Last week, our chicks turned another five pounds of feed into …
leg feathers …
tail feathers …
more wing feathers …
bigger feet …
and lots of poop. This chick was nice enough to fly up onto my shoulder and immediately poop on it. Not the best way to thank me for the 50-pound bag of feed that I drug home this morning.
Picking, watering and weeding are a big part of summer gardening, but there’s plenty of other stuff that needs to be done, too. Print a copy of the summer garden to do list, and stay on top of it all.
It only took our chicks two weeks to polish off their first bag of feed. Apparently they used all that food to …
Bulk up …
Grow feathers …
And super-size their feet.
It was a good strategy on their part because it landed them a larger home.
Attracting butterflies to your garden starts with having the right plants, but if you want them to stick around, you also need to give them a place to hibernate and lay their eggs. This butterfly house does just that, and it’s easy to build.
What You’ll Need:
What You Do:
Pictured left to right. 1st row: roof panel, bottom block, roof block; 2nd row: left side, front panel, back panel, right side
Step 1: Measure and cut the lumber to size:
Out of the 1″ x 6″ x 8′ cut …
Left side - 5-1/2″W x 21-7/8″L* (*Note: Back edge is 21-7/8″L, and front edge is 16-3/8″L. This will give you a 45 degree roof pitch)
Right side - 5-1/2″W x 21-7/8″L* (*Note: Back edge is 21-7/8″L and front edge is 16-3/8″L. This will give you a 45 degree roof pitch)
Back panel - 5-1/2″W x 21-7/8″L (Cut the board to the proper length. Then, set the circular saw to 45 degrees, and bevel the top edge)
Front panel - 5-1/2″W x 17-1/8″L (Cut the board to the proper length. Then, set the circular saw to 45 degrees, and bevel the top edge)
Bottom block - 5-1/2″W x 4″L
Roof block - 5-1/2″W x 6-1/8″L (Cut the board to proper length; bevel the front edge at 45 degrees; then, flip it over; and bevel the back edge at 45 degrees.
Out of the 1″ x 10″ x 12″ cut …
Roof panel - 8-1/2″W x 11-1/4″L Cut the board to the proper size, and bevel the front and back edges, just as you did for the roof block.
Step 2: Attach the sides to the back panel.
Step 3: Attach the bottom.
Step 4: Attach the front panel.
Step 5: Center the roof block on the roof panel. Then, attach it with finishing nails, and set it aside.
Step 6: Mark the butterfly slot locations. Eight in total.
Step 7: Drill a hole at the top and bottom of each slot.
Step 8: Then, finish cutting the slots with a jigsaw.
Step 9: Sand away any splinters.
Step 10: Gather some small tree limbs and bark, and stick them inside the house. Then, set the roof into place (Do not attach the roof with nails; it’s supposed to be removable).
Step 11: Find a sunny spot in your garden for your butterfly house, and wait for butterflies to move in.
For more information about how to attract butterflies to your garden, check out this article by the National Wildlife Federation.
Yesterday, we decided to treat our chicks to their first worm, and it immediately turned into one of their games of Keep Away. If you’ve never had chicks before, let me tell you, they’re quite the little football players.
