Mar. 24, 2008 - Hickety Pickety My Fine Hen
Category • Nature Study
We just acquired a chicken, one which was previously a family's pet. This was a boon to us because my intentions to build a henhouse and run never went anywhere due to time and money constraints, but once the chicken was here we had to build a suitable shelter immediately. The henhouse we inherited but the run we had to create.
DD age 4 will be the owner of the chicken, and as such she'll eventually take on most of the chicken care and half of the expense. At the moment, DH and I are helping quite a bit as we figure out what we're doing. Right now the kids love carrying her around or watching her scurry around the yard snatching up bugs (and at least one small toad so far, to the older DD's dismay). And of course the first green egg collected was a wonderment.
Now I've got to go look through the relevant section of the Handbook of Nature Study, which as I recall suggests that bird study begin with chickens.
Comments
Mar. 25, 2008 - So cool!
Posted by Rachel
Your new chicken run looks great! I'm sure she will be a happy little layer for you! And green eggs! How awesome!
Mar. 28, 2008 - Chicken Links
Posted by lklivingston
Here are some useful links I dug up a long time ago for a local homeschool list:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs/movable-coop.aspx
I think what my parents built is pretty similar to that little red one on the bottom right. Well, no, it's not quite that fancy, but it's shaped similarly.
Here are more chicken tractors:
http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/tractors.html
And this one has both regular coops and chicken tractors:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html
Here's a forum about raising chickens:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/WorkArea/threadeddisc/threadeddiscussionRSS.aspx?/id=98006&type=topic&page=/forums/community.aspx
Edited by lklivingston on Mar. 28, 2008 at 6:08 AM
Mar. 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Your Chicken Run looks good and your chicken is cute =o) I hope you have lots of fun!! Thanks for sharing all that info. with me!!
http://theonethingps274.blogspot.com/
Apr. 3, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
How cute - and what a wonderful adventure !! Thought I would mention that chickens like company as they are naturally "flock" animals and are healthier as well as happier in a flock environment -- you might want to consider getting 1-2 more hens (who will not need more space than you already have in shelter and the pen). Check the newspaper or local farmers markets for a laying hen or two -- and be sure not to put baby chicks in with her because she will peck them to .... (chickens peck at "unusual" or "different" things than themselves.)
Enjoy. Chickens are wonderful.
MomToCherubs
http://www.becksbounty.blogspot.com