Before I get started, I would like to first apologize for not posting for so long. I began a new job as a Behavioral Counselor, which I love, and my schedule has been a bit crazy. Additionally I am starting my next set of college classes soon, so my posts will not be as regular as I would like for a little while.
I now have chickens! I know that I have mentioned a few times in some of my blogs about a desire to eventually get some, well now I have. The process was not as difficult as I thought it may be, and neither is caring for them.
I built my own coop (above), which my wife and I designed ourselves. It was our first big home made project, a great learning experience, though there are some angles and cuts that may have been a little off. All and all, building the coop ourselves cost between $200-$250. We are also going to build the chickens an outer run, that will be about 5'/5', so they have some more room to relax during the day.
This entire project took us about a month, since we primarily worked on the weekends. It really proved to be much easier than I thought, the most difficult part being the angles for the roof.
For ventilation, we installed a wire mesh screen on either side of the top, however I have decided to reinforce it with the same hardware cloth that surrounds the bottom area.
Although the above picture shows straw flooring, we have since replaced it with pine shavings, which we picked up at a local pet store. It does have to be pine shavings, as cedar is dangerous to chickens.
You can also see that we coated the interior with a lime whitewash, a tip we learned that the Amish do to deter bugs, and eliminate any smells that may arise, and once the coating is dry, it is completely safe to have around the chickens. I can personally attest to the effectiveness of the lime coating, as our chickens show no interest the walls, and we have not noticed any odors at all, in the month that we have had them.
Above is the egg laying box, with a divider, as chickens prefer a smaller area for laying eggs, and even if you provide them with several boxes, the most dominant chicken will choose their favorite, and the others will usually all use that box as well. As you can see in the picture above, we can access the egg box separately from the coops main room, allowing us to check for eggs without disrupting the chickens relaxing inside.
The above picture shows the different kinds of eggs that our different types of chickens lay, and I can say that their taste is far more delicious than any store bought egg I have had. And I have to say that I feel safer eating my own eggs and chickens, especially after reading the news the past few weeks, how several major egg and chicken farms are being hit with the bird flu, so bad, in some cases, as the state declaring a state of emergency. (http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/301071801.html)
Now I would like to give an introduction to my three lovely ladies:
This is Sweetie, our hen who does the best with human, and dog, interactions. She will sit content in our arms, as long as you pet her. She is also the one who takes her sweet time going back into the coop.
This regal lady is Matron, and she is the oldest, and the most dominant of our chickens. She rules the coop with an iron wing, eating first, visiting parts of our yard first, as well as hearding the others inside the coop when it starts to get dark.
Lastly, this is Fiona, she is the youngest, and though she has beautiful feathers, she may be the most clumsy creature I have met. She also is the most talkative to us when we are out with them.
Please, feel free to post any questions or comments you have, and I will try to respond promptly.
As always,
Stay prepared, stay safe!
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