The Homestead Coop

[HomesteaderWife]

They are having a supervised play date this morning- enjoying a cool and cloudy day while fighting each other over bugs they've caught, and copying one another as they learn to perch on a log. It's a fun day!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Carrying in naturally formed rocks (mostly large Quartz) from the woods and creek to line the bottom of the pen. Large logs are around the outside.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Getting my hands dirty using a simple recipe today to chink the log coop- this will help keep it well insulated and safe from predators. Don't worry- I have small open areas for ventilation already!

As an interesting fact- the wood ashes that go into this mixture for chinking have a cool story. I use recycled pallets from around our house to create artwork that I sell. The scraps that I can't use go into a burn bucket. These scraps were then burnt to make the ash needed to chink the coop! We try to reuse a lot of things here and repurpose them, just like this.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

The chickens enjoying their first full days outside, playing kings and queens of the mountain on their little perch I made them!

 

[CrazyChickLady7]

They are just gorgeous. I hope that you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.

 

[GramaCindy]

Homesteader Wife,
I am loving this coop and your use of natural resources from right there. Looking forward to seeing more progress.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

The babies finally figured out yesterday how to get on the ramp that leads to their coop. I put in some fresh cut/dried hay from a nearby field, and they are loving it! Next is to decorate their future nest box, made from an old bookcase. Needless to say, the nest box will have books painted all over it, and I'm calling it "The Library".

The little girls are already named- Pretty Girl, Runt, and CB (Chocolate Bird). The boys are yet to be named by my husband!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

As an extra little read, there are going to be great things coming from having these sweet chickens! Babies we will sell or give to friends that want to raise chickens. Eggs will be given to family and friends, and used OFTEN around the house! Feathers that have been shed will be used in artwork, especially some gorgeous rooster ones. They will help to control bugs and pests as an added benefit, just like the local Purple Martins we have houses and feeders out for.

The birds will have a large pen, 100% outside at all times! We are always on high alert for predators- even one of our dogs. The other day I stepped outside and the dog ran off just barking and growling! I was wondering- what is this crazy Jack Russell doing?! I look up and he had alerted us to a huge hawk flying over! (We don't play with predators around here)

It is important, for us, to hold on to tradition- thus I managed to find a basket just like the one my Grandmother used to have for egg collecting. She'd send my little cousin and I out, each equipped with one basket, and we would race each other (carefully) to collect the most eggs like it was Easter every afternoon. These are my fond childhood memories, and when we one day have children, this is the life they will lead.

Next comes rabbits for meat, fur, and sale! Then meat pigs. And soon, two male calves so I can start training our oxen for pulling out logs when my husband mills lumber. I also have in mind to train them to a cart, so we can ride a few miles down the road on the cart to the feed store when we need animal feed, plants for the garden, equipment and tools, or even just for a soda!

Thank you for reading- God Bless! Tomorrow is a Sunday, which means no work in our household!

-HomesteaderWife

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Goodnight! Settling down for their first night in the cabin coop!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

One of our three new bunnies looking out over the chickens.