Well for the first addition to our little homestead we decided to try our hand at raising some chickens. I started by researching different breeds and we decided that Speckled Sussex chicks looked like a good fit for our family. They are a medium sized bird that are great layers, heat/cold tolerant and are great with kids. The first thing I did prior to picking up the chicks was build their brooder. There are a lot of different designs out there but I thought a plastic bin looked like the easiest to make and keep clean. Here is how I built mine: Material list: 1 - 106 qt plastic storage bin with lid (32" x 19" x 13") 1 - roll plastic chicken wire mesh 1- chicken feeder 1 - chicken waterer 1- Rent a Coop chicken brooder heating plate 12" x 12" Pine chips Puppy Pads Rubber Draw Liner Zip Ties Utility Knife Philips Head Screw Driver The first thing I did was cut a large square out of the lid with the utility knife. Then using a Philips head screw ...
It only seems fitting for my first DIY post to be for a face mask. The CDC now recommends that everyone wear a face mask when going out in public to help reduce the spread of Covid-19 (aka corona virus). It is important to understand that wearing these types of fabric masks WILL NOT prevent you from getting Covid-19. It does help prevent the virus particles from hitting your face, which can help reduce your risk of contracting the virus, but the weave in the fabric is technically wide enough to still allow small virus particles in. The main purpose of wearing this mask is to help reduce the spread of the virus from an infected person. So one day I was scrolling through Facebook and saw that a neighbor of mine was looking for fabric masks to send to her son who is in the Navy, since there is a shortage of masks for our service members. I decided to dust off the sewing machine and give it a try. I watched numerous YouTube videos and it certainly seemed easy enough. So one Sunday I ...