasons why I like to use the big plastic watering bucket for part of my watering:

• More volume - I can water much more with the larger watering bucket.
• It seems to be the best fit for the larger, more mature plants like tomatoes and peppers.
• It has a built in sprinkler spout for watering over blanketed plants like lettuce and arugula.

That being said, there are a few reasons why I also like the smaller bottles as well:

• They are glass vs plastic. (Since I use both, this makes a weaker argument in court.)
• The glass containers will warm up quicker than plastic if you leave them out in the sun prior to watering.
• The are F-F-F-F-FREEEEEEEEEE!  (Now, that's sustainable!)
• They are easier to handle for small children, whom you may be teaching.
• When you use glass, you have re-purposed the bottle that initially contained your vinegar, etc. (Less Carbon footprint, good job!)

Below is an example of a few of my glass watering bottles:

Displayed here are 4 used 16.9 ounce bottles of delicious Spectrum's Organic Balsamic Vinegar and a 32 ounce bottle the famously delicious Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar.

Notice that the bottle to the left has the little plastic topper so that the water will come out slowly, which takes longer, but will not damage tiny plants, like the very young arugula in the background. The bottle to the right has no plastic topper, so water will gush out more quickly. This is better if you need to put out a fire or if you are trying to finish up before your favorite show comes on, but you need to be careful with smaller plants. You can shake it back and forth a little to soften the blow.

There's no comparing the large bucket (left) the the little bottles.  Display next to the 2 gallon bucket are 4 16.9 ounce bottles (call it 2 quarts) and a 1 quart bottle (Bragg's). All 5 little bottles represents on three eighths of the big bucket.

Why would you ever use both? One thing to think about is when the kids want to help you in the garden. You use the big bucket, but then let them use a smaller bottle with a topper on it.  Try to find bottles small enough for them to get their hand around. The 32 oz bottle shown with no plastic topper might not be good for a really young child as they will have to two hand it, thus possibly obscuring their field of vision (partially) meaning that they might be over-watering smaller plants.

In conclusion: You need to consider which watering methods are best for you. Hopefully this short article wil have given you some helpful ideas. Also, every glass bottle or jar that you hold on to for plant watering represents one bottle that will not need to go visit a landfill. That's another reason to feel good inside.

Got Ticks? Do This One Thing To Shield Yourself

Got Ticks?                                    

There is nothing dear about our adversary, the deer tick, or his related buddies. Many people spray and utilize other means to resist them (like moving to the Bronx). However, what are some less extreme measures than spraying chemicals? (I like the Bronx.) You may find yourself enjoying the great outdoors in a place where you are not the property owner, and hence have less control over the tick control. Should you armor up like IRON MAN?

You could. People might think you are a bit touched though.

Example of Tick Control Overkill.

Here is one simple tip, and it works.  It may come across as slightly less than cool, but I mean, how cool is getting Lyme Disease? Simply tuck your pants into your socks. (Ankle socks won't work.) This works well because Mr Ticky can't seem to penetrate the sock/pant leg barrier. (Remember, Mr Ticky isn't packing a huge brain.) However under normal circumstances Mr Ticky can become Mr Tricky (Mr Slicky) and sneak right up your leg when the pant leg is exposed. Not good.

Now, as a guy who does this in my backyard garden, the hand me down boots from a friend's high school kid and my Wal-Mart socks are fine.  Style is not an issue.  If you are a kid though, have one of your parents do it, so that you look less uncool. If a bunch of people are all doing it on a hike, then you become the cool majority. If you are under 10 years of age that last sentence will probably mean nothing to you. That's actually a good thing.

In conclusion: Tuck in your pants! In less time than it took to read this blog you could have protected you and your kids.