Coop Expansion

With the new chicks almost ready to go outside, I felt the pressure to expand the coop by a few more feet.  Ms. Butterworth was already getting a bit cramped in her little house, and with two more birds in there it would have been way too small.  So more room is needed.  Using the left-over wood from the first build, I planned out an expansion that more than doubles the current space.  It doesn't look like much, which bothers me a lot, but I have to remind myself that it's just a chicken coop.

I hope to have the thing fenced off and done in the next few days, but this is what it looks like so far.  Not bad really, considering I'm a total idiot when it comes to construction.  I probably bent and pulled more nails than I drove in ...

The plan is to just cut that side of wire out, butt the expansion up against the wall there, and let the birds run free in the grass.

Before Construction

Currently, with bonus Butterworth action!

Ok so it's a TAD bit wonked up, but ...

Once everyone is in, I'll post some pics of that.

Cheers!

This post written under the influence of Little Walter

New Chicks ... Finally!

Last you heard, we had a chicken get its back torn out by some ... THING in the middle of the night, leaving us with one bird - Mrs. Butterworth.  As a person who advocates having more than one of the same type of pet, it was time to get new birds.

So, on March 3rd, we went out and grabbed two new chicks: an Ameraucana and  a Gold/Sliver-Laced Wynadotte.  Again,  you gotta have at least two of the same pet, or your OCD kicks in and you attach human emotions to your pets.  Ya dig?

Nice Poop, dude. 

Cat toys?

There is some debate on which bird is which type, and we will settle on names as soon as they begin to ripen. The interesting part (if there is one), is how fast these things grow.  We got them when they were about two weeks old or so, and their wing feathers are already coming in.  After two weeks, most of their fuzz has changed into solid feathers!  It's kind of amazing, really.  They are already in their awkward stage, and makes me happy that my backyard is like the isle of Lesbos, or else I'd have to give everyone "The Talk".  

Awkward!

The Ameracauna? Or Wynadotte?

At any rate, we have about 9 weeks to go until they go outside. That's all from BirdTown. Now's the time to remind you that if you are buying anything from Amazon, please click the banner up top and shop that way.  Or hit that Donate button if anything I said here is worth while to you.  Not that it ever would be.  But I don't know if you have a history of head trauma or anything, and might be sensitive to that sort of recommendation. 

Fowl

Long-time coming, but I'm getting around to posting an update on my chickens. You can all exhale now.

A couple of months ago I got two chicks from the local feed store on a whim, and they have survived pretty well.  My buddy Justin and my buddy Dave came over to help me build the coop that they will be in until the racoons get them or I run out of money.

After browsing on BackyardChickens.com, I decided to build a variant on the Dutch Hen House.  It seemed the most simple without looking like a rundown shed, and, since I only had two chickens, I didn't need something larger.

Justin did the basic design and the three of us went to Home Depot for materials.  All in all it cost about $190, and I had some wood leftover.  Not too bad.  I have zero pictures of the building process - I was too busy trying to remember how to swing a hammer.  But despite Dave's squiggly cutting, I think we made a pretty rad chicken coop.  Thanks to those guys!

So, when you have chicks, you keep them protected and under a lamp for 5 weeks, then they go in the coop.  All this time I was really concerned about the noise level - I didn't need the neighbors throwing stones at my birds, much like I do to their dogs when they don't shut up.  I have to say, these things are much quieter than I thought they would be.  No noise, save for some low clucking when I get in there to clean the poop or refill the food.  I'm digging on them, so far.

If you are looking at getting some chickens, check out Backyardchickens.com - they are a great resource and a nice community.

Here it is, my chicken coop!

And from the side. 

Note the flag, lest you forget where you are ...

The side door opens, like so. The string

is to pull the inside door up, allowing the girls

to get out of the coop and into the run.

A better view, with the perch there and the laying boxes 

to the left, where, eventually, they will lay eggs.

Butterworth and Lucretia at around 12 weeks. 

I let space under the coop for them to hang out in, and 

it's their favorite place to be. 

Awkward teen years.

I got Chicks, man!

For some reason I decided - very recently, I might add - to get a couple of chickens for my backyard.  Nothing really inspired this, and it's not something I have been waiting to do my whole life.  One day I was online looking at the randomness that is the internet and came across an article about raising chickens in an urban setting.  Three days later I'm at the local feed store (which is like a verbal time machine to say) picking out chicks with my girlfriend.  Man how I've always wanted to say that, just in a very different context ... 

My first concern was the noise level.  I don't have a large backyard - in fact it's fairly standard in size, with my neighbors right on top of me.  The last thing I want to do is build a chicken coop, raise these chicks, and have them make all kinds of noise and I'd have to get rid of them.  After some research I decided that since I want them for eggs that I didn't need a rooster, and that pretty much solved my issues with noise.  Hen's generally aren't SUPER noisy, but some breeds are more chatty than others, and most will only make a fuss when they lay an egg.  Can't blame them for that. 

The chicks we picked out are Columbian Wyandottes, which grow up to be very fancy looking birds and are supposed to have a mild temper.  We'll see.  Right now, I have them in my spare room under a heat lamp and kept at a constant 90 degrees.  Each week for 5 weeks I am to take the temp down 5 degrees, and then they are fit to go outside.

I'm pretty stoked about doing this, and I intend to post more pics and jot some notes down along the way, especially when I design and build the coop.  Here are some shots I took tonight.  Excuse the odd lighting - the heat lamp we got is infra-red and it plays havoc with my camera lighting.

The larger of the two sisters

Butts in the air, pecking at the nail patches in the hardwood.

 

Trumpy, checking out her new pals.

My set-up.  Fairly simple.

Trumpy, on the desk, eye-balling the chicks.