Coop Stool (and I don't mean chicken poop)

DGD loves to help in the coop. She's a great "pooper picker upper." She'll sit and cuddle with chicks. She's a real animal lover. So I fashioned this #10 can into a cute little stool that she can sit on while enjoying the chicks in the coop.

Chicken Update

The chicks are now about five and a half weeks and three and a half weeks. They have been in the coop for about a week now. They really like it out there and it is soooo much cleaner and easier to keep clean. When they were in the house, I had to clean out the box and change the water twice a day. Now I can quickly clean out the coop once a day. I just roll up the newspaper and throw it in the trash, scrape the poop off of the little roosting boards and the water lasts longer than a day because it stays cooler.

On the ground, you can see dandelion greens. They just love them and they are very nutritional. They also like to play keep away with them. It's quite entertaining.

The kids just love being in with the chicks.

First Full Night Out In the Coop

They Are Growing Quickly

 It's unbelievable to see how quickly the girls are growing. Ember on the right is three and a half weeks old, the other three are one and a half weeks old. It amazing the difference that two weeks can make.

 Shortie is on top of the world... or at least on top of the feeder.

 Today we are testing out the run part of the coop. They laid in the sun and took dust baths.

 DGD just loves the chicks. She is very gentle with them and just loves being with them.

 DD loves them too.

Ahh, the joys of  spring.

Adding to the Flock

So Shortie, Black Jack, Ember and Julia are big enough to transfer to the bigger brooder. There is plenty of room in there and they love it. What I love is that I found that pen at the swap meet for $8. What a deal! It works perfectly. 

PeeWee wants to get in and play.

Killler just wants a snack.

Let me introduce to you from left to right, Rocky II, Fluffy II, and Dottie

 Fluffy is an Easter Egger and the other two are Barred Plymouth Rocks.

I put marbles in the water so that they won't fall asleep in it and drown.

They seem to be a lot more healthier than the last batch.

Sad News

We are down to four now. Fluffy drown this afternoon. I'm not really sure what happened. I just found her laying in the waterer. :o(

I am thinking about going to get two more chicks.... I don't know if my heart can take this...

Checking Out the Coop

 Fluffy checking out the coop, making sure that Jack is doing it right.

 Right now, fluffy gets lost in the run.

 Shorty confers with Fluffy, it's looking good.

 The move in date will be here in no time. I'm thinking sometime in June.

 Jack and Jack Jr. putting more sand into the run.

Tonight I found Fluffy sound asleep with her head in the food, the little piggie.

Five Will Have To Be Enough

Sad news.... Little Rocky died yesterday morning. She wasn't doing well the night before. She was very weak and was so much smaller than the other girls. I'm not sure what went wrong. Since we got Ember, Ember has become the alpha. I think she was kinda ruling the food and water. Poor little Rocky was at the bottom of the pecking order. I am now keeping an eye on Ember and taking her out every once in a while so the others can eat a little more freely.

Black Jack was cuddling with Rocky the night before, she must have sensed that she wasn't well and was trying to keep her warm.

Five is NOT Enough

So after realizing how big the chicken coop is going to be, Jack and I decided that we should have the maximum amount of chickens that the city will allow. So I took my darling niece, Kae, back the feed store and had her pick out another chick from the same batch that her sisters came from. 

 This is little Ember. She really is a beautiful bird and I believe that she is a brown Leghorn.

 She fit in very well, no harassment going on. They all just love each other and cuddled all night long.

Six IS enough.

A and J from next door came to visit the girls. They just love them and are welcome to come and play anytime.

Things Are Really Moving Along

 Jack worked very hard this weekend. Lots of sun, I'm glad he put on his sun-screen.

 We put some of the sand in, we'll have to go and purchase a few more hundred pounds. I guess we can use this as an awesome sand box while the sand is still clean.

 DGD loves it. She is hoping her daddy will build her one.

 Julia

So now all of the chicks have a name... Fluffy (Delaware), Black Jack (Barred Plymouth Rock), Rocky (Barred Plymouth Rock), Julia (Rhode Island Red) and Shortcut (Rhode Island Red). I'm thinking about going back to the feed store and getting one more from the batch to make our limit of 6 since the coop is so big. ~ Hazel

Chicken Obsession

Okay.... I'm not sure what is driving me to start collecting chickens, but it sure is strong. I have been thinking about it none stop, researching on the internet, talking to people about it and yes, even dreaming about it. I wonder if I am subconsciously worried about the State of California and it's economy and that raising chickens will give me a sense of self-reliance or maybe it's because I'm getting closer to being an empty nester and I need to make sure that I replenish my flock. What ever it is, I'm having a lot of fun and I think Jack is too. Yesterday I went to get my chickies. I met DD and DGD at Midway Feed where we picked out our girls. I got
  * 2 Barred Plymouth Rock
  * 2 Rhode Island Red
  * 1 Delaware
They are absolutely adorable! I am going to let the kids name them. Right now three are named, Fluffy (Delaware), Shortcut (RIR) and Black Jack (BPR). We just need to name two more tonight when the Grandkids come by.
~ Hazel

 Saying goodbye to the family.

 The Brooder

 Shortcut (RIR)

 Fluffy (Yellow Delaware)

 PeeWee, checking out the new members of the family

Killer and PeeWee welcoming the girls.