sn0wwhite's Wichita Coop for the Twin Cities

[sn0wwhite]

I hear ya....but...remember the heat of summer!! GAH...it would kill me!

I know. How do you think the chickens would like commuting just for the winter? But, they have rattle snakes too....

Benedict's eggs are beautiful!

I got the girls at Anoka Independent Feed and Grain. They have chicks starting in April. We're really pleased with our girls. We've considered getting a Barred Rock and another EE from them this spring, but that would be pushing us to capacity in the coop and run.

We talk about moving to Florida every single day. We are just not made for this weather. If we ever get enough $$ to do it, we're out of here. I love Florida in August! *That* is my kind of weather!!

Hmmm.... no, not so much for me. I once spent a summer in Charleston, SC and that is a special kind of hot there. I swore I wouldn't complain about the cold again after that summer, but evidently I broke my own promise this year.

 

[sn0wwhite]

Sigh.... So happy it's finally spring. Spent the day putting roof panels under my deck so I can hang outside with the chickens.

 

[aart]

Cool! Now deck is a floor and a roof!

Where will the water drain from them?

 

[sn0wwhite]

It's interesting, aart. The people who built my house built it so that the drain spouts all go into underground tunnels that drain out off the cliff I literally live on. I'm overlooking a park reserve so I guess the water flows out into the wetlands and park area.

I'll find out more at the end of the month because I signed up for a class for adding a rain garden in my yard, so I'm going to learn about drainage options. I'm also taking a class on edible landscaping so I'm hoping I can turn my front yard into edible rain gardens.

I don't think I can do that in the back where the chickens because they'd just tear it up and eat it... but I will ask. At least I know I have a great supply of composted mulch/dirt.

 

[aart]

It's interesting, aart. The people who built my house built it so that the drain spouts all go into underground tunnels that drain out off the cliff I literally live on. I'm overlooking a park reserve so I guess the water flows out into the wetlands and park area.

I'll find out more at the end of the month because I signed up for a class for adding a rain garden in my yard, so I'm going to learn about drainage options. I'm also taking a class on edible landscaping so I'm hoping I can turn my front yard into edible rain gardens.

I don't think I can do that in the back where the chickens because they'd just tear it up and eat it... but I will ask. At least I know I have a great supply of composted mulch/dirt.

Wow... you could build an underground cistern and run the water into that.

 

[sn0wwhite]

Yes, except for the cliff.... The city sent me a topographical map to help me plan the rain garden, and my property drops over 30 feet in elevation in about... oh sixty feet of distance. I'd be digging on a pretty steep slope. However, there's a huge tank at work I'm going to get. They used it for detailing cars (I'm not sure exactly) but it's 5 feet tall by about 30 inches diameter. It's got a pump on top that will run off of an air compressor and so I'm considering shortening the down spout on the other side of the house to drain into this huge thing, then using the pump to sprinkle or spray the water on the garden or yard.

Are there any sanitary or mosquito concerns I should consider using water off the roof?

 

[aart]

Some folks put a filter in line somewhere to filter stuff out that might clog the pump.
Keeping mosquitos out so they can't lay eggs in the tank is a good idea.
Using a mosquito 'dunks', which contain Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis lethal to the larvae.
Or you could drop a few gold fish in there to eat any larvae.

You probably want to keep in mind some kind of overflow or bypass so when the tank gets full the rest of the water can go to the drainage system.
100 sqft of roof with 1 inch of rain will collect 60 gallons of water. SOunds like you have about a 200 gallon tank.

What a fun project, sounds like you have some research to do!
I do hope you post it here as you go along.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Happy spring, Wendy. It's good to see the chooks out of the coop and no white stuff. Even if that grass is brown and there are no leaves yet on the trees...it's all good. Twin cities folks are usually ahead 2 weeks from us up here...but I see at this time we're probably the same for grass and trees budding. Tough winter, and just think you have your first winter with chickens under your belt.

Sounds like you have an interesting project coming up for this year. If you think you want to...I would follow a thread for that project on here...Sounds neat. Sounds above my head...LOL.

Making plans to landscape around the coop, myself this year. But it will be pretty basic.

Just had to check in with my favorite blue coop...

~BTC
Amy

 

[sn0wwhite]

Happy Spring! It's wet and muddy and I guess that's normal huh? Boy, 4 hens can surely decimate a yard....

But I got great news yesterday... We got approved for a grant from the county AND a grant from the city to cover the cost of the rain garden we'll be putting in our yard. The only drawback... there's a deadline to complete the work!

The tank isn't part of the plans.. yet. The county liked the idea but the scope of the grant was really rain garden related with native plants. So that's ok, we'll go that route first.

 

[aart]

Happy Spring! It's wet and muddy and I guess that's normal huh? Boy, 4 hens can surely decimate a yard....

But I got great news yesterday... We got approved for a grant from the county AND a grant from the city to cover the cost of the rain garden we'll be putting in our yard. The only drawback... there's a deadline to complete the work!

The tank isn't part of the plans.. yet. The county liked the idea but the scope of the grant was really rain garden related with native plants. So that's ok, we'll go that route first.

Congrats!! What fun.....I hope you'll post pics here of your progress.
Are you going to have to fence out the chooks?