, Author at Summers Acres

Keeping Chickens Alive During Cold Weather

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Chickens are pretty easy creatures to raise. That is, until the cold season comes. Jordan Walker, the lead content curator of Coops and Cages, shares tips to improve the survivability of chickens during winter.

Chicken owners who live in mild climate regions are a bit luckier than most. Those who live in harsh weather conditions have to keep their chickens closely monitored especially during winter season. Find out how to prepare for such circumstance beforehand to avoid any untoward incidens when the time comes. Continue reading “Keeping Chickens Alive During Cold Weather” →

8 Things to Know Before Owning a Buck Goat

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What are the options for owning a male goat? First, let’s clarify some goat terminology. A buck is an intact male goat over one year old. You may have heard them referred to in laymen’s terms as a billy goat. A buckling is an intact young male goat less than a year old. And a wether is a castrated male goat.

Owning a Male Goat For Breeding

If you want your does in milk, first they need to have baby goats. Does must be bred first to have baby goats. A buck sire is needed to breed. Sounds simple, right? The options to impregnate a doe are artificial insemination, rent or borrow a buck, or own a buck to use for breeding.

Before buying a buck goat there are a few things you should know.

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How to Tan a Deer Hide

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I have always had an interest in primitive survival techniques, and I enjoy teaching myself the lost arts of our ancestors. These days I normally kill three or four deer per year to fill our freezer, and I do what I can to use every part of the animal. However, I noticed that our deer camp throws out seven to ten deer hides every year.

I made the decision to find a way to use these hides. The more I thought about it, the more I settled in on an idea. Every winter I complete a survival challenge during which I spend three or four days in freezing temperatures to hone my winter survival skills. However, I can never seem to find a warm and comfortable buffer between myself and the ground. Continue reading “How to Tan a Deer Hide” →

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Spotlight

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Today, I am excited to share about one of my favorite doTERRA essential oils, Ylang Ylang! For me, the unique, sweet, and uplifting scent of Ylang Ylang essential oil makes it a must-have in my essential oil collection. I often use it on my wrists and behind my ears to uplift my mood and keep me sane. Ylang Ylang works great in many diffuser blends because it has a rich, versatile fragrance that seems to improve any blend. Ylang Ylang oil is also known to promote healthy skin and hair. So add a few drops into moisturizer or shampoo for added benefits.

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Rustic Chicken Coop Built with Scrap Tongue and Groove and Old Tin for the Roof

Save Money Building a Chicken Coop

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A well-built chicken coop can wreck your chicken budget (I know I’m not the only one with a monthly budget entry for chickens). You need your flock to be well protected. You want your chicken coop to be sturdy and not be an eyesore in the back yard. You also need to make sure your hens have enough space, and never forget to leave a little room for the chickens yet to come. You know you are going to get more. So, how can you accomplish all of this without spending a fortune on chicken coops? Well, it’s not easy, but I am going to cover a few ways I have found to save a little bit of money on my chicken coops.

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DIY Eggs for Sale Sign from Reclaimed Wood

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Last month I decided to make some pallet signs to hang on our mailbox at the end of the driveway. I love pallet signs and I am constantly drawn to them in craft fairs, Pinterest, and so on, but I have never made one myself. With Jon’s affinity for chickens and our overabundance of eggs, my initial goal was to create an “Eggs for Sale” sign to let the neighbors know that we had farm fresh eggs for sale.
Continue reading “DIY Eggs for Sale Sign from Reclaimed Wood” →

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Essential Oil

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Valued for its calming properties, Basil is commonly used as a cooling agent for the skin. Basil has a warm, spicy, yet herbal aroma known to reduce anxious feelings. Basil provides great benefits to both the mind and body due to its high linalool content, making it an ideal application to help reduce feelings of tension when applied to the temples and back of the neck. Basil is commonly used in cooking to add a fresh, herbal flavor to meats, pastas, and entree dishes. When diffused, Basil helps promote focus and a stress-relieving experience.

PRIMARY BENEFITS

Acts as a cooling agent for the skin
Promotes mental alertness and lessens anxious feelings when diffused
Uplift mood
May ease monthly feminine discomfort*
Protects against environmental threats*

Continue reading “Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Essential Oil” →

Treat Chigger Bites With Clove Essential Oil

Treating Chigger Bites with Clove Essential Oil

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Summer is drawing to a close soon and many of you are probably dreaming of fall and cooler weather, but those that are still working outside in the woods and brush in this dog days of summer heat may find this treatment for chigger bites helpful. If you are experiencing multiple chigger bites, you know they feel like the bane of one’s existence!
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Green Beans and Sweet Bell Peppers in the New Garden

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We had the delusion that we could get a good size garden planted this year even with the move. We thought the first year we would have a smaller one than the garden we had at the old place, and then by next year we would have double! But with all of the moving, projects at the new house, and keeping the old house up so it can sell…it didn’t seem like any garden was going to happen at all. This was just unacceptable because our stored canned goods are running quite low and we just wanted our garden! So although it was later than planned and thrown together Jon just got out there in the side backyard and just tilled up one row for some green beans and a couple of sweet red bell pepper plants a couple of weeks ago.
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Mint to Repel Insects and Rodents Around the Chicken Coop

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Mint is one of my favorite scents and plants. It has such a crisp, clean, fresh aroma. We have a nice mint patch growing at our old house. Mint self propagates rapidly. This is a blessing as it is so easy to grow. However, you do want to give considerable thought to where you plant mint as it will spread and could become a nuisance if planted in the wrong location. Two months ago I dug up several of our spearmint and orange mint plants at the old house and put them in temporary pots. Those mint plants set for two months before I finally got around to transplanting them at our new home.

Continue reading “Mint to Repel Insects and Rodents Around the Chicken Coop” →