Chicken Construction News

It has been a busy month at the Homestead Coop, and we are sorry we have not communicated much to our readers. All of us are on overload this month. With the arrival of the ten little girls (we hope that's what they are) the pressure was on to get the summer juvenile coop annex built. They were outgrowing the box in the garage quickly. We also had to rebuild the back pen so the big girls would have some shade, and the little ones could temporarily get some air while we were building. They are so much fun to catch and put away at night. We had forgotten how much exercise we get with new chicks. The old ones are so used to the routine by now, that they just run into the coop when we offer them the appropriate bribe. Not the little ones. So it has been back and forth for a week or so, while Matt and Wendy worked out the details and built the new coop for them. The fact that both of them have gone back to work just made it more challenging. Jeanne and I built the new back pen, so we could give the new ones day care. Frank had dug the new trenches for the new side pen, which proved a real chore as there were massive tree roots to contend with. Then Wendy and Matt planned, built, planned some more, built something else, planned again, changed the plan several more times, and managed to get a rather unique and practical new house for the new ones to grow up in this summer. They used some recycled materials, and bought some new stuff. It was really fun to watch them work on it. They are both so relaxed and steady in their approach to a project like this. We tried to stay out of the way, as we knew we would be next to useless at the engineering involved. When the coop addition was done, Jeanne, Frank and I finished building the pen around it and put on the top part. This involved some gymnastic talent on our parts, particularly getting the wire over the top of the rather slippery roof of the coop. But it is all done now, except Matt plans to tweek a few things. The girls will need a small  window of some kind, in addition to the vents. They seem a bit freaked out going into it at night. Matt has had the chance to crawl under the coop twice now to capture them. Great fun. Tonight I managed to convince most of them to go into the coop to get food and water, with me standing in front of the door, and I got them to stay. Of course there is always one rebel. This might be our rooster, as "she" has been difficult from the start. Jeanne had to come out to do her chicken herding routine and help me get her captured. This is their third night in the new coop. They are getting good on the ramp and can fly off the front porch, or even fly right up onto the coop platform. One of them flew up onto the coop roof, then had to ski down the slant to get off. Luckily we had a top on the pen. The big girls, who are now right next to the new ones on two sides, seem only mildly interested. The little ones show some curiosity, but they are very busy trying to learn how to catch the large number of big flies we have right now, thanks to the tent worms, which they parasitize. No one will eat the tent worms, at least not after the first try. 

     There will be some new photos up soon. I have finally gone digital and have taken a number of pictures. However, I have only gotten to page three of the manual and now cannot find it. I have no clue how to get them into this computer, but Matt will get to it soon, when he has time to breathe, and teach me. I wished I had the camera with me tonight when Jeanne was herding four chickens at once. They were having such a great time digging up our flower beds tonight, that they balked at coming in and I had to call for help on four of them. There she was using her famous stick strategy to move them to the coop, where I waited with their bribe. Chickens do not herd well, but she is getting good at it. Be assured that she doesn't hit them, rather she corrals them by holding the sticks out to her sides low and moves them along in the right direction.

     We also have one hen, a buff, who has refused to leave her nest box for the last month. At first we thought she was sick. We hand fed her water and food and expected to find her dead every morning. She does not lay eggs anymore, but she will sit on those laid in the nest box she occupies. Several hens will climb on her and lay their eggs. We have decided that she is simply broody, and that's all she wants to be. When I take her outside and dump her with the others, she acts normal for a short time, joins the crowd digging at the compost or taking their sand bath, then she pops back inside as soon as I turn my back. She must eat and drink when we are not looking. If we put a cup of food in the box with her, she will eat it. Same with water. So we have stopped worrying about her. At least we always know where she is. 

     The Coop has also moved into working sort of as a community garden. Frank and Jennie have planted a large raised bed, and so have Matt and Wendy. These new beds are in our existing garden space, so all of us now have lots of sun to grow veggies. Jeanne and I have gotten carried away again also. With the early spring and all our hard work, we have a rather amazing community garden going now. The new fence we put around it earlier keeps the girls from tearing things up at the wrong times, but they can patrol the perimeter for grasshoppers and other unwanted bugs. they were allowed in before we planted and will clean up in the fall. Everything is popping up green. We all take responsibility for watering, particularly in the intense heat and dry spell we have just had. The tent worms are fading out finally, letting in more sunlight than we really wanted in the forest. Boots has not yet caught the squirrels or chipmunks, but has managed to get one moth. Perhaps when the gypsy moths hatch she will be on top of her game. All is well at the Homestead Coop. Still have plenty of eggs and visitors are always welcome.