Wing It Ranch

[Auntiejessi3]

The other day one of my shy chicks was feeling more bold and decided I wasn't so bad and she came up to take treats. I realized she has some crazy eyes. One eye is so dark it looks black. The other eye is half black / half hazel. Has anyone seen this before? It's pretty cool. She's perfectly healthy.
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I haven't seen it in chickens, that's pretty neat! I have seen it in dogs and cats, it's called heterochromia.

 

[Bawkbok]

What a pretty girl. That's really cool - special.

 

[WingItRanch]

They're always so helpful...

 

[wrathsfarm]

They're always so helpful...
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Until I'm chasing them around the yard trying to get a screw back.

 

[WingItRanch]

Until I'm chasing them around the yard trying to get a screw back.

I've learned not to chase because it just makes them gobble it down faster! Like a fun game of keep away. I pretend I have treats and they ignore whatever it is that I don't want them to have.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

They're always so helpful...
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She is really examining your work

 

[WingItRanch]

So I've never posted my coop & run. For a reason... I've noticed people can be a little judgy or make a lot of comments about what you did wrong. Well, I figured this was a safe space since this is my thread and only nice people are here haha. I do welcome constructive criticism if anyone has inputs.

Here's what I started with:

Here's the small adjustments over time:

And I've been working all weekend on expanding with an open air coop on the opposite side of the traditional coop:

Everything is covered in hardware cloth with a skirt around the perimeter. I plan on adding nest boxes (which I'll need similar to the current ones because my loved ones refuse to enter the coop) and I'm going to collect rain water from the roof and feed it back into the coop with horizontal nipples.

I currently have 10 hens and 8 pullets. They free range for several hours in the afternoon. Well, the hens do.. the pullets will eventually.

 

[WingItRanch]

You'll see behind the main coop is the grow-out pen. That will also be a hospital if I ever have a sick chicken. I'm going to spin it around so the little red house will be hidden behind the white wall once the chicks are in the big coop.

Speaking of... that's next weekend. The plan is to let the hens free range then close the run and place the chicks in the main coop and open the new section. Let them fully explore where the food and water stations are located and best hiding spots. (3 waterers, 2 feeders). Then at dusk, I'll let the hens back in and hope everything goes smoothly!

 

[Bawkbok]

Wow, that looks fantastic. You did all that work yourself? It would have taken me a month, not a weekend. Very impressive. The chickens will love it. Tons of space. It sounds like you have a great integration plan - how old are the pullets now?

 

[WingItRanch]

Wow, that looks fantastic. You did all that work yourself? It would have taken me a month, not a weekend. Very impressive. The chickens will love it. Tons of space. It sounds like you have a great integration plan - how old are the pullets now?

I built the walls last weekend and the rest this weekend. I'm exhausted but happy to have it done! I had help with the roof but everyone else I did all by myself!

The littles are 9.5 weeks old but they're pretty big! I'd say they're the same size as my Ancona and my smaller Easter Eggers.