A Coop Fit for a Queen...or Four - May. 2, 2008
Posted in My Little Farm in the Big City
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The chickens are growing like weeds! What an odd expression to use with chickens, I know, but they are. In six short weeks, the girls went from sweet little peeps that fit in the palm of my hand to two-fisted, fat, feathered friends. It was time to move them into their new home. So, today, I’m just going to share pictures of the kids painting the coop that Tom designed and built. Thankfully, he was able to work around lumber we already had and only had to purchase a bare minimum of supplies. I’m not thrilled with the vast expanse of plain white on the exterior wall, so watch for some kind of crazy painting to be added in the next couple of weeks. ;)
As you can see below, the finished product comes complete with wheels in order to move the coop around the yard more easily. That's my hubby for you, always thinking!
Those are nesting boxes off the backend there. The girls won't need those for a couple more months yet, but the roof over them opens up for easy removal of yummy fresh eggs.
This is Cawthorne who loves attention!
This is Stripe who is the self-proclaimed fearless leader of the flock!
Last but not least, here's Peep and Chubba who are always together.
One last quick picture of inside the hen house. There are three roosts inside the house and, of course, the girls like the highest one best. I actually had to reach in and get them down the first couple of days!
Thank you for stopping by for this quick update on our chickens. Hope you have a blessed weekend!
Betty
Grace and peace be yours in abundance. – 1Peter1:2b
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My Little Farm in the Big City - Apr. 10, 2008
Posted in My Little Farm in the Big City
When I blogged my Monday Meanderings earlier this week, I realized that it has been a month since I’ve been here. Over the next couple of days I want to share with you what has been gong on this past month that has kept me from blogging.
Often times, regular bloggers will “wander” away for a bit and come back with stories of a whirlwind life and an out-of-control schedule. I know this because I’ve done it myself. Life just gets busy. This time, though, I’m choosing to say that life just got full. Very full. So, what’s the difference? Well, busy makes me think of “busy work” which is just a flurry of activity and nonsense that doesn’t really accomplish anything or present anything worth blogging about. Busy just makes you tired. However, a full life is exhilarating.
Disclaimer: By the way, your definition of exhilarating and my definition of exhilarating might differ a bit, so don’t be too disappointed when you find out that I didn’t go bungee jumping or motocross racing in the last four weeks. Oh, and this week’s posts will not be in any specific order. Don’t look for continuity here or a hierarchy of importance. I’m basically posting according to what pictures I have available right now.
Now, on to the cool events that have kept me from blogging for a month!
Meet the new additions to the family:
These sweet, fast-growing chicks joined our family about three weeks ago, and nothing has been the same since, lol! Meet Peep, Chubba, Stripe, and Cawthorne, four Rhode Island Red chickens who prompted a renaming of our home to “The little farm in the big city.”
Now, I know that many of you have large pieces of property in the middle of nowhere, and our little flock of four are nothing compared to the thirty or forty head flock you keep on a regular basis. But, we live in the middle of
For anyone who is thinking of getting a couple of chickens for eggs or just for pets, I highly recommend it. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
· Keep them extra warm for the first week.
· Get to know your feed store workers really well. They possess a treasure trove of great information.
· Be prepared to keep them in the house for a couple of weeks, especially at night.
· Be prepared to clean out their indoor cage daily.
· Be prepared to increase the size of their indoor cage every other day.
· Be prepared to meet some of the more interesting nocturnal wildlife in your area that you never even realized lived there.
· Be prepared to have parts and pieces of the “new and improved” coop sitting in your living room for a while until the final project is actually finished. Oh, and be prepared for the actual design of the coop to continuously evolve.
· Be sure that your final coop design is movable and well-ventilated. Cleaning the open run area is a lot easier if you can move the run out of your way. And don’t forget to compost what you’ve cleaned up! That’s valuable fertilizer you’ve got there!
· Spend the extra money to get sexed chickens so you don’t end up with roosters which are not allowed in most cities.
· Handle the chicks often. You want them to know who you are.
I thinks that’s about everything I didn’t think about before impulsively racing off to our local feed store to indulge in some spring chicks.
Thanks for stopping by today. Wait ‘til you see what else is going on!
Betty
Grace and peace be yours in abundance. – 1Peter1:2b
PS. Sorry, Julie, no goats here.
