the Imperfectly Happy home

Homesteading

What to Stock Up on in June

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What to stock up on in June for big savings all month long. June is a great month of many grocery store savings, but so much more than that. Now is a great time to make your list, check your budget and go shopping! Remember, it isn’t just food items on sale this month; so check out the whole list.

Be sure to check out all the what to stock up on sales by month:

What to Stock Up on in June

One of the best ways to save money every month is not to shop a list of ingredients but to shop by sales; then shop your pantry, fridge and freezer. June has some great food items! Remember that most stores use sale cycles so you can shop multiple stores for the same types of items. I will do this if I cannot find items I want at my regular store/s; but it is also helpful if the store has any limits on the number of items you can buy in the sale.

You’ll notice that monthly stock up lists and sales have a theme around the season and holiday in that month!

Stocking Up in June Tips

  1. Don’t buy what you don’t already use.
  2. Make sure you have space for your new items. This is a great time to do a pantry clean-up.
  3. Always check the expiration dates before you buy food items.
  4. Organize your pantry by earliest to latest expiration dates.
  5. If you have to put it on a credit card to get it, DO NOT BUY IT.
    See How to Get Debt Free!
  6. Check coupons you have for additional savings.

Seasonal Produce on Sale in June

June is National Fruit and Vegetable Month! So many local farms and manufactures will have sales. Seasonal produce to buy in June:

Be sure to see my Infused Water Recipes

Many of these fruits and vegetables can be canned or pickled! See 75 Free Canning Recipes and Pickling Recipes

June 10th is National Ice Tea Day!

Did you know that June 10th is National Ice Tea Day? I’m ready to celebrate! Look for all teas from bags, loose, and powdered mixes to be on sale!

June – Frozen Aisle Sales

Summer officially starts in June so you’ll see many frozen treats on sale this month. Look for deals on :

  • Ice Cream
  • Frozen Yogurt
  • Popsicles

June is National Dairy Month

June is also National Dairy Month! This is a great time to stock up on dairy products. You’ll find most dairy items on sale all through the month, including eggs if you don’t have your own backyard chickens.

Remember you can freeze dairy items!

Freezing Guide for Dairy

  • Butter – Butter can be frozen for up to a year if it is salted. I prefer to freeze it using Food Saver.
  • Cheese – Cheese can be frozen for up to 3 months. See tips here!
  • Cream Cheese – You can freeze cream cheese but the texture will change after thawing. It is best to use previously frozen cream cheese for recipes vs on your bagels.
  • Eggs – You cannot freeze whole eggs but you can freeze them in many ways. Check out How to Freeze Eggs.
  • Milk (up to 2 months) – Freeze milk in its original plastic container or glass freezer-safe container. You must allow room for the milk to expand so you’ll need to open and empty a bit. Thaw out in the fridge when ready to use it, never on the counter.

June is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month

Because of National Migraine and Headache Awareness month you’ll find deep discounts on pain relievers.

First Aid Items

June is a BIG camping month and you’ll find first aid items on sale like:

  • Bandages
  • Gauze Pads
  • Rubbing alcohol and peroxide
  • Antibiotic ointments
  • First aid kits

Gym Memberships and Workout Clothing

Ready to get in shape this summer? You’re in luck! Many gyms will be offering deep discounts on memberships (best since January) and stores will markdown workout clothes too.

Gift for Dads on Sale in June

Father’s Day is Sunday June 16th and the stores mark down some great items for dad. BUT don’t be swayed by sales on grills and lawnmowers – June isn’t the best time to buy those.

  • Tools
  • Paint
  • Sporting Goods

June Sales for 4th of July

As the month winds down you’ll begin to see great deals on items for your 4th of July BBQ. Stock up on these:

  • BBQ Sauce
  • Condiments
  • Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns
  • Soda
  • Hot Dogs
  • Chips and Dips

Other Items on Sale in June

  • Dishes and Cookware, thank you wedding season
  • Women’s Lingerie
  • Great movie theater deals
  • Air Conditioners and a/c services
  • Cruises and Travel
  • Out of season clothing (winter and spring)

What are you favorite items to stock up on in June? What tips would you give a new sales shopper?

