How to enter blog giveaways

I've started doing some giveaways on my blog and since I have done this there have been lots of questions about how to enter. I think the easiest way to answer is to write a post that covers this.

When you first start reading the mandatory and optional ways to enter into a giveaway it can seem a little overwhelming and confusing - but I assure you...it isn't! Just like you I was once confused too (sometimes I still am - OK most of the time I am). There are still some answers that I don't know, so I will just tell you what I do know! My blog uses blogger and I don't really know very much about wordpress.

First thing is first - in order to leave a comment on a blog you are going to need to create an account so that I will know who you are. The easiest way (I think) to do this is to create a google account - it's free and it's easy! Go here to do this: https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount?continue=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&hl=en

Now on to the entries -

Most of the time there is going to be a mandatory way to enter - that means YOU HAVE TO DO THAT or your other entries WILL NOT count. Mine is usually to visit the sponsors page and leave me a comment telling me something. Once you have left your mandatory entry comment you can move on to the optional or bonus entries.

And these are just that OPTIONAL!!!!

You do not need to do these but by doing so you are going to GREATLY increase your chances of winning the giveaway that you are entering for. Sometimes a optional entry will say something like this:

"follow the sponsor on twitter (2 extra entries)"

that means that if you click on the twitter link and click that follow button you have satisfied the requirement for that entry. So now it is time to leave your entries - notice that it says "2 extra entries", that means you will need to leave TWO COMMENTS!!!! They can say something like this:


"I follow the sponsor on twitter #1 - Erica 365daysasmom@gmail.com"
and then
"I follow the sponsor on twitter #2 - Erica 365daysasmom@gmail.com"

ALSO - be sure that you leave contact information when you enter - this is usually your email address! How are we going to reach you if we don't have your email??!!

And doing the daily entries (like sharing on Facebook and voting on Picket Fences) is another great way to increase your chances of winning.

I think I have covered everything, but if you still have questions - just use the comment button below to ask them! thanks and GOOD LUCK!!!!

Your questions answered - 3/14

I've really been surprised at the number of questions I get regarding raising chickens - here is your chance to ask any that you might have and every Monday I will answer all of them. These are answers based on my personal opinion and experiences - here are this weeks questions/answers!!

• What breed of chickens did you buy? and why? = my flock consists of:

• 4 Rhode Island Reds
• 3 Barred Plymouth Rocks
• 3 White Plymouth Rocks
• We ordered these chickens because they are all known to be excellent eggs layers. They are also especially cold weather hardy and being that we live in Upstate NY, it can get quite cold. I decided to go with 3 different breeds and 3 different colors because I wanted a variety.

• Do you still have it in your heart to eat chicken? = yes we still eat chicken. It took a little convincing with the kids for the first few weeks after we got the chicks. They were certain dinner had come from the backyard. We are already preparing ourselves for when the day comes when the chickens in the backyard become dinner. They only lay eggs for so long and such is the circle of life. (but ask be again in a few years when that time comes) 

• When did you start deworming? = We have not dewormed our chickens. Nor will we unless there is a problem. We try to raise our chickens as natural as possible - which includes trying to eliminate all un-natural "substances". That being said I did some investigating and read up on this topic in my book "Raising chickens for dummies" and here is what it says about deworming = "Worms are common internal parasites. Many species of worms can live in chickens and not cause any problems. If you aren't in the habit of checking out chicken droppings, you may never know your birds have worms. Generally, treatment for worms consists of worming the entire flock. Some people prefer to worm chickens at least twice a year as a precaution, even if they don't see worms or symptoms. It doesn't hurt to worm as a preventive measure if you follow the directions for the worm medicine. However, we don't believe that home flocks need to be wormed as a precaution if they appear healthy and you don't see worms in the droppings. If you notice worms or your chickens don't seem to be as healthy as they could be, it may be time to check for worms and treat if necessary. 

THOSE WERE THE QUESTIONS ASKED THIS WEEK - KEEP THEM COMING!!!! THANKS! 

