So far this twelvemonth I ’ve wacked my paw and nearly broken my fingers , had a little heat - apoplexy instalment , almost stepped on a copperhead , been attacked by anything and everything with a cut , and have establish new and bizarre ways to wound myself on a near daily basis . And it ’s only July !
I ’m always nagging the fry aboutsafety on the farm . Unfortunately , I am dire at following direction myself . Maybe it ’s clock time I start to practice what I advocate . Here are a few of my standard “ Mom Lectures . ”
1 . Safety in NumbersDon’t go in the woods alone has always been one of my No . 1 rules around the homestead . Yet not heeding my own advice is why I ended up tangle in tree heath with a Agkistrodon contortrix at my feet . As it turn out , my feathered crew ( akathe chicken ) have been keep up this formula , as well , and formed their own character of residential district watch in the crybaby yard .
The week after I lose most of my hen to a piranha , in all probability a George Fox , I start keeping all the birds lock in the Gallus gallus yard . A reflective hen refused to be moved from the crybaby theatre and into the “ nursery ” we have for incubate and grow out . make up one’s mind to move her at Nox on day 16 or 17 , I somehow deal to get the hatch particular date off by five or six days .
Unbeknownst me , sixed little infant hatch one night in the large hencoop . When we unlock the room reach the next morn there was no indicant we had additional work party members . Big Blue , a roo , and two of his persist ladies quick pass over down from their roost and began their quest for bug within the confines of the M of form .
Several hours later I hear an awful illegitimate enterprise coming from the coop orbit . bucket along out , dogs in towage , I reached the yard logic gate to see two hens , one rooster and five duck in a band around a momma hen and some dame . Thinking they were harassing misfortunate mum , I went in to break up the posse . As I approached I actualise a cat was light atop a fencing post and this mob was protecting mommy , as well as the new yard fellow member . One of the ducks was even round off up a funny chick and poke at it back towards this annulus of safety . It was a entire awe instant in every signified of the word .
2 . remain HydratedWater , water , water system ! I can not stress the grandness of drinking plenty of it on a red-hot day . Whether you prefer to take a bottle of water alfresco with you or just fuddle from the hose is up to you — just drink and drink often !
3 . Wear Sun ProtectionIn addition to keeping your fluid inlet up , protect the rest of your dead body from the harsh rays of the sun . My favorite $ 15 investment this year has been my garden gran floppy hat . The extra - wide of the mark brim not only helps keep me cooler during the heat of the twenty-four hours , but it also leave additional protection from those previous signal of aging . ( I ’d wear a goof hat if it mean fewer wrinkles ! )
4 . Be PreparedFriend or foe ? We call for ourselves this as we look at tiny green sprouts in our efflorescence beds . We expect it up when we find an strange hemipteron on our yield Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Still , sometimes we oppose first and question later when a snake slithers into our territory .
While we can not sleep with every item of every mintage of plant , insect or ( jest ) snake , we should become intimate with the 1 in our expanse . When my dear husband asks me dazed questions like “ Are the snake ’ eyes round or slit ? ” my initial response is “ Chop his damn head off and chance out yourself ! ” But this is not always the right response . ( Again , GAG ! ) Sometimes we need these abdomen crawlers to keep the rodent population down and the gravid badder snake away . Like the sinister snake in the grass that lives right past my front yard . As long as he stays by the house , my garden , my kid and me , he gets all the mice and moles he wants , and I wo n’t toss cats on him , again . ( Do n’t judge too harshly . I did n’t have a stick or anything and the cat was just there , rubbing against my stage ! )
Put up a big poster board with colour motion-picture show of the various poisonous plants and creepers in your arena , and educate your family on recognition . pay heed it over a spot filled with garden gloves , sunscreen , hemipteran spray , first - aid supplies , big floppy hat , water bottles and maybe a cock-a-hoop marijuana cigarette you could habituate to distract or deter an undesirable invitee . The percentage point is to be prepared , be deliberate , but have fun doing it ! Country life can be educational , at times a wee bit dangerous , but seldom dull !
Get more farm and homestead safety machine tips :
« More Kids on the Homestead — Uncensored »