Chicken Coop Plans and Tips

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Chicken coop plans and tips for homesteaders and backyard farmers. Maybe you’re dreaming of a backyard chicken coop and looking for free DIY chicken coop plans. Or maybe you are already keeping chickens and you’re finding your chicken coop is not meeting your needs. This is the article for you!

chicken coop plans and tips

Today I’m going to share my best tips for chicken coops, chicken coop tips and maintenance and some free chicken coop plans for you to consider for a DIY project!

Chicken Coop Plans and Tips

What purpose does a chicken coop have?

The purpose of a chicken coop will vary on the goals of the homesteader or backyard farmer. The basic purpose is to keep your hens safe (especially if you don’t or can’t have a rooster). Even in a backyard, chickens can fall prey to a variety of hungry animals. Your chicken area must be predator proof! See Backyard Chicken Predators.

But a chicken coop will also serve to keep your chickens from eating your garden, laying eggs in undesirable places and pooping on everything. A secure chicken coop will also keep nasty rodents from eating your feed and drinking their water. See Keeping Rats and Mice Out of Your Chicken Coop

Not to mention they need a place to sleep at night!

Isn’t Better to Free Range My Chickens?

diy chicken coops for free range chickens

I think it is great to free-range chickens! Better for their health and better for your eggs. BUT you absolutely still need a chicken coop (see reasons above). For me, my hens remain in their coop from sundown until they’ve laid their eggs for the day. Then they are allowed to roam the backyard happily eating bugs, weeds and grass. But I keep my raised beds protected from the hens, otherwise I could not allow them to free range in our mini homestead.

How big should the chicken coop be?

how big should my chicken coop be

Everyone has a different opinion on how big you should build your chicken enclousure. First if you cannot allow your chickens to do any free ranging you want to give them as much space as you can “afford” on your property. I always side on bigger is better.

Here a things to consider when you’re planning your backyard coop:

  • What size chickens will you be raising? Smaller bantam breeds, like a Silkie, will need a minimum of 2 square feet per bird in the coop and 4 square feet of run space. A standard sized chicken, like a Rhode Island Red should have at least 4 square feet in the coop and 8 square feet in the run per bird. Now if you are choosing a larger chicken breed like the Jersey Giant then you’re looking at chicken coop plans for 6 to 8 square feet in the coop and more than 10 square feet in the run.
  • Coop all the time vs some free roam time.
  • Some people plan to only have a coop and no run because chickens are free ranging during daylight hours.
  • How many chickens will you be keeping?
  • How often will you be cleaning? A smaller coop is going to get messier and smell much faster!
  • Do you want to be able to walk in your chicken coop and run? You’ll need to consider height of your enclosure too.

Chicken Coop Plans for Location

chicken coop planning diy location

When it comes to real estate, location is key, right? That is true when planning your chicken area location as well. Of course these tips will vary on how much actual space you have to offer. Here are a few things to consider in your chicken coop plans:

What Does My Chicken Coop Need?

When you are planning your chicken coop you need to consider what the coop itself will need.

  • Nesting Boxes – Your Guide to Chicken Nesting Boxes
  • Protected Food – or you’ll be feeding rodents. I recommend investing in a treadle feeder that can only be opened by weight (chicken’s weigh a lot more than rats).
  • Water dispenser – a hanging waterer may offer you some protection from pests.
  • Plenty of light and ventilation in both the coop and run
  • A perch or roosting bar with room enough for all birds to sleep there at night or multiple perches if necessary.
  • Lighting – hotly debated but if you want more eggs in the winter you may need supplemental lighting.
  • A area for dust baths. Chickens need to take regular dust baths to keep clean and parasite free. You can offer them and area or make sure you have room for the to dig their own.

What is it like to start a backyard chicken coop?

A small backyard chicken coop is a wonderful addition to a home. Fresh eggs, poop to compost and funny little winged dinosaurs to entertain you. But you need to know what you’re getting into. They don’t lay forever – yes you’ll need an “exit plan” for hens when they are done with laying.

