Time has passed and the tiny little chicks are now hens.
Chicks have their own needs but with warm water and a soft cloth, we got through the pasty butt and clump toe. Both were exacerbated by a 6-hour wait in the ferry lineup. Welcome to the coast eh?
We ordered 20 Buff Orpington female chicks. In the process of catching and treating them, we discovered there were 21 of them. When we told Mom we had an extra one, without hesitation, she said “That one is mine”.
We built them a coop, one that will shelter flocks of chickens for many years. Starting with a solid foundation and pressure treated beams the floor and walls were easy.
Framing any building is easy when you have done so many in the past. This simple 8′ x 12′ coop has 2×4 walls with 24″ spacing. The laying nests, to give the girls some privacy, took some planning. My friend Pat gave me great advice saying, “Remember Dale, they are just chickens.” Using google, I found some sizes for the roasts and nests. My memory of my parent’s coop, 50+ years ago, and Pats coops and advice gave me faith thast this will be a good coop.
While I put on the cladding Kelly did all the roofs. She said, “Let me do the shingles”. When the plywood was laid down, she drove to town, picked up everything she needed. Came home and shingled the coop.
The roof overhang on strongly fenced totally enclosed outside run is 4′. This will give them a place to take dust bath in all winter long.
Then Chelsea and Joe put up the trim and painted it to match our house. Sometimes we call it Buffinton manor.
We are gathering 16 or so eggs a day with some being double yoked.
And of course, mothers’ chicken is an over achiever laying 1 dozen a week including the big ones. She shares with the dog park group in Kitsilano that gives her egg cartons for the farm.
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