Last week we experienced a huge rain storm and the kids were going a little crazy inside. So, I decided to have them help me decorate for spring by creating flower garland to hang in a window.
Using pre-cut paper flowers, pastel water colors, pom poms and grosgrain ribbon the kids created some beautiful flowers.
I was impressed with the different color schemes, textures and patterns. It was a simple project and such a fun, inexpensive way to decorate for spring.
And what better way to celebrate spring than with some baby chicks? You may recall that we’ve been thinking about raising backyard chickens for sometime. The chicken coop hasn’t been built yet, but the chicks have arrived. Their names are Fluffy and Chipmunk. Can you tell which one is which? {wink, wink} We are crossing our fingers they are both hens. A rooster would have to be sent to a farm.
If you have raised chickens , I’d love to hear your advice!
Love the garland and think I'll add that our spring break list this week.
ReplyDeleteWe started raising backyard chickens this time last year and it's been so much fun we got 4 more this spring. One of ours did turn out to be a rooster and we didn't have to but we sent him away anyway. He's very happy where he is now and I am happy he's gone b/c he was mean!!
Good luck! You'll be enjoying backyard eggs soon enough! :)
Emily@remodelingthislife
Such a great project and how cute are those chicks!! Adorable!!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, they are insanely cute!!! Seems like I suddenly know quite a few people with chickens... :)
ReplyDeleteGreat project! I love projects done with the kids. Your chicks are adorable! I'd love backyard chickens, but the hubs needs more convincing.
ReplyDeleteMany, many moons ago the Easter Bunny brought me a baby chick. I named him Fleet Feet. Wish I could give you some practical, useful advice for a city girl raising a chicken in the suburbs, but all I remember from the experience was cleaning out the chicken coop. Let's just say rubber gloves,
ReplyDeletesurgical masks and goggles became part of my wardrobe.
...and if I were a bunny, I would be hopping over to your house!
ReplyDeleteLove your flowers and peeps!
pve
Love the chick idea! They're so cute!!
ReplyDeletehey there,
ReplyDeletesheesh, thinking back to childhood traumas involving raccoons feasting on our backyard hens, i would say: be careful about trusting that "hardware cloth" wire stuff! if it were me, i would build a more solid coop, like a little enclosed house, complete with real walls and a door that closes securely, where the chickens can be safe (and dry) each night.
counterintuitively, a slightly bigger coop -- shed sized -- is actually, I think, easier to maintain than a tiny one --- you can have your nesting boxes and roosting area inside the coop, and it's way easier to clean the coop and gather eggs if it's big enough for a normal-sized human to enter and maneuver a bit without stooping. plus the chickens are happier and healthier with more room.
also, i think it's worth looking into the predatory bird population in your area. i live in SF, near golden gate park, and we have tons of hawks --- the city uses them to control the gopher population in the park, apparently. and hawks LOVE to eat young chickens. and they hunt in the daytime. scary.
one solution to hawks is to have a covered run --- a large area connected to the coop, enclosed with chicken wire or a fence, for the chickens to roam in during the day, covered at least 7 feet up with chicken wire. it has the added advantage of keeping the chickens out of your veggie garden, and if you design it right, you can move it to a different part of the yard each year --- it takes patience, but that way you get the great fertilizer for your garden without having to shovel it or watch your step! :) i'm a huge fan of runs.
having chickens is fantastic, though -- great for kids to learn about accountability, about sustainable practices, and just about living with different species. it was so fun and such a great learning experience to be the kid who fed the chickens every morning in my family --- letting them out of the shed and watching them flock to the kitchen scraps, so excited to eat the peels from my carrots and the cores from my apples --- nothing like it. it really made me think differently about those apples and carrots! and the eggs, yes, are so, so tasty.
Love those adorable chicks! I want one :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a darling indoor craft! And, love those little chicks. My Kindergartener will be taking care of some at school next month. A highlight of their year!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Spring day!
xoxo Elizabeth
My inlaws have them and they are a ton of fun. Personality + fresh eggs.
ReplyDeleteHow nice it would be to have fresh eggs! My niece used to work at a hatchery sexing chicks...she could tell you what you have. I know it has to do with the wings, but I can't tell you anything more than that!
ReplyDeleteI raised 6 hens last year and loved it-a covered run is pretty essential and making sure nothing can dig under it to get in is important. If you can, design it so it can be moved so they have fresh lawn for scratching and eating grass. They're pretty good at finding a way out too, so make it as secure as possible. You can't beat the fresh eggs though, and kids love feeding them fruit/veggie scraps. If I was outside for a while to watch them, I would let them out to run around-they'll stay close by you. Have fun!
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