Please read:
10 Reason NOT To Be A Backyard Farmer

How to build an inexpensive chicken coop?

You can build your own chicken coop with these free DIY Chicken Coop Plans. A DIY chicken coop sounds like a money saver but before you decide to DIY ask yourself these questions.

  • Are chicken coops really easy to build?
  • Does the person giving you plans actually know how to build a chicken coop?
  • Do I have any building experience or expertise? Nothing will cost you more than trying to build a coop with absolutely no knowledge of basic instruction. So if you don’t have it and can’t find someone to help you for free then is a DIY Chicken Coop Plan really saving you money?
  • Are the materials available to me for a discount or free? Again if the materials make the coop more expensive than the kit, is it worth it? Now the difference may be that the quality of the coop is much better and will last a much longer time; making the more expensive initial investment worth it.
  • Do you have the time to build a chicken coop? I think this one speaks for itself.

Free Chicken Coop Plans for DIY

If you are set on building a DIY chicken coop here are a few plans worth checking out.

Buying a Chicken Coop on Amazon

You really can buy just about anything on Amazon, including some decent chicken coops that you can put together yourself. But be sure to read the reviews, carefully check the dimensions and consider the materials for your area (will they hold up to the elements?). An Amazon chicken coop might be a great starter coop or one to use while you’re building your dream chicken coop.


Growing Tomatoes At Home

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Growing tomatoes at home is a great for beginning and veteran gardeners. There are so many ways to successfully grow tomatoes that it may be the perfect first food to grow! I’m going to share everything I know about growing tomatoes to help you get started or to have bigger and better harvests.

Growing Tomatoes At Home

Once you start growing tomatoes at home and taste the rich flavor, you’ll never want a store-bought tomato again. And don’t just limit yourself to the standard red beef steak – there are a rainbow of tomato colors and flavors that await you. Grow them outdoors in bed, in boxes, in pots…you can even grow some tomatoes indoors. You’re going to love your homegrown tomatoes!

How to grow healthy tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes, healthy tomatoes, comes down to a few basics.

  • Seeds
  • Season
  • Soil
  • Light
  • Water
  • Pruning

Tomato Seeds – What You Need to Know

Growing tomatoes takes a good quality seed is the start to a great tomato garden! There are so many tomato varieties to choose from! Some people prefer to grow heirloom tomatoes for their flavor and history others prefer a hybrid (which is NOT GMO necessarily) for their vigor. I recommend trying a few of each to see how well they do in your area and garden.

What is an heirloom tomato?

growing heirloom tomatoes

According to Wikipedia, “An heirloom tomato is an open-pollinated (non-hybrid) heirloom cultivar of tomato. An heirloom tomato is usually a variety that has been around for generations and cultivated for its unique characteristics…heirlooms have history.

I do think it is important to grow heirloom tomatoes but you’ll need to find one that does well in your climate.

What is a hybrid tomato?

Simply put a hybrid tomato is a purposeful cross-pollination of two varieties for tomatoes. The end-goal is to produce a tomato with the best traits of both varieties. This could be bigger fruit, more heat or pest resistant, early maturity and plant size can also be factored it. Hybrids are not genetically modified or GMO and do not need to be feared.

What Do Determinate and Indeterminate Tomato Varieties Mean?

All tomatoes are either determinate or indeterminate.

ace 55 determinate tomato

A determinate tomato will reach a “determined” plant height and will not grow higher. These tomato plants will produce fruit in 1 – 2 months, at the end of their branches. Great for canning and sauces because most of the tomatoes will be ripe and ready to harvest at one time. Check out Ace 55.

mortgage lifter indeterminate tomato

An indeterminate tomato plant will grow to an undetermined size, especially if not pruned. They can grow over 5 feet tall fruit throughout the growing season. These varieties are generally trellised but I have had HUGE tomato plants that I left to their own devices that filled up a 4×4 box (and gave me lots of fruit). Check out The Mortgage Lifter.

