Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Fancychooklady]

Hey Ben, can't remember if you guys have " red rooster " or " legs and breast " that's where I get my caterers buckets for $4-$5 . Another place is the cheese cake shop. They are usually pretty keen to get rid of them. Chin up Alicia.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Sweet, might give them a try. I also have a few builder mate I can ask.

About to leave to take Alicia to the Dr's, then pick the kids up, back to pick Alicia up from the doctors, snacks for the kids (they are a pair of eating machines after school) and then hopefully I can get back to do some more painting this afternoon.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Wait until they are teenagers, they develop ' hollow legs '. Perhaps you should make your valentine some chicken soup and administer a foot massage. Just saying.

 

[scottcaddy]

Ben, I got old paint buckets $.50 @ uncleaned and just cleaned them up lids and all. Good luck, and hugs to Alicia

Scott

 

[Bens-Hens]

Wait until they are teenagers, they develop ' hollow legs '. Perhaps you should make your valentine some chicken soup and administer a foot massage. Just saying.

I am not looking forward to the food bill, might re-enlist ands sneak them into the mess hall at meal times hahahaha

As for Alicia, I tried extra hard today, it was clear she wanted to be left alone, even refused chocolates preferring quiet time on the sofa.

Ben, I got old paint buckets $.50 @ uncleaned and just cleaned them up lids and all. Good luck, and hugs to Alicia

Scott

Thanks for the lead Scott, got a paint place not far away, will hit them up.

Alicia was diagnosed with "something something tonsillitis" as she put it. She was in a bit of pain and discomfort while the Dr was talking so she kind of tuned out at the important part. Poor lady got a script and antibiotics so hopefully she will bounce back soon. I know this has really knocked her about as she has given birth twice with no pain medicine and one of those kids was 10lb 4oz!!!

I enlisted the two boys for some after school painting lessons this afternoon (about time they started to pay me back for all the food!) and they chipped in with the white paint while mum had a nap. Two coats down and it looks like it still needs another one. Still have to oil some more too, sort out the nest boxes out and replace the door magnets I picked up today, then it will look like a coop. Finish off with the ramps to the run and the girls can move in.

Would love to have it sorted before the end of Sunday, but it's going to be tight time wise. Fresh pics tomorrow afternoon.

 

[NovaAman]

Lost your pecker... That was funny Oz!

Love the new cubby house coop. I am waiting for the boys to out grow theirs... I figure it'd be a great coop... be my luck they'll be sneaking girls out there in the dark when they are teenagers... That's only about 8 years away for the one... Oh lord...

 

[NovaAman]

Hope your wife gets to feeling better right quick.

 

[lindz8504]

Aww... Feel better soon Alicia!

I dread my kids hitting the teenage eating stage! They eat more than most now as it is... (Umm the baby ate 4 bowls of chicken and dumplings the other day!) It is crazy at how much food we go through around here... and the doctor tells me that my kids are going to look skinny compared to most of the others in our area because 85% of kids in our area are overweight or obese.... Mine are not, but eat like crazy!!!!
After our foot of snow, it was 58*F today, so it melted quite a bit! It is still white out, but there are patches of ground showing. The chickens refused to touch the white stuff, but were quite pleased when I shoveled some away, and threw the leaf litter up on the snow... They ventured out on it as long as it wasn't showing... Silly chooks!

 

[Bens-Hens]

Just a quick update on the coop upgrade. Got a second coat if oil on the exterior, not super happy with it, wish we had sanded it first or painted it in a colour. Oh well, next time it needs a freshen we can do that.

Inside we got three more coats of white in the walls, sanded both the roosts and oiled them with linseed oil. I was thinking about another coat if white, but it might be ok how it is, looks better now it's dry. Not that the chooks would complain anyway! Still to paint the floor and track down some limo scrap before sorting the best boxes.

I am torn in those still, crates, buckets or take the extra time now to gather materials for external nest boxes. Needs more staring and thinking to solve that I think!

 

[Wrightsx4]

The coop is really nice looking I think. Hope those antibiotics are helping Alicia by now, sounds miserable.
I never oiled our roosts but I'm wishing I had. When I do our spring clean out they will be hosed down, scrubbed and oiled once they dry. If it ever gets sunny enough to dry before they need to be put back for the night.