Our chicken coop saga began back in June. We had sold our house and moved out on 7/6 but we needed a place to keep the coop until we got into our new house (just moved here 9/28). The plan was to take it to my in laws with us, but that was a ridiculous idea because our coop is a beast. There was no way we'd be able to get it down their hill. So we had to think fast, we made a couple inquiries but weren't able to figure anything out. Finally a guy that my husband works with said that his backyard was unfinished and we could keep the chickens there (in Lehi, we live in Eagle Mountain) because they've wanted chickens and they could try them out for a while.
With that figured out we needed to get the coop out of our backyard and into theirs. We ended up hiring a crane. He weighed it while it was up in the air...it weighed 1800 pounds!! So the chickens lived in Lehi over the summer. We moved to our new house and Monday the crane came back and lifted it from their yard, and then my husband pulled it behind a borrowed truck to our new house and this is where it will stay forever. We don't plan on moving ever again, but if we do the coop will stay!It was such an ordeal catching the chickens by myself the first time we moved the coop. I would catch one, put it in a box and when I tried to put the next one in the first would jump out! I'm sure I could have sold tickets to the comedy!
We did lose our speckled sussex (boom lacka lacka) over the summer, she was our favorite hen. I'm not sure what happened. I went to check on the chickens one day and Boom Lacka Lacka was dead in the nesting box. She had been gone for a little while so I have no idea what happened. Some sort of disease? Maybe she was broody and didn't get out for water and got dehydrated? I'm not sure, it was a sad loss but the rest of the ladies are okay.
In the spring we will have had the ladies for 2 years so we'll add some new chicks to increase the laying that will likely be slowing by then. We are so glad to be settled in our new house and I'm so happy to have our ladies back!
Wow! A crane! That must be some hen house to go through all of that for.
Glad you got everything settled. And, sorry about your loss of a favorite girl. 
Yes, you will have to get some more pullets if you can find them in the spring, then you won't have to wait so long for more eggs. Ask me when it's time, I know a few folks around here that may have some. I don't think I will, I am done hatching for the winter. I am hatching the small birds for my last hatch, so unless you want diet sized eggs, then I may have some pullets for you.