Where can I buy tomato seeds online?

I buy most of my tomato seeds from Seeds Now. They are a small, family owned, company that offers quality organic, non-gmo, seeds.

You can see more about seed catalogs here!

Can I grow tomato plants from seeds completely outdoors?

You can if you live in a warmer climate. But even here in Phoenix, I prefer to start my tomatoes indoors and transplant them to my garden.

When is the best time to plant tomatoes? When growing tomatoes in most areas you’re going to want to start your seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your area’s last frost of spring. How long do tomato seeds take to germinate? Tomato seeds will germinate in 7 to 14 days when started indoors. You can transplant them to your garden, raised beds or pots when the soil is warm.

How to plant tomato seeds.

When growing tomatoes from seed you’ll want to plant your tomato seeds in potting soil (see more on soil below). The seeds should be planted about a 1/4 inch deep in seedling pots that are 3 – 4 inches in depth so they have room to grow. Keep the indoor seedlings in a warm, ventilated area, with plenty of light. Be sure to keep the soil moist, but not overly wet which can cause fungus.

Frugal DIY Starter Pots
How to Use Seeds and Transplants in Your Garden

What’s a good soil mixture for tomato seedling transplants?

Let’s talk soil for growing tomatoes! Tomatoes are heavy feeders and the soil you plant them in will effect their flavor. I recommend a rich soil, amended with plenty of compost. Tomatoes do prefer a slightly more acidic soil but if you focus on richness you should have great plants and big harvests.

Other than good organic compost you may want to consider these amendments:

Alfalfa meal
Blood meal
Fish meal
Leaf mold (how to make leaf mold)
Bone Meal
Worm Castings (consider growing your own – Worm Factory Kit )

I’ve had good luck with my DIY Soil Mix.

Where to plant tomatoes.

You’ll plant your tomatoes in a sunny spot where they have access to sunlight for 6 to 8 hours a day. Morning sun is best because too much heat can actually burn your tomatoes (a big consideration in climates like Phoenix).

Plant with growing in mind. I plant mine in 4 x 4 raised beds, 1 plant per bed. If planting directly in the ground give them 48 inches of space.

Watering tomato plants.

When growing tomatoes you want to keep the soil moist but down drown them. Over watering or inconsistent watering can cause the tomatoes to split or develop blossom end rot.

Can tomatoes be grown in a pot?

Yes they can, and very successfully. I love growing tomatoes in fabric pots that will keep your plants for getting root rot.

For determinate tomatoes you’ll want a container that is at least 18 inches in diameter and 24 inches for your indeterminate tomatoes.

Follow the same guidelines for soil, water and sun.

What are tips and hacks to growing tomatoes?

Every gardener has their own tips and hacks for growing tomatoes. Here are a few for you to consider and try in your own garden.

  • Use eggshells – Adding shells to your soil before planting can give your plants a calcium boost while growing. Which can help prevent blossom end rot. More uses for eggshells.
  • Coffee grounds – Mixing some coffee grounds into your soil can help to repel snails and slugs; as well as adding some nitrogen into your soil. More ways to recycle coffee grounds.
  • Epsom Salt – great if soil test shows you soil lacks magnesium. More uses for Epsom salt.
  • Mulching – mulching around your growing tomatoes will help to conserve water, prevent weeds and keep the soil warm.
  • Offer support – Growing tomatoes need the support of stakes, cages or trellises.

How long does it take a tomato plant to grow?

This is a harder question to answer because things like variety, area, etc will effect that. But when growing tomatoes you 2 to 3 months of growth before you’ll be able to harvest anything, shorter for cherry-type varieties.

Common Tomato Pests and Disease 

Tomatoes are a great beginner plant because they are generally easier to grow than many other fruits and vegetables. But they can suffer from blossom end rot, early and late blight and many other diseases. Most of these can be prevented with crop rotation, companion planting, and following good water practices.

Horn worms, aphids and white flies are just a few of the pests that you can face when growing tomatoes.

See: Controlling Aphids Naturally and more on Tomato Pests.