So you want to get chickens??!! The Coop

THE COOP

You can go as fancy or as simple as you want. There are many places that you can go to buy chicken coops both online and locally. When we first decided to get chickens we drove from Binghamton to Oneonta looking and searching for coops. We looked in peoples backyards to get ideas...we went to every farm store in the area. The ones we found in the farm stores were all too small and too expensive. We searched Craigslist and at the time didn't find anything that we were really interested in. In the end, we ended up buy a coop with a run from AGWAY - some assembly required of course. Here is a picture of our coop:

This worked out great while they were little but once they started getting bigger they quickly outgrew it. I ended up moving the coop between our deck and our garage and putting a fence up so they had room to move around during the day. (by the way...chickens LOVE fresh grass). Once they outgrew this coop we knew we had to figure something out. The end of our garage had a overhang that we used to store the kids toys. Well the kids toys soon found a new home and so did my chickens. We put up a few sheets of plywood, cut a whole in the wall and pushed a dog kennel up to the side of the coop. VOILA....a new home for my chicks - they must of approved and liked it because a few days later I had my FIRST egg!!!!


COOP RULES

1.  SIZE = You need to allow a minimum of 2 square feet of indoor shelter area per bird (but ideally 3-4 feet is better), and you need 3-6 square feet of outdoor run area per bird. 
2.  VENTILATION = A coop needs good ventilation year-round. Good ventilation usually consists of some way for cooler air to enter near the floor, be warmed, and then exit near the top. The amount of ventilation a shelter needs depends on how many chickens are kept in that amount of space and the weather in your area. Lack of adequate ventilation can cause a number of problems (ammonia fume buildup, increased humidity, increased moisture leads to mold
3. ROOSTS = Roosts are an important part of a coop. This is where they sleep - chickens prefer to sleep off of the ground because they are so vulnerable while asleep. A 2x4 on edge or a 2-inch round wooden dowel is about right for full-sized chickens. (smaller Bantam chickens will be more comfortable with a small roost). The roost should be placed about 2 feet off the floor. 
4. NESTING BOXES = these are important if your keeping chickens for their eggs. They provide a safe and comfortable spot where layers can lay their eggs. Young pullets like to play house so if possible, try to have nesting boxes in place by 20 weeks old. Chickens like nesting boxes that are big enough to turn around in but not so large that they don't feel comfy. They prefer the nesting boxes to be dimly lit and secluded . For an average sized hen, a 12-inch square nest box is the minimum to use. One nest box for every two hens is ideal. We made our own nesting boxes and even though we have 10 chickens, we only have 3 nesting boxes. This is probably something we should work on in the future. We use pine bedding and hay in our nesting boxes - although the chickens usually kick the hay out...they prefer the pine bedding. 

PLEASE CONTINUE TO ASK QUESTIONS - EVERY MONDAY I WILL TRY TO DO A POST THAT JUST ANSWERS MY READERS QUESTIONS!!!!

RESOURCES: Most of this information is from my experiences. I also used the book "Raising Chicken for Dummies". You can also find great information at the following places (where I go to for answers and help): 

• http://www.backyardchickens.com/
• http://www.mypetchicken.com/
• 
  

So you want to get chickens??!!

I have had a LOT of people sending me messages and asking me questions about preparing, getting and raising chickens. So many in fact that I'm going to start a SERIES on my blog called:

SO YOU WANT TO GET CHICKENS??!!

I know that I will include coops and brooders, where to buy, chickens and children, eggs, behavior etc. I will write about my personal experiences (like about the first time I clipped their wings and why I did it) But would you help me out??!! It would make this a lot easier if you would ask me questions. What do you want to know about chickens and raising them??!!

Here are a few pics:

COUNTRY BOB'S Review/Giveaway

I recently received two bottles of "Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce" to review and let all of my readers/friends know my thoughts on it!!!! We LOVED the sauce!! It came in a very kid-friendly and safe plastic bottle and the taste of it was mild enough that even the baby was able to enjoy it with us but it was robust enough for the adults too. My Dad enjoyed so much, in fact, that we is already talking about making some delicious burgers and topping them with the sauce! 

Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce is in a class by itself. It is more than a steak sauce, because of its unique flavor and the variety of uses. You can grill, cook, and marinate with it, or put it in your soups, stews, baked beans, and your other favorite dishes. Experience the Taste of our Gluten Free All Purpose Sauce!

Use our All Purpose Sauce on:
Steak, Chicken, Barbeque, Fries, Hamburger, Fish and so much more!

