A Weeks Wait...and we have CHICKENS!!!

Our City Council passed the ordinance last week, Tuesday night, to be exact. We are now able to have 6 hens in our yard. This morning, I was able to go to the zoning department and get our permit. We also got a permit to add a little bit of privacy fence around our yard, how nice they gave us a year to get this done!! Jason did last minute things for the coop - added the roosts, some latches, the nesting boxes and did a great job, all today!!! Heavy lifting done by Logan and Morgan ~ what great teamwork!! ;0)

Morgan ~ she would have gotten on the roosts if I would have let her!

Notice her chicken wings, getting a little afternoon snack from the chicken feeder!!

Oh My!! She thinks she is part chicken...

Morgan helped me get the rest of the coop ready for the new arrivals that came along later this evening!!

SO that brings us to this evening, the kids and I hopped in the van and ran to Theisen's for a few last minute things, like feed and oyster shell!! And a few other small things! As soon as we left Theisens, we headed to the place we bought our chickens from a few weeks back that we found on Craigslist. It was a good hour away!! Jason made some holes in a few boxes, so our chickens could safely travel home. We had an exciting ride home in the van with 6 chickens and 4 kids!! The chickens were not caring for thier ride, they were scratching quite a bit, in the boxes. I was a little worried about them getting out of the boxes. The boxes were taped, however, I didn't tape them all the way across the top of the box. We got home right about 8:00pm and it took an hour to get a little feed, water, and the chickens into thier coop. We have no electricity to our coop, although our little LED lanterns lit it up rather well. Well, enough to get a couple pictures anyway!!

The were a bit timid! There are 6 birds, 2 each of Black Australorp, Buff Orpington, and Silver Lace Wyandotte. I will try to get better pictures tomorrow. The majority as you can see went to sleep under the nesting boxes and the one Buff Orpington I put up on the roost, she stayed there while we were out there... not sure where she is now, except I do know they are tightly secure in thier Little Chicken Mansion!!!

A Week Later... and

The coop is almost ready!!

Can't Wait!! The kids and I finished painting the nesting boxes, see??

Jason and Lucy did most of the pen ~ Lucy has been sick with a cough over the past, QUITE a few days, and Jason stayed home with her while we went to church. They were able to get the posts set and a few other things completed.

Vents are in!!

Posts anchored!!
On Sunday they got a great deal done, the whole frame for the pen, and the frame around the pop door. We aren't able to build the pen right next to the building, because the roof of the coop sticks out. Jason is handy and made a little tunnel that is predator proof between the run and the building.

Today, Jason was able to get the hardware cloth up around the run. He had plenty of help!

There are a few more items that need to be finished: The tin roof, sand in the run, hardware cloth on the windows, a pop door needs to be made, some more painting, and a few chickens then we can call it good!! (I guess some bedding, a feeder and a waterer may be necessary too!)

The Coop is 8 x 4, and the Run is 8 x 8... I think our 6 chickens will be happy chickens!! In the near future they will have a nice piece of the yard that they can free range, a little fence building/modifactions need to be had.

Chicken Coop!!! Coming together!!

Haven't got permits from the city yet, however, that hasn't stopped us from getting ready. The kids and I painted the nesting boxes / feeding box.. and the inside of the coop's ceiling.

Jason made the boxes a couple days ago, and put the insulation/plywood in the ceiling this morning, before going to work!!

So excited at the progress! I am going to paint the rest of the inside of the coop for easy cleaning and to give more light during daytime hours... I need to decide if I want to pay for more insulation/plywood or if I want to skip that and paint the walls, as the coop is sided stopping drafts. There is still lots to do, but its coming together. We have to build a pen, buy a few things, sand, shavings, waterer, we need to build a fence, and figure out ventilation for the winter. As far as the summer is concerned, with the 4 windows open it works awesome (as I painted in there today). Oh yeah, Need to get that permit!! So we can bring our chickens home!! ;o) This has been so much fun!!!

Outdoor Play

The kids and I went out for a little while this evening. Between the horrible humidity and the pesky mosquitos we weren't out for long. The kids played in the playhouse, that will soon be our chicken coop and Logan picked lots from the garden, tomatoes, a pepper, and a zuke!

Lucy can't wait to get our chickens, she keeps asking me, if we are going to go get our chickens "right now". Silly girl, we have to wait on the city!

Pumpkins have overtaken my garden... I think I may have planted them a few weeks too early. However, that means Pumpkin Pie in August!! ;o)

Summer Days on our Urban Farm ;)

I broke down, and bought the kids a little bigger pool, rather than the 4ft wide baby pool that we have had for years. The older kids couldn't be more ecstatic!! It took a little bit of moving until I found the perfect place in our yard, our driveway!

Since it needs to be level, this seems to be the only decent place to put it. We layed out a couple tarps and set the pool up on those. Our cars seem to block the street and not having close by neighbors, it seems to be in a safe place. Since the pool is only knee high to Logan, Lucy absolutely loves it, to her it is giant!!

Morgan, Logan and Ethan are so pleased with the size too, since they can all fit at the same time!! The older ones swim in circles and Lucy goes everywhere! While the kids played in the pool, I mowed all of the push mower areas of the yard. (I know how to use the tractor, I just don't know how to start it!!)

While we were doing this, Jason and his brother Dave went to pick up our chicken coop. This was no easy chore as it was at the bottom of a yard that is a complete slope, the same angle as our driveway (rather steep). Jason is so handy and built a skid to place under it. He and Dave jacked the coop up and slid the skid under it, connected chains and pulled it right up the hill with Jason's truck. Got it up on the trailer and brought it home. He unloaded it with the tractor and we now have a coop for the chickens we will soon be able to get!!! Jason found it on Craigslist, we were able to get a deal on it!!

Actually, I just ordered the chickens I wanted from Craigslist!! Buff Orpington's that were born on Valentine's Day this year. They are just beginning to lay eggs!! The kids are so excited as am I. Jason has a little bit more building to do, nesting boxes, and a pen for the little girls! I have a few things to buy for the new additions to our family, watering & feeding supplies!! It is so fun to see how excited the kids are, being able to soon have chickens in our yard. (And of course I am probably the most excited for this new little adventure we are taking on!!!!)