Picking up Chicks...

Befitting Spring, we recently picked up some new chicks, the avian kind. Meat birds - Cornish Cross - not laying hens (we are trying another breed, Freedom Ranger, later as well). Our hens are in overdrive and we only add new blood to our laying flock every two or three years.

You may already know we go to extremes to house our happy hens (see our post "Coopus Optimus" ). While we love the birds, we love even more being able to tend to them with ease and convenience. If it's easy, we find we keep their lodging cleaner and well tended as we should. We are happier and the chickens are healthier &, presumably, happier, too.
To this end we built a brooder to replace the annual foil lined cardboard boxes we raised chicks in until they are big enough to be out on their own. Now in it's second year I am happy to report it is a great success and am willing to share it's design.

Using 1"x1/2" hardware cloth, J-clamps for connectors (Your local feed or hardware store should have these and the tool to clamp them. They are used for building cages), a utility tray (hardware store), the foil covered bubble insulation often used to wrap water heaters, and a couple miscellaneous handles, we built the cage.

The key to the project was wanting a brooder that was easy to clean. This entailed a removable pan that can slide out and be cleaned without disturbing the chicks.
 After much searching (baking pans, tupperware, etc.) we found these great Utility Trays at a local hardware store. They were big enough (18"x30" or more), but too deep (4" - 6"). But nothing else was even close to what we wanted. However, as there were heavy plastic we were able to cut it down to the 2" we wanted.
To finish it off we added a handle to one end.
Now we had the template for our brooder.

We hang short pieces of the insulation with wire to keep heat in.

 Next we built an elevated cage. The floor is very slightly larger than the dimensions of the tray, so it will slide in and out. The walls are 10" tall from the floor to accommodate the growing chicks for several weeks. To make it fit over the tray, that means the side & back walls are made from pieces of hardware cloth 12" tall, with the floor attached 2" from the bottom. The front wall is only 10" high and attaches at the floor, allowing a space to remove the tray.
We put a solid 'roof' on the back half of the brooder, and loosely attached the front half so that it could be opened to tend to our chicks.
We cut holes in the front to allow the use of a couple of rabbit feeder to use when the chicks were older. As new chicks they are not tall enough to access those feeders and we place a smaller chick feeder & waterer inside the cage.

Wooden knob is to open front 1/2 of top

Now, the most important thing for raising newborn chicks is keeping them warm. This is easiest to achieve using a light bulb. As we are off-grid and produce our own power (Power in the Storm), our out buildings are wired to 24vt power, similar to a boat. So we use marine 24vt bulbs.

Place insulated cover over lamp...

We use the insulated metallic bubble wrap to keep the heat in. We construct a 4-sided box to cover the back half of the cage, top & 3 sides, using duct tape to fasten the pieces. In the top we traced the edge of the lamp. Using that circle as a guide, we cut slits in the shape of pie slices so it fits over the lamp & keep the heat in.

$6 indoor/outdoor thermometer keeps track of conditions.

This year it was so cold when we got the chicks we made an additional 'inner sanctum' from a 10" wide, 3' long strip of the bubble insulation with a doorway cut into it. Taped into a cylinder, it fit right under the light to concentrate the heat (see final photo below). It works perfectly.
Now that it's warmed up we removed it and they are roaming more.

We regulate the temp. by wattage of light bulb (25wt or 50wt)

Now all you need are wood shavings, newspaper, or other bedding to put in the tray for the manure to fall into (it's just too disgusting otherwise). Turn on the light & add chicks!

Later in the season (when it quits raining) we plan to make a portable pen/chicken tractor so we can range our meat birds on our hilly pasture. We'll keep you posted.

Cozy in their new home

Breaking Bread Together...

Bread, in it's many forms, is a common tie for people all around the world. Since Biblical times bread has been considered so essential to the maintenance of human life that there was no act more social than sharing one's bread with others. 

It is comfort food, rounds out a simple meal paired with soup, salad, cheese. And even featured in a famous poem of love by Edward Fitzgerald.

"A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, & thou"

While I used to bake weekly when our children were growing up, since they left home I am not often inspired to spend the energy for a single loaf. We purchased a bread machine (which works great on our off-grid power) and much of our bread is baked there.
Then I discovered this incredibly easy method...

I am in love all over again! 
I had heard of this recipe it for some time. Our friend, Rose, made one & shared the recipe, which she found on the internet, a year or so ago (which I have here somewhere...). I found it again in M. Bittman's 'How to Cook Everything'. It requires almost NO effort & is SO good. 