We used it one two different occasions so far (I see more use in the future). The first night I made:

COUNTRY BOB'S MEATLOAF
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
12 saltine crackers, crushed
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon season salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine the ground beef, onion, cracker crumbs, eggs, Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce, milk, season salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Shape into a loaf and place into a baking pan (I used a loaf pan). Spread the desired amount of additional Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce on top of the loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until the loaf is cooked through. Removed the loaf to a serving plate. Let stand for several minutes before slicing

yield: 6-8 servings

You can find other great Country Bob recipes on their website by clicking: HERE

The second night we just used it on some left-over pulled pork and ribs that we had. It was excellent on both!!! 

ABOUT COUNTRY BOB'S
In 1968 Country Bob perfected the sauce of his dreams. After years of giving the sauce to friends and family he began to sell it in 1977. The reaction was overwhelming just as it is today. Almost everyone who tries Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce becomes a lifelong user. And why not, it is the perfect complement to practically any meal set on your table.  Along with our All Purpose Sauce they have expanded their product line to include BBQ Sauce, Seasoning Salt and Spicy All Purpose Sauce.

For more information about the company, you can visit their website at countrybobs.com. For special promotions and events etc. you can check them out on Facebook and/or Twitter

Thanks to Country Bob's, TWO of my lucky readers are going to win TWO bottles of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce!!!! 

How to Enter!

• This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents, 18 years or older.
• Leave a separate comment (on this blog) for each entry
• Please be sure to include your email address with your mandatory entry - if I do not have your email address I won't have any way to get in touch with you if you win!  

  -Mandatory Entry (Worth 1 Entry):

•  Visit the sponsors website, have a look around and leave a comment telling me what other product(s) you would like to try 

  -Bonus Entries (Optional):

• Follow this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect - if you already do be sure to let me know (1 extra entry) 
• Post on your Facebook wall about this giveaway and leave a link back to this blog. You can do this once per day (2 extra entries per post) *hint* click the share to facebook button at the bottom of this post 
• Follow this blog using networked blogs (1 extra entry) 
• Grab my button and put it on your blog (leave me the link) - (5 extra entries) 
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this blog (10 extra entries) 
• Follow me on Twitter (1 extra entry)
• Follow my Facebook Page (3 extra entries)
• Subscribe to my FEED (3 extra entries) 
• Vote for me on Picket Fence Blogs - you can do this daily (2 extra entries per vote)
• Tweet about this giveaway. You can do this twice per day (2 extra entries per tweet) 
• you can use this tweet = #Review and #Giveaway!! #Win 2 bottles of #Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce  from @Countrybobs and @365daysasmom http://tinyurl.com/5vehadz

• Follow the sponsor on Facebook - I would love it if you told then I sent you - (2 extra entries)
• Follow the sponsor on Twitter (1 extra entry)
• Follow the sponsors FEED (1 extra entry) 
• Leave a comment on the sponsors Blog telling them I sent you or what you think about their products (2 extra entries) 
• You can also earn one additional entry by using any of the other share buttons at the bottom of this post (1 extra entry per additional method - let me know how you shared)

 Remember, to please leave a separate comment ON THIS BLOG for each entry. And please enter only in the ways listed above. I reserve the right to delete comments not adhering to the above entry guidelines. The last day to enter this will be March 25 . I will use random.org to pick a winner. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me, if I have not heard from the winner within that amount of time I will pick a new one.

** WINNER **

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER - COMMENT #7

"CarliAlice @ GG2Life said... 7

You're on the right hand column of my blog: http://grandmasguidetolife.blogspot.com/"

New Puppy and all the fun that comes with him

A few weeks ago (right around Valentine's Day) my husband came home with a new puppy! He's cute and little and (at times) can be a pain in the butt - LIKE RIGHT NOW.....he won't stop barking!!

He is a CHI-A-POM

And we named him Snickers - goes well with our other dogs name - Milky Way (do you suddenly want some chocolate?)

We are working on potty training. I don't remember it being this difficult with Milky Way. It seemed like when I trained him it only took a week or so. Different dog - Different training! We can't let him run lose around the house. We have to either leave him in his crate, attached to a leash hooked to my chair or have him sit on our laps. If we let him run around then we find hidden piles of poop and puddles of pee everywhere!! I try to take him out every hour or so and praise him as he is going so that he knows it is good. And when I catch him in the house I'm sure to let him know it is bad as he is going.


What tips and tricks do you have?