Chicken Leash

Backyard Poultry

Chicken on a Leash

Dragging those chicken runs around was not getting to be any more fun the longer it went on. Neither was the size of the runs getting any larger. In fact, we were beginning to wish the chickens could have more space in which to run while we could do less work. Dogs and cats use leashes; horses and goats have tether ropes; even cows and sheep can be tied. What about chickens? So my sister and I proceeded to cut long, thin lengths from sheets ("leashes") and attach them to the handy chicken saddles the hens already wore. What could work better?

Leash Pinned to Chicken Saddle

Well...not so fast! Birds, it seems, are not nearly as accustomed to being restrained from behind as other animals. The poor test chicken (Pepper) proceeded to flap, struggle, run wildly about the yard, and nearly tear off its saddle! It certainly was not facilitating any grazing. Exercise, yes, but only in equal proportion to the person on the other end of the leash! So much for that idea... 

Spring At Last

Backyard Poultry

The Other Side of the Fence

Ever seen one chicken on both sides of a wire fence? No, I did not cut a larger hole in the wire, or touch any of the chickens. And yes, despite all that wonderful grass I described in my last post, the spoiled hens soon grew bored and began to look for snacks elsewhere. Peeper had a competitive advantage from the start since it had a naturally very small comb. This allowed easy passage through holes in the wire which would otherwise cut or trap a regular hen's taller comb. Dandelions seemed to be the first choice food once Peeper successfully had its head and neck outside to freedom. And I never even knew chickens like dandelions!

Enjoying the Sunshine

Acorn seems much happier outdoors than stuck in the coop. Or is that a bit of a mischievous look yet I see in those eyes?

Spring Grass

Backyard Poultry

Back to Grass at Last!

However, nothing can match the rich green grass of spring. Do you think the chickens were happier in their spacious house with specially-bought and prepared collard greens or out here in the elements eating self-producing weeds? Well, I'm not the one who asked for winter! Anyway, you can see that our hodge-podge collection of runs survived the winter and were ready to put to use on the field again. We discovered one time-saving change to make at this point: we used only one of the runs to take the hens back to their coop at night rather than dragging all three back every day . . . hummm, why did that take so long to figure out?

Indoor Treats

Backyard Poultry

Swingin' Greens

You may remember my last series of posts, detailing the boredom that chickens can experience through a long northern winter indoors. Well, I'm happy to say, the little chicken family we've been watching has almost made it through their first winter. But even when March temperatures have melted the snow outdoors, green grass can be hard to find. Cut greens from the grocery store make a good substitute. I hung them just above the hens' heads to encourage a little exercises. Chickens readily jump to get a good bite to eat - see an entertaining movie of spinning cabbages and chickens right here!

Of course, hens also love many other non-grain treats; I've already featured several such as corn, garden extras, cabbage, and even bananas.

The Grass Is Always Greener . . .

Even the most luxurious feast of greens doesn't seem to convince my adventurous Araucana chicken Acorn from trying to escape while the coop door's open!

Fall Pear Tart

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Pear Delight

For many country people, the coming of autumn means syrupy fruit pies, steaming apple tarts, and chewy zucchini bread. For the conscientious eater, all of these wonderful treats translate into two sad things: gluten and sugar. Not good. But I have good news: you can enjoy these fall foods without the bad ingredients! Here is a wonderful pear dessert, best with those fresh pears picked from the backyard tree or bought at the farmer's market. Non-gluten oat and rice flour and nutritious honey replace the sugar and wheat. You may notice how small portions the recipe makes. That's intentional: my family of five would split this dessert in order to reduce the sugar intake even more. Less, more often, is the best way to go when you're watching your carbs.

Heating Pears

 To make the pear sauce layer in this delicious dessert, combine in a small saucepan:

2 ripe pears, chopped                                       2 T. cubed butter

3 T. raw honey                              1/8 t. each cinnamon & cloves

Simmer, covered, on low heat for 20 minutes til soft. Uncover and continue to simmer until most of the liquid is gone. This will take 5-20 minutes, depending on how juicy your pears are. Once finished, pour the pears into the bottom of a greased 7x9 glass dish.

The topping is just as easy. Cut 3 T. of softened butter into 1/2 c. sifted oat-rice flour. Add 1 T. of cream and enough water to make a spreadable batter. Gently layer the topping over the pears. Bake in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned. Serve immediately. This warm, fruity dessert is best topped with vanilla ice cream. 

Finished Bracelet

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Bracelet

 To finish up the bracelet, simply repeat the steps in my last post on the opposite end of the wire. The only difficulty with this one is that the crimp bead has to be right up against the first bead on the bracelet. It's not quite so easy to feed the beads onto the loose wire after you squeeze the crimp bead. Instead, you have to feed the wire through about three or four beads on the bracelet. Then cut it off as close as you can and do your best to stuff it under the next bead. It not always easy, but it usually works itself in eventually. And there you have it - a beautiful handmade bracelet! The one above I made for my mother. I was really pleased with it, and I think she was too!

Crimping Pliers

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Beading Pliers

The final step is squeezing that crimp bead tight in order to hold the two pieces of wire in place, capturing the fastener in the loop. To accomplish this you use a special pair of beading pliers. You can find them in the beading section of a craft store as well. They have blunt ends that work perfectly for the job. Use your fingers to push the crimp bead tight up against the fastener loop (see the picture below). Then gently squeeze the crimp bead flat. Be careful - you can break the bead in two with too much pressure (I know from experience). Just tug on the loose ends of wire after you're done and that will tell you if it's tight enough.

Crimping Bead with Pliers

Crimp Bead

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Crimp Bead and Fastener on Bracelet Wire

Once you pick your choice of fasteners, you're ready to attach them to the bracelet. You can put one of the two on before stringing the bracelet, or do both afterward. It's up to you. The process is a bit tricky though. It involves one more component: a TINY oblong bead called a crimp bead. You can buy these little beads in packages but they often come with the fasteners as well.

To set it up, thread the crimp bead onto the wire on one end of your bracelet. Then thread the wire through the little loop on the fastener. Now here's the tricky part: thread the end of the wire back through the crimp bead again. You should get something like I have in the photo above. Hang on; we're almost there!