Coop in the making..progress photos

[petitesphinx]

The coop isn't complete yet (I have a lot of "decorating" if you'll call it that and clean up)...but it's further than it started out:


Here's our 6 year old taking time from being a princess to learn how to be a country girl. She's shoveling the trash from a once burn pit that's soon to be our chicken coop. And not doing a bad job, either.

And we're feeding them in our baking trays on the ground. Do they need more feeders, or is it ok to feed on the ground? They just step in it anyway, it seems. Messy messy..

Here's Abraham-he thinks he's a chicken now:

I'd like to paint the wall-but they're tin-so not sure what option I have there. And paint the nest boxes, pull the metal (although I commend my hubby for trying to recycle the chain link) and replace with tree branches.

They're going through soo much water, that we put a small pool in for them. Is this okay?

We have 20 small chicks that have feathers and walk fine-when can we let them run with the big gals? We let 2 out just to watch them play and the bigger chickens chased and pecked them--will they kill them or are they just bullies?

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Cool coop and a nifty little helper you have there. i would take out the kiddy pool. Chickens can't swim and you wouldn't want anyone to drown.

You may want to try hanging feeders. They have ones with dividers in them which make it hard for the chickens to bill the food out all over the floor. Makes for less waste.

On integrating your flock, i would wait until the little kids are almost as big as the big girls. The pecking order can be brutal and little guys can be seriously injured. That doesn't mean your big girls are bullies. It's just the natural order of things.

Overall you are off to a great start. My chickens would be envious of that luxurious space!

 

[Anny]

I love the picture of the "fuzzy chicken " heheehehe your dog is adorable.