The Chicken Coop

Today, with the addition of hen-laying chickens (pullets), the place is really starting to feel like an organic farm. Using leftover wood and scrap materials, we constructed a box coop with a 13'x21' a-frame run, enclosed all in 1" chicken wire. The a-frame was quite fun to put up, assembling it on the ground and then lifting it up all at once. For this reason, I recommend the a-frame design for small shelters or enclosures.

To get the chickens, we drove out to Nevada City to meet a french woman and her daughter who had a pretty cool operation. They were raising all sorts of breeds nestled quaintly in the woods, and we were able to get pairs of several different kinds, non of which I can remember the names of, except the sex-links--I wonder why. We got eleven!

The names of which are:
Cookies (black and white speckled)
Cream (white and black speckled)
Butter (light brown)
Nut (light brown)
Spaghetti (dark brown)
Squash (dark brown)
Bobby Craig (black, lightly speckled)
Johnny Cash (Brown with white splotches... and a guitty)
Snow & White (two white hens with red mohawks, who peck).
And the last is called Dinner.

The sun is setting, the chickens are in their coop, the bees their hives, and me my trailer, all content. Time for dinner. Not chicken. I wonder when they're going to start laying eggs. They could tomorrow!