Jun

Chickens & Coop Update

A few weeks ago, I shared the beginning of construction on my new chicken coop. As you can see, it’s done and we now have chickens in residence. The gate of the pen opens along the edge of a small meadow behind our place. In the evenings and on the weekends I’ve been opening the gate and letting the chickens wander into the meadow for some prime bug hunting and foraging.

Here’s the inside of the coop. My oldest son finished putting up the hardware cloth after my husband had put up the frame. There are my metal can for storing the chicken feed, grit, and such. My hubby still has a little work to do on the roof, and will be adding some insulation to the ceiling. We still haven’t hung the UV light fixture for this winter, but there’s still plenty of time.

And, there are eggs! Beautiful, fresh eggs! I’ve only got 4 birds of egg laying age, and laying is sporadic since they’re still settling into their new home. The rest of the birds are 3 months old and won’t begin laying until around the beginning of September. Call me silly, but you wouldn’t believe how satisfying it is to open the nest box lid and find eggs waiting for me.

An added bonus to keeping chickens is the entertainment factor. It’s been so many years since I had chickens that I had forgotten how fun they are to watch. Here’s one gal who found a cool spot to give herself a dirt bath while keeping an eye out for any passing bugs. It’s also fun to watch the young birds run across the yard, wings flapping, while chasing flying insects.