Building the chicken spa

Flicka and Finn

Our weather is warming up at long last, and I see already how hard the chickens are going to be on the grass in their run.

Outside things are greening up, but the grass inside never had a chance and the wooded portion of the run has already been thoroughly mulched.

The endless rain this spring has made everything a soggy mess which doesn’t help--I can hear the chickens squish along as they run.

The Spa

Ever since I got the chickens off the porch last winter I have wanted to have a spare coop of some kind. At some point I will have a sick chicken or broody hen which will need to be kept away from the others and I have no intention of having them back inside if I can help it! I’d also like to use less (no) chemicals on my lawn so I started planning a mobile hoop-type chicken tractor “spa” which would be sturdy enough to serve as a permanent run someday with the addition of a small coop inside and surrounded by electric poultry netting. For now, I'm planning to add a small run-in shelter and just toss a couple of hens inside during the day. Steve has worked hard on it in his spare time and it’s shaping up.

Finn, caught here in an awkward preening moment.......

.....is growing up to be a handsome boy.

He’s starting to get a little feisty with me however and I’ve had to chase him and carry him around to remind him who’s boss. Mean roosters have never been on my radar. The whole time I was in college working daily with large numbers of chickens I got attacked by one rooster one time. I hear they can be a big problem though and I have no intention of putting up with one. My friend is getting some meat birds processed in the fall and if Finn turns out to be vicious, he will join them. I bet he tastes like chicken..... For now, he’s settled down and stays away from me when I’m in the run. So far, so good.

Goldi in the nest box

I am beginning to be awash with eggs. At least four of the hens are laying, and one is producing huge, double-yolked eggs.

Belle and Flicka

The girls are looking more like mature ladies now and I think everybody’s about as big as they will get.

Clucky

The First Egg!

The first one!

Last Wednesday evening when the chickens were exactly 21 weeks old, I found the first egg lying next to the feeder in the coop.

The last grocery store eggs ever!

It was very tiny--bantam-sized (seen here next to normal sized grocery store eggs), but I fried it up and it was delicious! Another one appeared yesterday so it looks like we're off and running.

Flicka and Belle

I'd been thinking they might have belonged to Belle because she appears the most mature with a red face and a well-developed comb and wattles......

...but this morning it's Rachel who's showing signs of laying, constantly moving in and out of the coop and rummaging around in the nest boxes. There'll probably be another egg today!

Finn and Goldi

Meanwhile, I heard Finn crow for the first time over two weeks ago, but so far he's only doing it in the privacy of the coop. Fine with me and the neighbors!

Clucky and Zen

I've seen him do the "wing dance" courtship displays for a couple of the Orpingtons to no avail--they each edged quickly away. On the other hand, Belle runs to his side often (maybe for protection from the more dominant pullets), but I haven't seen him courting her.

Zen and Rachel

Flicka