Free at last, Free at last.....

The chickens have now been free ranging for a few days, but only when we are around to keep an eye on them.

Free in the berry bushes!

The wineberry bushes provide good cover for them while they are out and that is good because on the second day out a hawk circled over twice, yikes!  When the berries come ripe we will see who gets them, the birds or us..........

3 days in their new home

The Chickens are in their coop, have been for a few days now.  The first night I left the light on for them.  They have lived with a light/heat lamp since they were born.  It was probably more challenging for me than them, although they did peep a bit and sounded really sad, or scared, or concerned.

"Chillin" on a rainy day.

Last night I turned the light on at dusk and when it was dark and they were all inside I turned it off without a peep from them.  We are starting to figure out a routine.

The coop has a bit of a prison feel to it now with all the wire and netting up, but with the news that a family of fox are in the area, and have taken birds from my neighbor, I suppose none of it is too extreme.

coop with wire and netting and chickens

We spent a moment to get the "cafe" in order.  The porch has that feeling with the chiminea and the orange tree and the table.

We have Locally grown oranges in NY state.
They are only the size of a quarter, but hey.

Things are growing here!

Potato, squash, onion.

Asparagus

Little tiny grapes to be!
In the background is the "terrace" garden that
has gotten regraded this year.

7 foot tall deer fencing is going up around the perimeter, to keep the deer out and the chickens in.  I am making fence post from downed trees so it is a bit slow.

I also started digging a hole for the young apple tree that is in a pot.  We started it from seed.

Chicken coop Phase 2

First off, today the ladies got there first experience of being outdoors with open sky!  To this point they have been in the brooder or in the high tunnel garden, so they have always had a roof over their heads.  Even so, they seemed to be more interested, of course, in what was below their feet, in the dirt and in the grass.

BLUE SKIES ABOVE, well gray really, for the first time.

 Phase 2 of the coop was completed yesterday, almost.  This was the addition of the fencing that goes around the coop.

New fence

 The post will get some kind of treatment.  There will be hardware clothe behind the wood and deer fencing above it all to keep the predators at bay.

The Chickens have their own barrel hoop on their fence!

The fencing, and the coop can all be moved if needed but we are hoping that this area is just the default space for them and that they will be out in the greater yard most of the time. (sans the food gardens)

It almost seems like to small a space but I am sure it will work out.  the coop itself will keep the area underneath it dry and I will be adding a little bit more cover from rain and snow.  We are also thinking of using a spare picnic umbrella as a suns shade for them.  It could mount on the post and has a crank handle to raise and lower it.

We have to decide if we are going to paint the fence and make it a white picket fence.  That is almost too cute.

New additions

The press is on to get the more permanent accommodations in place for the Chickens.  In one day we got the coop moved from the shop to its proper place, put on its foundation, and trim milled and painted and attached.  Whew!!

In place and painted!

 There is still the fenced in "yard" to be completed and the security measures that go with that.  They should be able to move in by Memorial Day weekend, if not sooner.

It blends in with the rest of the micro garden just fine.
Springtime is when this place looks it's best of course.

The coop is made completely from scrap material and features "7 nesting bays".  We only have 6 birds so the extra can be a game room or something.
The day after it got moved into place we had 2 days of HEAVY rain.  The roof doesn't leak!  We dropped this thing off it's trolley/wagon about 3 times trying to get it into the pick up, out of the truck, up the hill, and onto it's stand.  It has to weigh 300 lbs. plus.  But no damage.  I built it heavy to be able to withstand predators trying to knock it over or get into it.

Back doors. 

I didn't want to go and buy hinges for the doors that access eggs and clean out, so I came up with these doors that toggle closed and can come off completely for cleaning.  BUY NOTHING!  My attitude is to try and use my brain rather than money!  Sometimes it takes a bit longer to get where I am going, but the trip is fun!