Fish Pond Project

Above Ground Koi Pond Project

 

I was browsing Pinterest one day and came across a photo of a cute little deck pond. Since we do not own our property as of yet, I didn't want to invest too much time and money on a big permanent in ground pond. I brought it up to Thor (my fiance who can build anything) just in passing one day before work. When I came home I had this waiting for me. I am so excited to be able to share how to make one for your deck or garden. We spent nothing out of pocket. Here it goes: Thor first looked through our scrap wood pile for pallet boards that all measured the same length. He used pieces from a friend's deck that they replaced...we took the old deck home. The deck measures:
Then we cut the bottom plastic lining from a kiddie pool we had from two summers ago to act as the pond liner. Using a staple gun (industrial not office size :) You could get a liner or thick plastic from any hardware store. Thor added some larger sized rocks from our yard to use for decoration. A simple filter we got off craigslist for $20...you do not need a filter if you donot have one yet, just keep your eye out for one during the summer months. It hlps keep it clean. And the blue piece is an old kitchen plastic bowl that he cut a hole in to place on top of the filter for the water feature. At the momnent we have 3 koi fish and 6 goldfish. Do not feed them during the winter as they hibernate when the water gets cold. When the water warms...feed them slowly. Once every 2-4 days then once a day as you see them become fully active again. Koi fish can become very tame, hand feed bread, fish food and other dried fish treats to get them used to you.
*Make sure your pond is on a sturday and level surface.

 



Beautiful Nesting Boxes

Cleaning the Coop

 



So today I decided to clean the girls coop. I like to do it about every month or so. When Thor built our coop we decised we wanted it big enough for us to walk into. Considering Thor is 6'4", the coop needed to be accommodating. It has 6 nesting boxes, a ramp to the second story boxes, windows on two sides and a wood shelf that I planned on using for fresh flowers in pots. The girls had other plans...(it's their goodnight roosting perch) It's too cute, however the shelf gets covered in chicken poo. I only use Apple Cider Vinegar to clean the coop. It smells good, is inexpensive and gets the job done without the use of hash chemicals...so why not? The vinegar kills all bacteria and fungi and keeps odors down. We use a layer of good pine bedding along with straw in the boxes. I also use fresh herbs from our garden in the boxes. The use of herbs in the coop and boxes is to keep mites ad insects away while the girls are nesting. Not to mention keep the eggs clean. It also helps their overall health. I mean...we use them in our medicine right?? A few of the herbs we grow are Lavendar, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Spearmint and Apple Mint. All can be used in the boxes along with Violets if you have them. They grow native/wild here in Seattle, WA. The end result will be a gorgeously decorated box for your girls along with the "protection" that comforts us Chicken Mom's. Plan to clean out your Coop at least every Month, and nesting boxes weekly for optimal health and egg production.

Herbs in the Nesting Boxes

The Nesting Box Blend

Our girls are now 16 weeks and the last few days that I have gone outside to visit them (I go out like 10 times a day ;) I have noticed that the nesting boxes have been layed in!!I got excited and searched high and low for an egg. Ok we're not there yet but we are getting close. So off to the feed store we went. Our ladys have been upgraded to Layer Feed. I stuck with crumbled feed since that's what they are used to. To celebrate, we got a nice big bag of dried mealworms...it's their favorite. And since chickens sit in the nesting box for quite some time every time they lay an egg, I use fresh herbs and flower pedals divided into all of the boxes to help with mites, parasites and as a laying stimulant. You can use any herbs you like or grow some with specifics in mind. Lavendar is good for stress relief, Parsley is a great laying stimulant as well as Sweet Marjoram, Taragon is an antioxidant as well as Sage, and Lemon Balm is one of my favorites to keep rodents away from the coop (just plant some out front). Rosemary is good for keeping flies away, I pick some and tie it up inside their coop and out by the gate enterance. Basil is an anti-bacterial. Oregano has a bunch of uses for good health in the girls. Kills salmonella, avian flu and ecoli and other things so throw some in their feed to get the best benefits. Mint is a good and fun one to grow. I have Apple Mint and Spearmint. They keep rodents away on top of smelling amazing! Sunflowers are good to grow and dry for seed for the chickens also. Herbs grow pretty easily and are a safe effective way to keep your flock happy and healthy without having to purchase anything...just grow your own.