Henny Penny

I live in the country side in the Wairarapa, New Zealand and I am lucky enough to be surrounded by neighbors that have friendly clucking sounds coming from their backyards. A city girl at heart I decided to do some investigations into keeping chickens not only for myself but also looking at the growing trend of inner city chicken living.

 This is what I found out… Many large cities now allow poultry within the city limits with a few guidelines. Roosters are the most common no-no as they can crow around the clock disturbing neighbors – eek. Some cities restrict the number of chickens a household can own. Some Cities only allow you to keep chickens if your use is for their eggs, not meat. Cleanliness is of real importance to keep away pests such as rodents and flies.

Research online can bring up relevant to your area/country, chicken keeping rules. Try your local city council. If you are worried about rocking the boat with neighbors, try keeping a clean coop and offering free eggs. Also check out how far your coop needs to be from the neighboring boundary.

Prepping your coop

Cats and dogs are among the list of predators that will have your chickens on their lunch menu. Make sure you have a safe, dry coop for your chickens to retreat too.

No fancy housing is required however they do need a warm dry spot in the cold winter months, (a light bulb is recommended for added warmth) and a place to lay or roost. Straw or pine needles are used for their bedding and you will need to provide clean drinking water.

Start a compost of the used bedding and chicken manure – your garden will love you for it!

Allow for 2-4 square feet per chicken –recommended for your chicken run – this is separate to their sleeping quarters and this is where they can scratch, peck and roll in the dust.Yeeha!

You may be able to let your chicken’s free range in your garden for part of the day. Make sure you have a secure fence so they don’t get into your vegetables or flower beds.

What breed to get?
This will depend on what climate you live in, what is available and what purpose you require them for.

Chicken facts:

• Chickens do not lay eggs until they reach maturity around 6 months
• Chicken lay eggs without the help of a Rooster (good on ya girls!) Roosters are only required if you want some cute fluffy chicks
• Chickens stop producing eggs when they get to a certain age – breed and health dependent
• Egg production usually slows down in the cooler months
• Chickens need attention at least 2 times a day (food and water). Replace the bedding once a month or more often if you are attracting pests
• Coop needs to be thoroughly hosed and scraped with watered down bleach once a year (there will be a natural alternative to blench I am sure)

Not only can having your own chickens be great for the dinner table and your bellies but it can benefit your garden via compost and slug/bug reduction. If you are use to buying free range eggs from the supermarket their may also be a cost benefit for you as well.

Heidi Holbrook, Womama Founding Director

Endo

Endometriosis, commonly abbreviated to “endo”, is a painful reproductive disease in which the tissue lining the uterus (the endometrium) migrates outside of the womb and implants in other areas of the body. This tissue behaves like the lining to the uterus behaves – when pregnancy does not occur, your uterine lining sheds and you have your period. If you have endo, the tiny particles of tissue that have migrated outside of your uterus will implant themselves elsewhere and react to the same hormones that tell your uterine lining you’re not pregnant, therefore breaking down and bleeding. But because this tissue is not in the uterus, it has nowhere to go and no way to leave your body. This results in internal bleeding, inflammation, and severe pain, as well as scarring and the development of cysts and lesions over time.

There is no cure for endo, which affects nearly 176 million females worldwide, from adolescence to post-menopause. Many women who have endo complain of “killer period cramps” that inhibit their ability to function normally during menstruation, but there are many related symptoms which endo sufferers report, such as:

• Chronic pelvic pain, including lower back pain and abdominal pain
• Pain during sex
• Pain during urination
• Heavy or lengthy periods
• Premenstrual spotting
• Irritable bowel syndrome

Endo can also compromise your fertility. So if you have been trying to conceive, it hasn’t happened for you, and you have any of the above symptoms, there may be a link, as endo can cause scarring of your reproductive organs, which inhibits conception. The exact cause of endo remains a mystery and it does seem to abate during menopause, but there are treatments in the meantime. Our best advice: If you’re suffering from extremely painful periods, pelvic pain, and other related pain, don’t hesitate to visit your GP – especially if you’re thinking of getting pregnant.

Endometriosis New Zealand (ENZ) is a non-government-funded charitable trust promoting awareness of endo, providing information and fundraising to support research into endo, its causes and treatments. Their support line (0800 733 277) and website (www.nzendo.co.nz) are excellent resources if you want to know more about endo or think you might have endometriosis.

Likewise, Endometriosis.org (www.endometriosis.org) facilitates collaboration and information sharing between women with endometriosis, physicians, scientists, and others interested in the disease.

Don’t suffer in silence or put on a brave face – there are treatments for endo, and you should never feel ashamed to ask for help.

~ Katherine Granich

Womama Directors, Heidi & Juliette

Juliette and I are excited to have finally launched our first blog. Our team has been busy researching and writing interesting articles which we will be posting weekly,over the next year.Topics that relate to you as a pregnant or nursing Mother, as a woman and as a mother with toddlers. Juliette and I also share a love of business, gardening, cooking, natural remedies and eco friendly living so we will be writing some interesting posts, (with handy tips) on these topics.We would love for you to tune in regularly and let us know what is on your mind. If you have any topics that you would like us to discuss, we are keen to hear!  Happy Days,  Heidi, Founding Director, Womama.

Our U.S. stockist, Shopping Moa, has stocks of our Birthing Wrap, Nursing Nightie, and from our nursing lingerie range Vanilla Kisses, Ocean Dreams and Basic Bamboo.

Here’s a picture of how our products look on Shopping Moa: