Well, we wanted chickens -we got chickens. We just adopted a flock from a couple who lost their farm in the floods. They are relocating to Wisconsin with friends and needed to find a home for their chickens. They live about 3 hours from us, so we met in the middle today and made the exchange. We got 7 laying hens and 1 rooster. (not to mention everything you could want to take care of chickens - feeders, waterers, heat lamps, bags and bags of food, grit, seeds, oyster shell, etc.) Instant chicken farm! We turned the enclosed room in the barn into the coop, which I have named Cluckville. I cut a big viewing/ventilation window out of one side and stacked bales of hay there so the kids can watch the chickens. The window out to the open stall is their pop hole and we have closed the front up with harware cloth and half buried chicken wire. The next step is to lay concrete all around the metal walls to deter digging predators. I think the chickens will be safe. (hoping, praying - lots o' predators around here)

Anyway, here are the chickens after arriving at Cluckville.
Still in the box...

Venturing out....
I had just put in one long roost, but their "mom" told me that they liked to huddle together to sleep. When I saw them all piled on top of each other by the pop hole I knew they weren't going to just adapt to the long roost. I slid another board in and all but one is sleeping there now.In case you were wondering what they are wearing, those are called chicken saddles. It is to protect the hens from getting torn up when the rooster climbs on them. Machine washable too.... :) (apparently, the rooster, whose name is Randy, is well....named appropriately! ha-ha!)

Here are the girls from the other day. Trinity pulled the outdoor furniture pad off to sleep on and Angelina of course had to follow suit. She got her pillow and blanket and they laid down in the yard. Such silliness... where do they get it?!?!
Finally, a beautiful rainbow after a quick downpour the other night.

Posted in: Chickens, rainbow, Slow Lane on Monday, June 23, 2008 at at 12:34 AM