Pinching and Pruning Tomato Plants

I have often let me tomato plants grow naturally without pruning or pinching of any kind. But the school of thought is pinching off the suckers that sprout up in the middle of two branches, can help your plants use nutrients and energy more efficiently. By pruning your tomato plant’s yellowing leaves you give the overall health of your growing tomatoes a boost.

When to harvest tomatoes 

Growing tomatoes means harvesting when the fruit is firm to the touch but has a bit of give to it. Fruit that is ready to be picked should pull way easily from the vine. A tomato will tek up to 8 weeks to ripen on determinate plants and up to 12 weeks on indeterminate plants.

How to store tomatoes

Your homegrown tomatoes should be stored at room temperature, though in warmer climates the refrigerator might be better. If it is too warm the fruit will continue to ripen and rot.

Try making tomato powder out of your extra tomatoes. Or freeze or can your tomatoes for later use.

Your Guide to the Best Chicken Nesting Boxes

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What to do about chicken nesting boxes and materials is a question I hear from a lot of my readers. So today I want to go over the tips and tricks I’ve learned about chicken nesting boxes over the years. I am also going to share some simple DIY chicken nesting boxes you can make yourself and save some money (win!).

chicken nesting boxes

Your Guide to the Best Chicken Nesting Boxes

Let’s go over a few basics you need to know about how chickens prefer to lay eggs and nesting boxes 101. These are important considerations for chicken nesting boxes because this is what will keep your hen laying daily for as long as possible!

Chicken Nesting Boxes Tips

Your hen wants privacy above all else. Remember she believes she is laying eggs that will hatch so safety is number one. Nesting boxes provide your hens a place to lay, making it easier for you to collect the eggs vs letting them lay where ever they please.You want your nesting boxes to be:

  • Not too much light
  • Private
  • Quiet
  • Safe (away from other animals)
  • Clean and fresh
  • Generally you want to place your chicken’s nesting box in her coop

Best Material for Chicken Nesting Boxes

Whether you decided to construct your own nesting boxes or buy a pre-made box, there are some considerations to keep in my. The biggest concern is being able to keep your nesting box clean. So you want to pick a box or materials to make one that can be washed, scrubbed and sterilized.

Wood Nesting Boxes

You’ll often see chicken nesting boxes made of wood, which isn’t awful; but cleaning it will break it down over time. And I worry that it can’t really be sterilized efficiently. You can find these pre-made wooden boxes or free plans for you own.

See More DIY Chicken Nesting Boxes Here

Metal Nesting Boxes

Metal can be a great option because it is easier to keep clean and will last longer than most other materials. I do caution you to be wary of metal boxes if you live in an area that gets very hot during the summer. Here in Phoenix a metal box would make our hens miserable. See these options: 2 hole metal nesting box, 2 hole vertical nesting box and 10 hole metal nesting box for large coops.

Plastic Nesting Boxes

Chicken nesting boxes made of plastic have some real advantages too. First, they are easily cleaned and sterilized. They are usually less expensive than their metal counterparts and won’t heat up as much in the summer. They do risk the wearing down in direct sun though, so that should be a consideration. Check out these plastic options:
Poly Egg Nesting Boxes, 6 pack
Wall Mounted Nesting Box, 2 pack

Best Bedding Material For Chicken Nesting Boxes

Bedding really does matter for your chicken nesting boxes. Of course we want our laying hens to be comfortable but most importantly we want them to be healthy.

