Eggs!
Topic: Chickens & Eggs

We've been getting 2 eggs each day for the last few days. I'm pretty tickled about it and am looking forward to Yvaine to start laying as well. I know we won't really be getting that many eggs, but it will be enough to share with K and still have more than enough for us. I did use our fresh eggs in the Yummy Yams this year and have also been having a fried egg or two when I'm not really in the mood to eat much else.

I am still trying to figure out how I'll be heating their water and each idea I've had just seemed not quite right. I'm sure I'll get it figured out pretty soon.

First egg!
Topic: Chickens & Eggs

Yeah! I have an egg!

I was putting the girls away yesterday and decided to let them wander around the yard while I moved the run. Well, some leaves shifted and there was this egg! I was going to eat it for breakfast, but I think I'll make tapioca pudding instead.

New coop
Topic: Chickens & Eggs

Well, the new coop is mostly finished. The hens are living in there right now and seem pretty happy about it. The only thing left is to insulate the ceiling. Well, and something about the roof. For now it has a huge drop-cloth over it. I know that won't last the winter, but I ran out of money for the month (for extra stuff). I won't be adding a heat lamp in there unless the temperatures really bottom out. After all, people had chickens in this area long before now and they didn't coddle their animals. I did add a light in there so the girlsegg-laying is triggered a little more strongly. In the meanwhile, we still haven't had any signs of eggs and I'm hoping they won't wait until spring.

There wasn't much to can this year. The tomatoes didn't do very well and the squash/zucchini didn't even come up. I really hope next year will be better. I know the first year I was giving tomatoes away and still had too many. I wonder if I took too many nutrients from the soil or something. At the same time, our summer was so mild and filled with overcast days.... I'm just not sure.

 

Coop's too small
Topic: Chickens & Eggs

Can you believe it? All that work that K & I went through and I really don't think it will be big enough. These girls are about half their full grown weight and while they look only slightly cramped in there, I know it will get worse as the summer draws to an end. But I need to pay for a car before I can start buying more supplies for the new coop.

In the meantime, they are so cool! They come running toward me when I go outside and they are starting to make chicken noises instead of the little chick noises. Not very often, mind you, just enough to let me know that time is passing.

The garden is only doing so-so. Too many other creatures are starting to enjoy my veggies and I have to toss several items out each week. But the stuff I bring in for us? Totally yummy!

Quick update
Topic: Chickens & Eggs

The coop and run are finally finished. Between weather, family obligations and work, it took a lot longer that I'd expected. So far, the chickens seem to like being int here and I've gotten more ideas for the next one. (Yep, I'm already planning the next one.)

 Don't they look like happy hens?

Nearly finished!
Topic: Chickens & Eggs

I'm so excited! We are nearly finished with the coop & run. We got all the wire attached and should be able to finish up the rest within the next few days. Since we're back intot he work week we are limited on the time we can actually work on it, plus we needed a couple more supplies.

 My first ever wall!

 The wood in the back is the dresser we're converting to a coop.

And my favorite handyman - 

Coop changes
Topic: Chickens & Eggs
Ok, since the state is still unsure about when they are going to pay the childcare providers, I'm holding tight to the money I currently have on hand. So, we will be converting a dresser into a coop for the time being. Hopefully everything will get worked out soon and I'll be able to set aside the money for later in the summer. In the meantime, K will be building just the run (with my help) and we'll work on the dresser. Who knows, maybe the dresser will work perfectly and I'll just leave it as is.

Tomatoes?
Topic: Garden

A few months ago I planted several varieties of tomato seeds. After a month, they still hadn't ome up so I turned over the earth and planted some cucumbers, sugar peas and eggplant. Now there are several tomato plants in the same area and I have no idea which ones are which! I guess I'll find out as the tomatoes ripen. In a way it's fun to know that we will be surprised with whatever tomatoes grow, but it's also a bit annoying.

There are a couple cucumbers coming out but the peas have been shorn to the ground. I truly am beginning to dispise the groundhogs around here.

The chicks are now too big for my aquarium so I rigged up a large Rubbermaid bin and screen to hold them. Since nearly all of their feathers are in, they are just about ready to be outside "on their own". My K and I will be buying supplies Saturday and will be building a coop & run on Sunday. I'm hoping to remember to take lots of pictures. It should be very interesting since I've never used a circular saw before (I usually prefer the hand tools) and K will be giving me instructions on all that. Since I did lousy in shop class, this should be interesting... though, I think K's a better teacher than my shop teacher was. I designed the coop and he helped me with the final touches in the design... since I don't really know anything about building, he helped me with where the window should be placed for best stability, how the door should sit for ease of access, and a slight change in the egg-collecting door to make it more weather-proof. He also came up with the idea to make the run easy to take apart so that when I move it the frame won't weaken. I can't wait to get started.

Gawky Teenagers
Topic: Chickens & Eggs

My chicks are beginning to look like minature hens. they still have a bit of fluff on them and that makes them look pretty awkward, but I'm still enjoying every minute.

When I take them out to K's place they get to run around in a dog cage.  There is so much room in there for them and they love it. Soon we'll be building the coop and run for them and they'll move out of my room permanently. I'll need to get a ceramic heater before winter sets in and I'm thinking about spending a few extra dollars and get a thermostat for it.

In the meantime, I love how they come up and perch on my hand whenever I call to them.

Growing fast!
Topic: Chickens & Eggs

After only one week of living with us, the chicks are much bigger. I haven't tried weighing them or anything, but they look twice the size they were. They also now have feathers on their wings and stubby feathers on their tails. Yvaine's legs seem to be getting darker as well as Garnet's beak. Ruby is the smallest so far. They do a lot of stretching of their wings and legs and I've even seen Garnet hop/fly from one side of the tank to the other.

Already they are displaying personality differences. Yvaine seems to be the most friendly and will lay in our hands quite peacefully. Garnet wants to get into everything, see everything and taste everything. Ruby doesn't like being held that much but will sit on our hand for a long time while we've got our hand in the tank.

They've also started doing a few interesting things that I have to laugh about. Two of them will run at each other, hit chests, then circle each other with their heads held high. When they are sleeping they will "floof" up their wings. I have no other word than "floof" and I'm sure other chicken owners have their own words for this behavior. Sometimes one will grab a small piece of the pine shavings and run to the other side of the tank while the others chase her. Almost as though running with a worm or other tasty morsel. It's fun watching them fling the pine shavings around the tank and even more fun watching them trying to catch the cats' tails through the glass.