Just came inside from letting my chickens out this morning. I don’t think they know that this is going to be the last really nice day with temperatures in the 70’s for a while. I know God prepares creatures for the seasons, but I am going to have to do my research about cold weather dangers. I am especially concerned about frost bite to the feet. I definitely want to prevent it from happening, but I need to learn how. Even though it is not a huge problem here in Georgia for people, there has been a great study using homeopathic remedy made from Aloe vera juice to treat frostbite in Chinese soldiers. Might be a good idea to have some around when it starts getting really cold. It helps with the burning sensation people get in their hands and feet after cold exposure.
I have eight birds now, but only three are producing eggs. The others will be starting very soon, as I have noticed their combs getting bigger and turning red. If more people realized how easy it is to keep chickens, I know more would do it. My three layers produce more eggs than my family and I can use, so I have started giving them away. The chickens are the easiest “pets” I ever had. If your zoning allows you to keep some chickens, you might want to start this spring. The web is of course a great information resource, but in Cherokee County our library has great books on raising chickens. If you do your homework, and like eggs, you can have extremely nutritious eggs for a fraction of the cost of store bought. Plus if you have a fenced backyard, you will never have to weed it again!
One thing that makes me laugh in the store is the label “eggs from vegetarian chickens”. I don’t consider a worm and insect eating creature a vegetarian. I know it means that the chickens’ feed doesn’t contain animal parts, but it still makes me laugh.
I want to share these recipes for laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. Both are extremely inexpensive, and work well. As a matter of fact, I believe the dishwasher recipe cleans my dishes better than any commercial brand I have tried.
Home Made Laundry Soap
To make a 5 gallon bucket of this cheap detergent first get a large pot and heat on medium about one half gallon of water in it. While your water is heating up, grate a whole bar of Ivory soap, or Castille soap, or my personal favorite, Fels-Naptha soap.
Add the grated soap to the hot water and heat on medium heat. Stir continuously until all the soap melts into the water. Remove the pot from heat after soap has totally dissolved into the water.
Into a 5 gallon bucket add about 3 gallons of hot tap water and then add the dissolved soap mixture, plus three quarters of a cup of Borax, and 1.25 cups of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda. Stir this mixture well until all solids dissolve. You can buy these products at your local grocery store in the detergent aisle.
Then top off the bucket with more hot tap water and stir well again. Let set up over night. It should coagulate into a gel or just thicken somewhat, but that depends on what type of soap you used. Regardless of whether it is watery or gel-like the next day, it should still work well.
Get a clean container and dilute the laundry detergent by filling half with water and half with the detergent. If you want to make it more aromatic you may wish to add several drops each of one or several of your favorite therapeutic grade essential oils such as lavender essential oil, rosemary oil, vanilla essential oil, or jasmine essential oil.
Add 5 to 10 drops of Tea tree Oil (Meleluca) for extra antiseptic anti mold/mildew power.
Home Made Dishwasher Detergent
Combine 1 cup of washing soda with 1 cup of borax. Stir the ingredients carefully until mixed well. Add 2 tbsp. of the mixture into the detergent dispenser of your dishwasher. Pour 2 tbsp. of white vinegar into the rinse aid dispenser. Run the dishwasher to clean your dishes. Store the leftover detergent in an airtight container in a cool and dark environment.
These recipes are courtesy of frugalcity.com and ehow.com
