Every Fiber of my Being - Cortni Frecha

Thursday, August 14, 2008

a humble coop

This is the first chicken coop we built (friend Tom and I) ten years or more ago. It is in panels and can be dismantled and re-assembled with some effort. Imagine a table-like floor, wall panels and two roof sections - one each side of the peak. The little nesting boxes were the "condo" add-on. General features that are good about this design:
• aforementioned Portability
• Rear pooper-scooper door - the back wall (on right in photo) is comprised of a plywood panel hinged at the top to open completely allowing the farmer to place a wheelbarrow beneath the opening and draw out soiled bedding with a hoe or rake.
• Overhang and stilts - provide a dry area for chickens to relax out of the rain. Large overhang also allows a window to be left open all summer (screened) and no rain gets in.
• Nesting box add-on - with an external door and easy visibility this little area is very handy
• Goat proof entry - on this coop we needed to prevent the dwarf goats from sticking their heads through the door and eating all the chicken grain. I made a little tunnel (this technique is used to protect the mouths of wood-duck nesting boxes) and the goat cannot reach into the coop to get the grain.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

sunny/rainy

Rain: again today. This summer's been like some tropical place where every day it clouds up and rains. Unless it was already rainy from the day before. What I remember of Mexico (1967) it cleared after the 2pm rain and was beautiful again. Here it seems to intensify...



Sun: baby chicks. 34 little balls of fuzz in assorted colors. How can I think these dinosaurs are so cute?? Well some of them grow up to be quite attractive - if you're into chickens!

Friday, July 11, 2008

some favorite dog photos

Dogs: checking both ways.



The sofa as chin rest. Rudi keeps tabs on what’s going on.



Rudi listens and gazes out over pond at east end.

llamas

Tonight we pastured the llamas in their new area for a more successful hour. They ate more diversely than other times and in different sections of the area - the goats love the big rocks to climb on which is really cute. The llamas didn’t hum and hang around the gate as much. It probably helped that it wasn’t hot. We need to build structures that will make it feel like home for the llamas. A hay manger kiosk and a proper leanto for chillin’ and avoiding flies.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

happy twitters

Sunlight dapples
happy twitters and exclamations
of birds
disperse the mind chatter
in ever widening circles
I breathe fully into my body