How easy is it to take care of chickens, you ask? What I know for sure is that the hard part came before the chicks even arrived. It took us four months to build the chicken coop through blizzards, sub-freezing temperatures and rainfall. But once those little balls of fuzz arrived, we hit easy street. …
Officially official!
We're legal, baby! For two months now, we've had our baby chickens, but we only had a partial approval for the coop. The final OK couldn't come until the inspector returned to check out our chicks. In Ferndale, the town where we live, the local ordinance allows only three hens and no roosters. So today's …
Poop scoop boogie
Tonight, on their third night in the coop, two of the three chicks walked up the ramp and into the hen house all on their own! Once the birds saw Matt and I walking toward them, Gigi immediately flew up on the ramp and went right in. Nellie and Loretta weren't as sure about this …
Week six: Freedom!
I was at once excited and dreadful about putting the chicks out in the coop overnight for the first time. The temperature was to drop down to 34 degrees. I worried about whether or not I should leave food and water. Despite my worries, I'm happy to report Loretta, Nellie and Gigi made it through …
Bears confinement well
While researching which breeds to select for our chicks, one attribute stood out to me: bears confinement well. The Dominique, Black French Copper Marans and the Olive Egger (half Marans) all fell in this category. I dutifully took note, but didn't really give it much thought until the last couple days. The birds are growing …
Loose ends
With the weather finally warming, and the birds growing super fast, our minds went to finishing some of the loose ends so we can move them to the coop. On the list: build roosting bars for inside the hen house and install brackets for the feeder and waterer. Roosting bars Since the highest roosting bar …
Slideshow: The chicken coop build
It took us almost four months — through snow, rain and sub-freezing temperatures — to complete building the chicken coop. But you can watch the whole process here in just a few minutes!
Week three: The name game
Three weeks in, and two of the chicks have names. Sort of. I put this disclaimer on it because Matt claims to have ultimate veto power. I've asked him for his suggestions, and so far he's come up dry. So I've gone ahead and named two of them. I was tiring of calling them by …
Week one: Tail feathers!
It's amazing how much the chicks have grown in just seven days. They have gone from egg-sized balls of fluff, to having almost fully feathered wings and the beginning of teeny tail feathers. They now stand from 4-1/2 to 5 inches tall and have been testing their wings by taking mini-flights inside the brooder. And …
Brooder experiment
I had this weekend all planned out. I planned to team up with Matt to build a brooder for the chicks. This is a box where the chicks can grow up safely and warmly inside the house, until they are strong enough to live outside. Earlier in the week I had even sketched a rough …
Chicken Scratch Fever 