It has been over three months since I started my ‘live off the land’ madness and I have fully settled into the Urban Farm lifestyle.
I started all of this with no expectations and maybe even a little bit of hesitation, especially when it came to the chickens. I feared I would tire of the whole thing and get sick of watering the plants or taking care of the flock.
I knew I wanted to keep chickens, but was I really serious about what it would be like to keep them, day in and day out? Chickens live for 7 years so it was a real COMMITMENT. And they only lay eggs for about 3-4 of those 7 years so that means I am going to be running an old ladies home eventually – there is no way I could get rid of them just because they stopped producing eggs.
I kept thinking about that doo though…
I had no clue how to pick up doo or what to pick it up with for that matter. I knew the doo was great for compost so I at least knew where I would put the doo, when I finally did get ahold of it.
Two days after the chickens arrived I needed to clean their coop but didn’t have a clue on how to do it. After searching Google and not getting good chicken doo cleaning tips, I decided to make it up as I went along.
My first ‘doo picking up tool’ was a plastic spatula from the kitchen.
I had yet to find a better dooper scooper than my trusty spatula. That was until I found my latest doo removing gadget (another post…).
During the last few months I have learned that pine shavings, temporary fences and a staple gun were three new friends I would not be able to live without.
Pine shavings are a MUST for every Urban Farmer who keeps chickens. Keep a few bags on hand, they are the answer to any unsightly odors.
Here are FIVE good reasons to keep many bags of pine shavings handy:
- Pine shavings put on top of fresh doo begins to compost on the spot (if it is sunny and not raining of course).
- Flies don’t bother with the doo and pine combo.
- Rollie pollie bugs don’t like pine on doo either.
- Pine dries out the doo making it easier to pick up.
- Pine shavings REMOVE ALL ODOR.
One secret to Urban Farming and keeping the backyard smelling fresh is those pine shavings. I discovered them after not liking the hay option that smelled too ‘barn like’.
Hey, I want to be an urban farmer and all, but the barn odor thing is just too much.
The one thing I didn’t expect was to fall in love with this slower lifestyle. I walk slower now and sometimes even talk slower too. I am getting all Southern and all… and I have stopped rushing through life so much.
I didn’t expect to fall madly in love with the chickens either. I can’t express how amazing chicken love is. They are so cute and crazy at the same time. It’s hard to describe and only those that keep chickens can understand what I am talking about.
Urban Farming has definitely slowed down and made this city slicker happy. I can’t get enough of it.
