May of 2024 brought the first tornado I have ever been through in my twenty-eight years of living in Oklahoma. There are so many things I learned in the aftermath of that night, but that is a post for another day. Right now, we’re heading into November with more severe storms and tornado risks on the horizon so it’s time for us to get to work!

On the to-do list, we had a nesting box lid completely rotted out and damaged from the tornado, hail, and winds that pelted down on it that night. We’ve made do until now, but with more storms on the way and winter around the corner we knew it was time to set our gals up right. But here is the thing, we’re on a budget like most people and I would much rather use what we have on hand rather than buying brand new. Granted, there were a few things we needed from the store for this project but everything else is us doing our best with what we’ve got.

I love to be the one to have a vision, but let’s face it if you don’t put in the work the vision is only but a daydream. My husband, Michael, plays a vital role here because he’s the one who is always able and willing to bring any vision I have to life. From the big things like starting up a dream homestead to the small things like hanging up another thrifted painting I picked up…he’s the one who can take the credit, and I will always be grateful for it. So, in this video he’ll be the star of the show as he brings “the know-how” to what I only can see in my head.

I hope this week’s project inspires you to get creative with what you have on hand, and to embrace to gifts of those around you.

A few housekeeping items:

• The Coffee Ground Chicken bedding is completely worth it. I’ll never use pine shavings again. Not only does it smell great, but it’s the easiest bedding I’ve ever had to clean. You can sift through it like its cat litter to keep it fresh and clean. It is perfect to add to your compost and will break down quicker than shavings ever could. I’ve never had a problem with any pests since using the coffee grounds either, so I have no complaints whatsoever about it. I don’t have any sort of amazon link, but if you are near an Atwoods Ranch and Home, Bomgaars Supply, or Rural King Supply then you can check in-store. If I ever have an online link to share I will come back and update you!

• The boards we used to frame the nesting box lid were three 2×4’s, and a 2×4 sheet of treated plywood that we cut to fit.
• If you have specific questions about the coop or how Michael framed the lid you can always reach out over social media or you can email hello@heartofthehomeland.blog 🙂