Heartbroken. :-(

The first day of letting the girls free range isn't going well. :-(  I went to the store for paint and came home and only 11 girls are here.  One of my Rhode Island Red girls (SusieQ) is MIA. :-(

Bad girls!

I went out to check on the girls, and look what I found. lol  I figured it wouldn't be long before they were hopping into the lilac tree.  I had the run part way under the trees because they were enjoying playing and sifting through the dirt under them.  For now the fence is pulled into the yard, and I'll have to lock them in their enclosed run when I leave in a few.  Tomorrow I'm going to let them loose, since I'll be home all day. :-)

Bad girls...just bad! lol

Free Ranging...?

While my goal is to have free ranging chickens, the reality is I've been worried.  I'm worried that something will swoop in and steal them, they won't know to return to their coop, etc.  Yesterday I put up a VERY quick temporary fence, outside their run.  They can fly out, if they're determined enough and something could surely get them.  But it went well, so today I let them out in it in the morning.  So far, so good!  Here are a few pictures of them, checking everything out. :-)

Make-shift fencing

Katniss has the prettiest downy feathers!

Bellatrix, so dark and pretty!

Clove, checking out the cat.

Katniss and her fuzzy cheeks. :-)

Glo on the left and Bellatrix on the right

Glo on the left (again) and SusieQ on the right

Missing the Girls

With all of my time being devoted to getting their coop built, I haven't had time to just sit and enjoy the girls.  Hopefully it'll be done by this weekend, so just a few more days to go.  I'm headed out shortly to give them some kale and mealworms.

Mulberries ARE yummy!

It didn't take the girls long until they figured out what those strange things were I put in their run.  I'm wondering if they'll stay up past their bedtime until they're gone. haha

Mulberries....

I decided to give the girls a few branches from the Mulberry tree.  We actually have a LOT of these trees and finally we have something that will enjoy them.  Or so people say.  So far they all think I've decided to poison them or something because they're giving the branches the ole "one eye" glare. haha  

Chicken Coop, Fail #1

Well, I started to make some progress on my chicken coop today, and now I get to take it back apart!

I used some of the 2x4s we had already, which were rough cut, for 3 of the floor joists.  Then I cut 2 of the 2x4s I just bought, which are dressed.  I thought, "That's okay.  I can use the 3 slightly thicker ones for each end joist and the one in the middle."  Well, I had all of them screwed in the one face plate.  Then I thought, "Better make sure this fits in the cement deck blocks."  And, as my luck would have it, they don't.  So now I have to use swap out 2 of the rough ones to where the dressed ones are, and vice versa.  "Not a problem" I say to myself.  Except I can't get two of the screws back out of the face plate.  "Now it's a problem" I admitted to myself.  The screws my son bought me don't have the threads on the first inch.  So now I'm at a standstill until I can get them out of the face plate to screw the corrects joists where they belong.  Off to YouTube to see how to get them out. lol  I'm just thankful I didn't have the entire frame finished and THEN discovered it wouldn't work.  I hope to at least have the floor frame done before dark!

Random Chick Pics :-)

Just some random shots of the girls. -)

Rain & Tarps...

We had some major rain yesterday into the early morning hours.  Imagine my shock when I got to the temporary run to feed and sit with the girls and saw the plastic fencing and tarp only about 4' from the ground. lol  Thankfully, with the help of 2 of the kids, we were able to get the water off.  Talk about heavy!  I bet there was a good 300 lbs or more of water on there.

As much fun as it is to sit with them, watching them play and coming up to greet me, I have a busy weekend ahead.  I hope they won't be too disappointed when I don't see them much until Monday.  I don't think it's me they'll miss so much as their mealworms, though. haha

I'm still working out the final plans for the coop.  I have everything designed like I want it (although still bummed the poop tray and doors aren't going to be happening), but I'm still not sure about the roof.  I had just wanted a roof to slope from the front to the back, but I think we're going to have to go with rafters.  I wonder how hard it would be to put a little cupola up there would be?  Oh well, we'll figure something out when we get to that point. haha

I had added ashes to the girls' temporary run the other day, but today was the first they figured out what they were for.  I'm glad, because I wasn't sure how I was going to show them what it was for. lol

Because of the storms and the fact I wasn't feeling well, I didn't get to spend time with them today.  I'll make it up to them in the morning with lots of mealworms and some kale. :-)

Here are a few of them, enjoying their afternoon bath. lol  Aren't they just the cutest? :-)

The Start

Hello.  My name is Wendy, and I have just started my venture in chicken raising.  On May 11, 2016 a friend, who runs a feed store, commented that she had extra peeps that she needed to get sold.  I casually said, "Hmmm...I wouldn't mind some peeps."  I make the drive to the feed store, with the intentions of purchasing 4 to 6 peeps.  I was not prepared for the total cuteness overload when I saw them all!

There were Americaunas, Light Brahmas, Jersey Giants, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Black Australorops, and probably a few others.  I started my selection by picking 3 Buffs.  When I selected the "4th" one, to round out my flock, I was told, "That's an Americauna."  At this point I could have stopped, put the Americauna back, and selected a different one.  But did I do that?  Nope!  I then picked out another Americauna to go with the first one, then another Buff.  That, technically, was all I had planned on.  Oh, but how plans change, especially when it comes to chickens. lol

Next I saw a teeny, tiny little Light Brahma.  I was like, "I want her, too."  and into my box she went.  She was followed by 2 more.  And then I saw a cute Rhode Island Red and plucked her up and into the box.  Plus 2 more, to make it an even dozen.  So much for "just 4 or 6"!

Here they are, boxed up and about to begin their journey to the farm. 

Keep in mind, while we live on a farm, we do NOT have a chicken coop.  Or a brooder pen.  What we did have were some inside rabbit pens, and that's where I put the peeps.  They started in the basement, but I wanted to spend time with them and running to the basement every few minutes quickly became tiring. lol  Since I spend most of my house time in the den, I put the pen on my sewing table (packing up my serger and sewing machine, without even a twinge of guilt).  I was in love!  

A few random shots, a few days old.  

Life is great!  :-)

The Fun

While I was totally infatuated with my new little girls, they didn't seem to be quite so excited.  Then I was told, "Feed them some mealworms and see if they'll get friendlier that way."  Wow!  They went CRAZY over those smelly little dried worms.  Suddenly, I had them eating out of my hand, literally. lol

I was ecstatic!  I was no longer the bad guy.  In fact, I was suddenly the greatest thing ever!  Every time I came into the den, they came running to the front to see me.  I had to buy their affection, but whatever it takes works for me. lol

Here are some pictures as they started to grow and get their feathers.

Time for Outside Play Time

It wasn't long before I knew it was time for them to get outside to play.  They were growing quickly and there just wasn't much room in the pen inside to really stretch and play.  So I rigged up a little fenced area outside.  Getting them in and out of the house took some time.  I used a large rabbit carrier with a box inside (so they weren't on the wire carrier bottom), and put them all in there.  Then lugged them out and into the yard.  I was worried that, when freed in a larger area, I'd never get close to them again.  My fears were so unfounded, thankfully!  I became a huge peep jungle gym. :-)