Ch-ch-chickens!

[layla]

... ow. Arms hurt. Feeling very wimpy now.

We built a chickenhouse on Sunday, and today I drove into town and picked up two chickens (a rooster and a hen) from a co-worker of mine who had offered them to us. (He had to get rid of the rooster because of housing covenants where he lives.) Hopefully they'll be joined by another chicken or two before the summer is out ... assuming we manage not to kill these two.




The basic chicken house, nice and tight to keep them from freezing into chickensicles.


Added a roof and a coop.


The rooster and his lady in their new digs.


Lucky is intrigued. So far, the dogs are being very good dogs and, while curious, aren't causing problems. I had to yell at Izzy once (I have no idea what happened; all I know is that she vanished from my sight and suddenly the chickens were kicking up a ruckus in their pen and Izzy came scuttling my way when I yelled at her, looking guilty) but ever since that fracas, the dogs seem to have written off the chickens as "crazy human things" and are mostly ignoring them.


Their very first egg in their new home!

Comments

[tielan]

Neat! I've always wanted to get some chickens, but I don't think we're allowed to in our area, and there isn't much space for them to scratch around in...

Still!

Are you going to feed them mash or feed, or are you going to feed them household scraps (possibly supplemented by feed).

[laylalawlor.livejournal.com]

Well, we've got a bag of feed, and I'm sure we'll be feeding them whatever chicken-edible scraps we have, which ought to stretch the feed a lot! They do need at least some commercial feed so they get enough nutrients and calcium, but it'll also be a good way to dispose of old vegetables and such.

[tielan]

It's the "household disposal unit" aspect that's primarily attracted me, I must admit. Plus your own source of chicken manure for the garden. And, of course, eggs!