Chicken coops and beehives in Nepal.

My friend Piper and I left the East Coast on July 18, traveling 24 hours to Kathmandu, Nepal. When we arrived at the Kathmandu airport it really felt as if we were someplace wildly different, we were exhausted, hungry and a bit disoriented. Thankfully we were met at the airport and then went to the Hotel Courtyard in Thamel run by great people Michelle and Punjan. It’s a great place and we felt instantly at home. They took very good care of us as travelers arriving for the first time in Nepal.


We spent the next 4 days in Kathmandu eagerly awaiting the arrival of Maggie Doyne. We are both here to join Maggie at her amazing school and home called Kopila Valley in Surkhet. Surkhet District is one of Nepal's seventy-five districts of Nepal located about 380 miles west of Kathmandu. Kopila Valley School and Home is an amazing place and Piper and I were lucky enough to go as a Theater and Arts Fellow and Sustainability Fellow.

Here is the story of Kopila. "After Maggie’s senior year of high school, as her friends headed to college, the 18-year-old boarded a plane in New Jersey and set off to see the world with just her backpack and eyes wide open. Four countries and 20,000 miles later, she found herself trekking through the Himalayas and walking along the dirt roads of Nepal’s most poverty-stricken villages." The rest of the story is here.

Day one dinner was a traditional Nepalese buffet, which we were told is usually 85 courses but we did ‘buffet-light’, only 12 courses which included boar and buffalo.

Over the course of the next few days we visited Bouda Stupa, which looks like a giant mandala. Pashnupatinath Panch Daval one of the most significant Hindu temples of Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River and dates back to 400 A.D. The Beekeeping Shop of Kathmandu, and a music shop to pick up guitars for the school.

Here is the thing about Kathmandu. It is magical, interesting, overwhelming, chaotic, hard to breathe and a great place to see. Every day we would head out to explore and inevitably would be in a situation where we had to barter. I am terrible at bartering. Not just terrible, really terrible. It became an ongoing joke at how bad. 

After a few days Maggie arrived. It was really great to have her there to show us around. Then it was off to Kopila in Surkhet, Nepal. It required a quick flight and a 3 hour drive to get there. Off to get some beehives and chicken coops going!

More later. Follow our journey here as well.

THANK YOU to Richard, Abbey, Kristen and Micah, Bonnie and Jim, Mr. Nance, Jen, Michael and Renee, Lauren, Dorothy and Howard, G'Huns, MAHA, Dell and ZZ, John A, Grammy and Grandpa, Anna and Gary, Becky, Carey Family, Julie, Sue, Gwen, Gin, Deborah, Todd, Dianne, Matthew, Bill, Matt, Mollie, Katherine, Mama Karen, Sandra, Winky, Rebecca, Lynn, Alice M, Carrie, Tracey, Bonnie, Esther, Scott Family, Rick, Jan, Henry and Jeanne, Miranda and Edward. For supporting the #beethechange campaign.

Chickens in the winter - what not to do.

Chickens in the winter – what not to do. 

1. Do not let the water freeze, even for a few hours overnight. Hens that get even just a little dehydrated are much more prone to getting weak and it takes them a very long time to get rehydrated, hens just aren't that thirsty in the winter. I do like heated dogbowls. Many don’t care for them, but I find them very very helpful. I am at school all day so am unable to tend them throughout a freezing cold day. I also put a little splash of Braggs into the water, I just think it is good for them. They like the taste so drink more water.

2. Do not let your eggs freeze. If they freeze they crack a bit from the expansion. A cracked egg isn't a good idea to eat. When I find cracked eggs I try and scramble them up for the hens. Many people will disagree with this, they will tell you that your hens are more likely to eat their own eggs as a result. They are probably right, but I haven't had that experience and they seem to love scrambled eggs. I hate to waste an egg. So collect the eggs more often when it is cold.

3. Do not heat or insulate your coop too tightly. While it is true you don't want big drafts rolling through the coop a tight coop is just as bad. When chickens breath they put moisture in the air and because they spend more time in their coop in the winter there is just is more moisture in the coop in general from breathing and droppings. Moisture and humidity can create an unhealthy situation with mold and potential respiratory issues. Also a really tight coop can have the smell of ammonia to build up which can be terrible for you and the hens. A good guide is protected, well ventilated and not drafty.

4. Do not let your hens get bored. Cut up a squash, sprinkle corn cobs around, hang a cabbage, put a roost in a new spot. I don't think they need "toys" they just like scratching about for snacks.

5. Do not deprive your hens from light. Let your chickens out of the coop for a walkabout, let them out in the winter even in the snow. Don't keep them cooped up in the coop (make sure they are protected). Chickens need lots of light to continue to lay through the winter. I use lights on timers. It costs more in electric bills, however hens need light. I also have covered their outdoor run in clear corrugated plastic roofing so when they not in their nesting boxes they have access to natural light.

6. Do not forget to go over each bird to look for signs of cold distress. Do this often. I apply Vaseline to their combs in the winter. Also make sure the coop is clean: see moisture above. A good technique in the winter is the Deep Bedding Method. It is very easy to manage, you end up with compost, they birds are always entertained scratching about, and it keeps your birds healthy.

Poultry and antibiotics.

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Interesting.