  • Nest Liners – I love the pre-made nest liners and have been using them for years. These provide a clean nest for the girls and ease for me. But they are consumable so not always the best economical choice. However I do add them to my compost so that’s a win!
  • Reusable Nest Liners – These washable nest liners are a great option for reusable, easy to clean and ready-made nest materials.
  • Straw or Hay – a great affordable option for your chicken nesting boxes is simply using straw or hay. It has a great sweet aroma, ok for the hens to eat and can be bought in bulk for a savings.
  • Wood Shavings – most popular would be pine or cedar shavings. I like that shavings offer a pleasant aroma and general dry quickly. They can be pricey if you’re getting them at a pet store so shop around! You should check out Fresh Eggs Daily’s post on Straw vs Shavings for more information.
  • Yard Waste – I have seen a few people recommend using fallen leaves or grass clippings as chicken nesting materials. This is definitely a no-cost option but I caution you to be careful of your source. Trees and grass are often treated with chemicals and we don’t want that around our hens! These are also not the most absorbent materials so you’ll need to change them often.
  • Sand – It can be a great option for ease of clean up and quick to dry. However sand does heat up so it would not be a great option for hot climates. It also does not offer the comfort to your hen that the other nesting box materials will. Be VERY careful with using fine sand that can cause respiratory issues.

Herbs for Chicken Nesting Boxes

Have you considered herbs for your chicken nesting boxes? Herbs aren’t just a way to add a scent to the coop, they have some important contributions to health and wellness for your laying hens too.

Here are a few popular herbs that can benefit your hens when added to their nests.

Basil – Has a calming effect
Catnip – Can be an effective insect repellent
Dill – Improves chicken respiratory health and can also be calming
Fennel – Can increase laying in hens
Lavender- Relaxing, smells wonderful and can in increases blood circulation
Lemon Balm – Relaxing and can deter rats and mic
How to have a Rodent Free Coop
Marigolds – Helps to keep insects at bay.
Mint – Rodent and insect repellent, smells wonderful
Nettles – Relaxing
Parsley – Vitamin boost
Rose Petals – Calming and aromatic (make sure they are pesticide free)
Thyme – Great for respiratory health
Yarrow- Reduces stress

If you don’t want to collect all these herbs yourself there are great pre-made options available especially made for chicken nesting boxes.

Chicken Nesting Boxes Questions

How Many Hens Per Nesting Box?

This is a highly debatable topic but I’ll give you my opinion, based on my backyard hens. I have often found that one box for every 4 – 5 hens is sufficient. And what is really funny is that even when I had 1 box PER HEN, they often all laid in the same box. I would laugh to see them upset when their favorite nesting box was already occupied! What a ruckus!

How do I get my hens to lay in nesting boxes?

If you follow all of the above suggestions the likelihood is your hens will lay there without any coaxing from you. However if you find that they are laying outside of your offerings here are a few tricks to try:

  • Put a fake egg in the boxes to give them the idea that this is a preferred laying area.
  • If they are free range hens you might want to wait until they’ve laid (mid-morning) before letting them out of the coop.

Final Word on Chicken Nesting Boxes

Hens are animals like like clean and safe environments for laying. Provide them nesting boxes that meet those two requirements and you won’t have to worry about much else. Sure, there may be an occasional stray layer but you can usually get her back on track with a little training.

Take good care of your girls, and they’ll provide healthy and delicious eggs for years.

Apartment Homesteading Easy Ways to Start Today!

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Apartment homestead – you can really homestead anywhere! If you live in an apartment or a condo you may think homesteading is off the table right now; I disagree. You can be an apartment homesteader! Homesteading is more than owning land or livestock; it is a lifestyle, a choice to live outside of the modern way of thinking and many projects can be done in a small space.

I have lots of projects that you can start working on as an apartment homesteader whether you’re hoping to own land in the future or if an apartment is as much as you ever want. 

 

Easy Ways You Can Be An Apartment Homesteader Now

Vegetable Gardening in an Apartment

There is a lot more to gardening that rows and rows of plants. As an apartment homesteader take advantage of every available bit of space with sunlight. You can use your patio or porch for container gardens. I highly recommend fabric pots for aeration; but if you’re on a budget use whatever you have available (just make sure it has good drainage). Grow herbs in sunny window seals and if you have a sliding glass door then get a plant stand for multiple growing areas. Don’t forget to incorporate hanging gardens like vertical grow bags that can hang on your patio wall and containers that can hang on patio rails.  You might want to consider putting up some bird netting to keep your patio garden protected.

Lastly, if your area has a community garden you can expand your space by renting some there!…

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