Hi! We finished our coop about four weeks ago, and have had our girls for about three. A white bantam cochin named Ida, aka Betty White; a Rhode Island Red named Lucy, a Barred Rock named Ethel, a Polish named Snookie, a Buff Orpington named Buffy and a Buff Brahma named Michelle O'Brahma. Ida is supposed to be at least a year old, but isn't laying, so I'm not sure what's going on with her, but the other ladies are young pullets, and we hope they'll be laying in about a month or so.
As all newbies are, we're new at this and learning as we go, but so far, it's fun. I've found a way to the girls' hearts through food (black soldier fly maggots and papaya are their favorites) and Buffy even flies to my shoulder most times I enter their run.
They aren't free range, but will have access to the backyard when we're out there from time to time. But for now, they have a decent-sized run and hen house. I've used sand for the run and have straw in the hen house and hay in the nesting boxes, but it's all a learning process. I like the sand, because it makes the poop easy to scoop on a daily basis, but am reconsidering the straw... maybe something else would be better?
We're looking forward to our journey!
I don't have many pictures of the girls yet, but here's a pic of our coop:
As all newbies are, we're new at this and learning as we go, but so far, it's fun. I've found a way to the girls' hearts through food (black soldier fly maggots and papaya are their favorites) and Buffy even flies to my shoulder most times I enter their run.
They aren't free range, but will have access to the backyard when we're out there from time to time. But for now, they have a decent-sized run and hen house. I've used sand for the run and have straw in the hen house and hay in the nesting boxes, but it's all a learning process. I like the sand, because it makes the poop easy to scoop on a daily basis, but am reconsidering the straw... maybe something else would be better?
We're looking forward to our journey!
I don't have many pictures of the girls yet, but here's a pic of our coop:
