HenHouse Henry
Songster
I retired on January 1, 2020, by March the world shut down. My new retirement world got really small. I had an old chicken coop that was turned into a Junk Drawer for big JUNK. That summer was depressing I had no ambition to do anything. In September my birthday came and gone and now the Holidays were right around the corner. One day I went into the old coop to get the Halloween decorations and I looked around. The next day I spent the day throwing everything out. Most of it went in the driveway and was posted for free on Craigs List. Throughout the fall and winter, I spruced up the coop with nest boxes, roosts, feeders, and water. Most if not all was from stuff I had around. Then I started the research on what chicken breeds. I am allowed six. No Boys. One of the nearby co-ops had a website that listed what weeks were getting which breeds. March 5th they had the breeds I wanted. After the holidays were over I set up my deliveries for feed. After getting chicks, and they were able to go out to the coop I spent more time outside watching the pullets grow. That lead to digging up a lot of oregano and chives, dividing them up, and planting along the coop and pen. Later I made a chunnel (Chicken Tunnel) along the front fence that borders a parking lot for a bar next door. The tunnel is about two feet wide and two feet tall and runs about 25 feet to a Wire House a neighbor gave to us when he moved. It's shaped like a house and I was going to use it as a squash Trellis. It measures 6'x6' x 7' tall. I wrapped the inside with chicken wire. And planted my squash and it took over the trellis and gave the girls a nice shady spot. All along the tunnel I filled in the spaces with herbs, shrubs, and flowers to hide the tunnel. I divide and transplant Mints, Lemon Balm to plant along the run. I use a lot of Rosemary and Lavender in the boxes and flooring in the coop. I spend more time in the yard now and have a reason to get up in the morning. I have a routine now and feel less stressed and I am enjoying my retirement. I've lost weight and feel better mentally. The next spring four new chicks, replacing two hens I had lost one to a raccoon, the other? I know, the chicken math. Integrating the younger ones into the older girls took a while, but by the end of summer, they all were getting along. In September I went on craigslist to sell some of the eggs. I have two customers that pick up their eggs once a week. I leave them in the back of my pickup and they stop by pick them up and leave an empty carton with the cash. Then most of the girls stopped for the winter. I just started to get enough eggs to sell again, both customers are really happy. I'm getting ready for the spring and have lots of composted shavings to spread from my deep litter method. Bulbs are poking out already and things are getting green. I am looking forward to another summer. I love retirement!
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Congratulations on your retirement and renewed life with chickens 
What breeds have you gotten so far? I've been able to control my Chicken Math as my CH (chicken house) size limits me to 6 although I find 4 is a good size, more room less issues. I am however thinking of adding another enclosure 
to add more, not that I need more eggs but they are Pets with Benefits. Recently a friend has been buying from me to sell to her customers, don't know why I didn't do this sooner as it sure helps with feed costs.
