Ya know . . . new chicken stuff

Pot Pie in lock down.

Salad Sandwich with her new nose job.

Noodle Soup free ranging.

Pot Pie kickin' it old school.

So over the weekend we had a traumatic experience with the girls. A visiting dog got a little excited right up against the run and freaked the girls the eff out.

Somehow Salad Sandwich and Noodle Soup ended up breaking the tips of their beaks off. I'm not sure how it exactly happened--We're just talking about 1/8-1/4 of an inch here--They should grow back. In the mean time eating has been a little sore for them. They've been getting back up to speed, but Saturday was rough for all of us.

So no more new dogs in the backyard.

And they seem happy--chickens are pretty stupid, which helps in situations like this.

On other fronts I ran power out to the coop and rigged up the lights and the timer--we're ready for winter!

See the glow!

Late nite dining.

Fake egg in the nest box there--Noodle Soup is sporadically laying, the others seem close . . .

A Little Video of the Girls

Check this out over on Youtube, to see it in all it's widescreen glory!

The Complex is done! (well, 99% done)

Living is good at the Wagner Home for Delicious Chickens . . .




Everything is in place now, The run is attached to the coop and base (I will henceforth refer to the whole unit as The Complex) and the hardware cloth is attached all around. Tomorrow I'll fill in the corners and stake it down .



The girls inside . . . perhaps the last time we'll see grass here.



Eating from their new feeder . . . so big . . .



You can see the waterer next the to the feeder . . . I now realize once they're full grown the waterer will have to move, but for now I'm just very proud it's all worked out.



Another view with the little ladies out in the run.



So many stories with the girls since the first post here . . . we had an Open Coop BBQ here two weekends ago, and the next morning I slept in (after letting the girls out to free range--this was pre-enclosed run) to be woken up to my room mate saying "Josh, I can't find Noodle Soup" [note of dread in her voice].
I groggily walk outside and immediately hear the somebody's-missing-peep going on. I peer over the fence to my left, and Noodie is walking around on the neighbor's deck. While usually not the most adventurous, she certainly is the best flyer--that was a 6 foot fence. I called her, and she hopped back up on the fence (it's not as high from the other side), so I grabbed her and put her back with the others, who immediately stopped their yapping. That has been the only trip over the fence . . . so far.



Now I know some of you experienced coop'ers are saying my run is too short--how am I gonna clean it out.



By opening the lid! Full standing height, with only half the fencing cost.



The egg door with dual latches--no raccoon can open both at the same time.


Someday this is where the goodness will be . . .



www.JoshuaJayElliott.com

Welcome to the OC . . . .

Welcome to the less frequent continuation of Three Chicks A day.
Without the whiteness.
We'll show the coop and run take their final form, the chickens doing chicken stuff in their 'natural' setting, and maybe some foodie stuff when the eggs start popping out.
Just some nice laid back chicken blogging, without the ridiculous commitment of daily photo sessions and entries.


So this is the Coop. The run isn't complete, so I'll just focus on the coop itself.



Cedar exterior, with a translucent fiberglass roof.



Egg door.



Here you can see the vent window.



Plywood interior--door mounted nest box (still to be roofed) and perch.



Screened and fenced vents with plexiglass windows for the winter.



The windows stay closed with magnets.




Look at the floor . . .



whoa, it opens up . . .


this will be the standard open chicken hatch position. Oh man, I should have stamped 4815162342 on hatch door . . .



Ramp view of the chicken hatch, with the under coop hooks for the feeder and waterer.


And of course, a picture of the girls--Noodle Soup, Salad Sandwich & Pot Pie running towards their new home.



www.JoshuaJayElliott.com