NO WORK ARTISAN BREAD
Recipe: 
ingredients:
4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. yeast
2 cups lukewarm water

The night before:
In a large bowl mix all ingredients. Stir until blended completely for a sticky dough. Cover (I use a hotel issue shower cap) and let sit in a warm place at least 14 hours. 
It will form a bubbly sponge and can acquire almost a sourdough tang.

Next day:
Around 3-1/2 hours before you want to eat it, scrape the sponge onto a lightly floured surface & fold 3 or 4 times. Use only enough flour to keep it from sticking to you. Cover & let sit 15 minutes. 
Form into a ball using flour sparingly, as previously noted. Place ball, squished together side down, on an untextured dishtowel with a dusting of cornmeal on it, sprinkle a bit more cornmeal on top, cover with towel & let rise until double or finger pressure leaves an indentation. 
About 1/2 hour before it's done rising set an ungreased covered baking dish/dutch oven in oven & turn oven to 450 degrees. 
After 1/2 hour has passed take HOT pan out, flip dough into pan, squished together side now up, & cover with hot lid, return to oven & bake, covered at 450! after 1/2 hour remove lid & bake another 20 to 30 min. Until golden brown.
Cool at least 15 min before eating

This artisan style bread has the best crust EVER! I always add a couple Tbsp. ground flax. I have made it 100% white, 1c. whole wheat & 3c. white, 50/50, & 100% whole wheat. 
The combos were the best, & the whole wheat has an unbelievable flavor and makes the best toast ever. Try it!!

Soap is part of our life

I suppose you could call it wholistic business.
How we make our soaps and run our business is truly a direct extension of our life as a whole.
Here is a short  slideshow that gives you a glimpse into our business, our power system & life.
 


As always, find our soaps at SimmonsNaturalBodycare.com

Who we are... Simmons Naturals

What our soap shop looks like today, 2/29/12

Somehow life's whirlwind  has kept me preoccupied & I've neglected this blog.
In the spirit of a new beginning, I wish to start here with the story of our business, as that is pretty much the story of my life right now...

Here at Simmons Natural Bodycare it is our mission to provide for the basic needs of our skin and bodies in the best possible way. We strive to create luscious soaps and basic skin care that will Make EveryDay Special.

Since 1979, when we first began crafting soaps for our own family, we have always chosen the purest, highest quality oils & other botanical ingredients for their simple natural benefits. The basic care we provide works by assisting the natural processes of renewal and protection that keep us healthy and beautiful; care for everyday needs as well as for special needs such as dry, chapped skin, skin irritation, allergies, or congestion.

However, at Simmons Natural Bodycare, what we make is only half of the story.

We believe, practice, and promote a philosophy of sustainiblility. This encompasses the use of renewable energy sources and ingredients to create our products, and doing it in a way which does not degrade the environment or cause harm to us and its other inhabitants.
It is not so much the idea of 'doing the right thing', but simply that it is the right thing to do.

Our soaps

This is why we use minimal packaging incorporating as much recycled and recyclable materials as possible.. Even the beautiful handmade Thai papers that wrap our soaps are from trees harvested in a sustainable manner, limbed, so the tree keeps growing. And this is why our ingredients are biodegradable, renewable, and mostly organic, and why we do not test on animals.

Simmons Natural Bodycare is part of a self-sufficient family homestead in the rural mountains of far northern California.

The electricity for our home and business is self generated using solar (PV) panels, a 1kw wind turbine, and a small hydro-power system. Our goal is to live and run our business with as little impact on the planet as possible. The business began by crafting natural, nontoxic, soaps & body care products to ensure the mildness needed for our own family's sensitive skin. It now provides for our family as part of a working homestead in conjunction with our large organic vegetable garden, orchard, and poultry.

Our Solar PV Array

We contribute to our local community and the world community through volunteer work and donations. We have donated 2% of the sales of our bars soaps to Heifer International since 2004 and support other small businesses through our website. Since 2006 we have been 100% Carbon Neutral as we planted enough trees worldwide to offset our carbon emissions through Trees for the Future. In addition, we double our offsets annually by donating to CarbonFund.org to support renewable energy and energy conservation projects, and we continue to plant trees, 1 for every 12 of our 4 oz. bar soaps sold, over 4500 to date.

Please visit our online store and see what we have. 
You can take a short photo tour of our soap shop here.

And Now it Begins...

2012, A New Year, an election year and, some would believe, the last year.