The Coop

The coop is pretty much done.  I still have to do something about the gap at the roof, but it's been fun doing a bit of decorating.  These are cell phone pictures, so not the best, but it's beginning to look like fall. :-)

I added a small porch, some pumpkins and gourds, and then a porch railing.  The cute little signs came from a promotion by Purina.  Buy a bag of chicken feed get a free sign. :-)  I think they're awesome!  I still have ideas in my head on what I want to add to it (like a fall wreath on the door).  But they seem to like it, the little bit of time they spend actually in it. lol

For those that are curious, here is my "chicken section" of the farm.  When it's raining or snowing, they never have to go out in the weather.  They spend 90% of their time in the bottom of the main barn (with the horses).  They really love it when the horses spill bits of grain and they can clean it up.  Plus the manure...they really seem to love scratching through the manure pile!  When I'm done building and get the rest of those rabbit cages sold, I can clean the back part up.  

Some random pictures

The girls are growing and should be laying in just a few more weeks.  To say I'm excited about that is a big understatement. lol

I've been spending every evening, and most mornings, just sitting while they do their chicken stuff.  My favorite hen, by far, is Bonita.  The second she hears me coming, she comes running/flapping to me.  The second I sit down, she's on my lap.  They all have different personalities.  My friendliest are the Orpingtons and the light Brahmas.  The most standoffish are the Americauna and the Easter Egger, but the Rhode Island Reds aren't in front of them by much.

Professor Snape is actually coming over to me, as is Effie.  Glimmer and Spice, when they're the only two around, come over.  But I wonder how much of it is that they don't trust me and how much is because the light Brahmas and the Orpingtons keep them at a distance.

All of the girls tuck themselves into bed every evening.  What I don't know is where Professor Snape sleeps.  He's NEVER gone to bed with the girls, and I think he's hiding under the coop.  Some evening I'll have to take a flashlight out and try to find him.

Anyway, here are some random pictures of the Nuggets. :-)

Mornings with the chicks

My morning ritual consists of sitting in the grass, so the girls brave coming out of the barn and nibble on bugs and greens. :-)  Professor Snape is finally getting brave enough to come out with the big girls, but Effie still hovers near the barn.

Professor Snape

Rachel

Bonita

Effie (back), Snape, Bellatrix (RIR), and Everdeen.

Wanda and Bonita, making sure I don't have any mealworms for them.

Tractor Supply has their clearance on farm decor.  I picked up a cute little sign and a rooster night light. :-)  I have to hang the sign (it's going on the man door) yet. 

Hot and humid...blek!

It's been crazy hot and humid here in central Pennsylvania, so I haven't been spending much time with the girls.  I've been changing their water multiple times through the day, to keep it cool.  Otherwise, it's just a few minutes in the evening, before bed time.  After removing the night's waste from the coop, and fluffing their run back up, I did manage to catch a few pictures of them.  They only go outside the back of the barn when I'm up there.  Then they spend their time either in the upper barn or down in the lower barn (where the horses are, and which is cooler thanks to an old bank dairy barn).

Professor Snape, our lone cockerel

Effie, our only Buff Brahma

Free Ranging, Day 2 :-)

I let the girls out again this morning.  Effie and Professor Snape are sticking inside the upper barn.  The girls are venturing outside, but sticking to the front of the upper barn today.  The only time they venture farther is when I'm out walking around.

And while the kiddos are doing their own thing, I made myself a chicken pooper scooper. haha  It works pretty well, but I need to tweak it a bit. :-)

Free ranging, attempt 2, day 1

Phew!  I've been super busy but I finally had time to spend with the girls.  I let them free range yesterday (the first since SusieQ went missing, without a trace).  I was a nervous wreck!  They followed me to the house and back, so I've learned to sort of sneak away. lol  

I was very happy to find them all in the coop at dark, except Professor Snape (not sure why he sleeps UNDER the coop! lol).  

New run :-)

I finally have the run up for the chickens and let them out.  I still need more sawdust in there and a section of ash.  But at least they can stretch and move around. :-)

I have two more panels to add to the far side, but I need to put hardware cloth on them because hubby had hit them with the tractor a few years ago and bent them.  Plus his bloodhounds clawed through part on the bottom.

Their new home :-)

I checked on them a few minutes ago (it's almost 11 pm here) and this is what I saw:

Goofy girls!  So tomorrow, after I get their run done and they can go back outside, I'm going to put wire above the window sill.  I don't imagine chicken poop would be very easy to get off the hardware cloth. lol

Moved into Permanent Coop

I finally got my coop "chicken worthy" enough to move them in this evening. :-)  Most were taking dust baths and 3 were checking out the roosts.  I have their food, water, and oyster shells in there with them for tonight.  Hopefully, by tomorrow, I'll have their run down so they can be out again (and food/water will be moved back out).

The colored spiral leg bands came today, so now I'll be able to tell everyone apart.  Which means it's time to name the Buff girls.  I'm curious to find out if 2 of the Buffs are super friendly and 2 more standoffish, of if they've all been coming over to me and I just can't tell which is which. lol

Anyway, off to start taking apart the dog kennel panels.  No rest for a chicken lover, for sure! :-)