Proud Mama showing off the new kids

[Cetawin]

I picked up the girls yesterday and they are just too cute and tons of fun. The girls have a variety of personalities...

The two australorps, Molly and Holly, are still cautious of the 'hand' that comes in to clean and such.

Maggie, the New Hampshire Red, while being the next to smallest, she spends her time running around and ruling the roost. She is friendly, eats out of my hand and is Mizz Bossy!

Sandy, the Ameraucana, is a fluffball who is still cautious of the 'hand' but friendly. This is the chick my 11 year old has claimed.

Speckles, a silver laced wyandotte, is the smallest in the brooder and the sweetest thing you could ever imagine. She jumps onto my hand when I am trying to clean up, change water and so forth...she is just a little doll.

Speckles buddy is the Light Brahma, Lilly. Lilly is friendly and giving me fits over her pasty butt but a sweet fluffball also. She and Speckles are always snoozing near each other. Lilly has even stepped between Speckles and Mizz Bossy...Lilly is bigger than Maggie and will stand her ground...too cute...my little pasty butt protector.

Here are some pics of the girls....

On the car ride home sitting by the heater vent in the van...

Checking out the brooder and the goodies there...

Lilly and Speckles napping....

Lilly after het butt bath...cute but not too happy....

My girls....

The coop I bought plans for and will build, with my modifications of course...

Aren't they just the cutest?

 

[Redfeathers]

They are almost as cute as my chicks. LOL

Yes they are adorable and I love that coop! Have a great time with them and post pics as they grow.

 

[ChicknThief]

That is a great little coop! You will enjoy your little chickies!

 

[jab91864]

Great pics !!! Thanks for sharing. Hard to resist chickie pics and I love that coop !!!!!!!!

Julie =0)

 

[Cheryl]

Great pictures and I love your descriptions...Who says chickens don't have personality? Just those who don't have any!!!

 

[arlee453]

I built the same coop for my girls. I made the larger size and it's very nice and snug for the weather we have around here. With the wire floor, it might not be the best design for the wooly north or bitter cold.

A few tips....

Make the two panels on either side of the back feeder little doors instead of solid (I didn't put the waterer in mine like the plans suggest). That way you can open each side and rake out the stubborn poops. OR if you don't want to use water to spray down the floor in winter, etc.

Or, if you don't want to use the bin feeder with it, make the whole back panel into a door you can open.

I use the feeder for oyster shell. They can dive bomb the feeder with poop when they are roosting, so I don't use it for feed. Also, again, due to lack of ability to get INTO the coop, it's impossible to clean it out very well.

The nest boxes work really well, but you really only need one side for the size of coop that it is. I use four of the boxes and use the rest for storage. I would have left out the dividers if I had thought ahead a bit.

Also, I put wire in at the top back above the bin feeder to allow air flow to come in the front and bottom and up and out the back.

Here's a pic of mine finished:

Have fun building it! I'd love to see how yours turns out

 

[soonerdog]

Like the wicked witch of OZ....I"ll take your handsome pen and your little chickies too, my dear!!! Just kidding..lovely pen and beautiful chicks. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
Yours looks really cute. I have several modifications in mind but will probably make others when I am constructing. The modifications already planned are:

1. Solid plywood floor with linoleum tiles (for easier cleaning) covered with pine shavings;

2. Front panels to cover the wire area in the winter but hinged to open in the summer;

3. A ventilation hole on either side of the back, covered with wire mesh;

4. One set of nest boxes closed off for storage and the roosts re-arranged to get them away from the food area;

5. The size bottom panels will be hinged to completely open for cleaning the coop out (I too had issues with the coop's lack of openings for cleaning;

6. Disregard the water platform and bomb shelf;

7. Metal roofing to cover the plywood panels;

and

8. Doors on the back side panels to aid cleaning;

So, it looks like we had similar ideas in mind. I do not want my heavy girls on a wire floor and it would be too cold in the winter. I am going to build them an enclosed run area but they have to be secure at night in the house...I have fox, raccoons, cougars, redtail hawks, eagles and owls around.

I will take plenty of pics of the building process and the finished coop to share.