In their temporary home, the brooder box.
Kaylee poses for the camera.
Zoe sitting in her feeder.
Snuggles.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
We Have Chicks
This afternoon we picked up our first two chickens. They are 5 days old and still quite fluffy. The darker chick is a Barred Rock named Zoe. She is perky and a little feisty. The other chick, Kaylee, is a Buff Orpington. True to the Orp's reputation, she is very sweet. It is fun to have two girls with such different personalities and appearances. Here are some shots from their first day at home:
Thursday, February 14, 2013
A Coop Raising
We built our coop this weekend. We found it in an auction for Tilth Producers of Washington. It was Lot #302, the Firefly Chicken Coop from Hammond Farm Innovations. We got a screaming deal. I love the look of it. I'm still trying to convince D to let me paint this on the side.
My brother came over and we knocked it out in about 2 hours. It was easier than an IKEA bookshelf. Everything was clearly labeled. Every screw had a pilot hole already drilled. Foolproof.
There are a few improvements I'd like to make. I'll detail them here over the coming weeks. One thing I'm not sure about is the slat floor and droppings tray. I was planning to use the deep litter method. Hammond claims that we won't need any bedding in the "hen house". I don't know s--- about chickens, so I'll try it for a while.
My brother came over and we knocked it out in about 2 hours. It was easier than an IKEA bookshelf. Everything was clearly labeled. Every screw had a pilot hole already drilled. Foolproof.
There are a few improvements I'd like to make. I'll detail them here over the coming weeks. One thing I'm not sure about is the slat floor and droppings tray. I was planning to use the deep litter method. Hammond claims that we won't need any bedding in the "hen house". I don't know s--- about chickens, so I'll try it for a while.
To Name or Not
We are eagerly counting the days until the chicks arrive! We will bring home two girls this weekend and two more will hatch in a few weeks. SV pointed out that after the chickens arrive he will be outnumbered 7 to 1. I'm taking this as a good sign since seven has always been my lucky number.
In preparation for the girls' arrival I've been reading many chicken care books and blogs. I've noticed a division in chicken keepers: those who name their hens and those who don't. It seems that most small backyard flocks give their hens cute names. I guess that naming doesn't really make sense with a flock six Buff Orpingtons or Broilers. We are softies and will be treating our chickens as pets as well as egg makers. They will be named.
We've been tossing around naming themes. Here are some ideas:
In preparation for the girls' arrival I've been reading many chicken care books and blogs. I've noticed a division in chicken keepers: those who name their hens and those who don't. It seems that most small backyard flocks give their hens cute names. I guess that naming doesn't really make sense with a flock six Buff Orpingtons or Broilers. We are softies and will be treating our chickens as pets as well as egg makers. They will be named.
We've been tossing around naming themes. Here are some ideas:
- Botanical names
- Authors
- Characters from Harry Potter/Buffy/Firefly/Star Wars*
Opinions? Suggestions? What do you think?
*Only kidding about Star Wars. Famously there are only three female characters in the original trilogy. We'd have to reach to Episode One to find enough names for the flock.
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