Brand new chicken parents :-)

[ageewax]

My husband and I just got our new pullets last weekend and finished up the homemade coop. (Picture below is before it was finished and secured with hardware cloth and chicken wire.) Already had a minor scare with pecking, but thanks to a post here on BYC, we got it all squared away with vaseline and Vick's Vaporub. Her feathers are growing back nicely. I was really surprised at how quietly the EE sits in my lap while I check out the pecked patch under her wing. Other than that we have a black australorp, a buff orpington, and a barred plymouth rock. I know we have a lot to learn, but so far this has been a super fun project for us to do together. And he had a blast making a nice home for the ladies. It's heavily insulated (continuously 10 degrees or more warmer in the coop than outside), has fire-resistant lighting (like the kind used in haylofts), has cedar paneling, and plenty of space. (I'm just psyched about the curved roof!)

Looking forward to spring so we can start an #eggwatch!

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

Nice coop! Good luck with your birds!

 

[Aorelly]

Wow, that looks really nice! And it sounds like you're taking great care of your flock!

 

[b.hromada]

That's beautiful! Such craftsmanship. Welcome to BYC! So glad you joined us! Have fun on your new adventure!

 

[Gwendylyn]

The whole thing looks great! I do LOVE the roof though

 

[Mountain Peeps]

VERY lovely!! Congrats!

Welcome to BYC!

 

[ageewax]

It's SO close to being done! I'm so excited! We just need to paint the white trim on the doors and such. And then add some plastic to the run roof to keep the snow out.The girls have found a new favorite spot (the "balcony").

 

[shorttimer]

Love the purple. My front door is painted the exact same color!

 

[ageewax]

Other than exterior decorations I think the coop is about done! I found some "before" pictures. I cannot believe how ugly that thing was!

 

[ageewax]

This morning, I went out to the coop to spend my Saturday morning with the girls as always. They like to use me as a roost - sometimes all four at once, which is beyond adorable. Blondie (our Buff Orpington) has been squatting for about a week, but her comb and wattle are small and pink, so I just figured it would be a few weeks before we'd see an egg. On the other hand, Willow (our Black Australorp) has been squatting for a few days and has a dark red, big comb and wattle. But this morning, Blondie was singing the egg song and trying to get comfy in a nesting box. She tried two of the four and chose the one we had stuck a golf ball in. She practiced for a bit at first - I checked for an egg and nada.

But then I went inside the house. All four of the girls went into the coop for a bit. When I saw they were back outside, I told my husband I really wanted to check, even though I knew Blondie was probably just practicing again.

But there it was! Perfectly shaped, small, and light brown. The shell is nice and hard (maybe it's the oyster shell we've provided in a separate dish). I was so excited, I think our neighbors thought I was being murdered. I couldn't be happier!