So this morning, as I was snuggled in with my cup of coffee, I noticed two men clomping through the snow in my neighbor's yard. They stopped near the back, and pointed at my chicken coop. My heart jumped to my throat. I wondered if there had been a complaint. I ran to the front …
Field trip
Seeing that we almost have the chicken coop completed, Matt and I realize we need to start thinking about the actual chickens! We still have lots of preparations before we pick up our baby chicks in February. So today we went on a field trip, and drove out to Tractor Supply Company (we found one …
The nesting box
Never underestimate the power of a dozen doughnuts. That small box from Dutch Girl Donuts on Woodward in Detroit singlehandedly fueled a productive five-hour day on the chicken coop. Today Matt and I worked like a well oiled machine. Each task seamlessly led to the next; the only loss for the day was a busted …
Back to the grind
The pumpkin pie was barely chilled from Thanksgiving, and we were back out in the yard working on the chicken coop. The decision to get out there was a painful one. Matt and I curled up on the couch, imaging the cold air nipping at our fingertips. "Can't we just wait until tomorrow?" Matt asked. …
The final stretch?
Seven hours of work in freezing temperatures got us ahead of the curve. Matt and I bundled up in ski pants, winter boots, hats and gloves ... and worked until the sun set in the sky. Two cups of hot cocoa and sheer hustle kept us from freezing solid. But the payoff was big. We …
Installing mesh
Wow, what a day. I'm really loving how I started out with the delusional thought that we'll come close to finishing the coop. And then reality kicks in, and we accomplished about half of what we set out to do. Such is life. Today, we *almost* finished installing the wire mesh on the chicken coop. …
Raising the roof!
The chicken coop is coming together ... with a little help from my friends. Today my grade school buddy Tom came by to help install the metal roof. I hired him a little over a year ago to put on the roof for my house, so I know his work is impeccable. When he offered …
Chicks, man.
In all the hubbub surrounding the chicken coop construction, inevitably the questions turn to the obvious. Chicks, man. What kind are you gonna get? inquiring minds ask. This has taken much more research than determining our coop design. We had to take many things into consideration, including temperament, size, beauty, and egg size, color and …
Weekend warriors
Our weekend warrior project has proven to have staying power. After a second weekend of work, it appears we have at least one full weekend of sawing and drilling ahead of us. My hope is that we can complete the chicken coop before winter descends upon us. I really would like to have it wrapped …
Coop construction
After a weekend of hard labor, I am relieved and happy to report that the chicken coop is well under construction. Our hope is to have it completed after one more weekend of work. We started the weekend with high hopes (and a dozen Dutch Girl Donuts) but were quickly sidelined by a trip to …
Chicken Scratch Fever 