Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Introducing my Chickens

Here are some more pics of my chickens and their coop.

This is Fuzzy my Easter Egger chicken.  She is almost 3years old and still laying bright green eggs.


Here is Chip my psycho rooster:


This is one of the newer girls sitting in the nest boxes:


This is the poor chicky I had to put down over the weekend:

and another group shot:


Here are construction pics of the coop.  It is made from rough cut lumber board and battened:

The coop is 8x8 square with a height from 6' in the from down to about 5' in the back.
The run is 8' wide by 30' long.  We let them free range in the non winter months.  The


Most people put their chickens in their back yard.  We put ours in the front yard.  That way we can keep an eye on them and keep them safe from predators.

The finished coop.  I may still paint it red and white, and add a flower box under the window.

Here are some of the eggs I typically get, green and varying shades of brown:

I clean the coop out two times a year.  They do a great job at composting 4 bales of pine shavings into fertile dirt!  I wear my space suit and do it early in the morning when the neighbors are at work or still sleeping!  I am sure I am a sight to see!  It takes me a few hours and about 5 loads with the wheel barrel to get it all cleaned out.  That includes scraping down the perches and washing the window.  Lets face it, chickens are dirty birds and this is a pretty gross job but I choose to have chickens and I will provide them with the cleanest living quarters possible.  I use hay in the next boxes and pine bedding on the coop floor.

I get about 8 - 12 eggs a day with this flock.  Thankfully in PA, small time productions can sell their eggs to the local neighbors and establishments.  I sell my eggs to my neighbors and I sell them to co-workers.  I don't have enough chickens and production to try  selling to the local mom and pop resturants.  Maybe some day.

2 comments:

  1. Are those game chickens? My dad has raised chickens my entire life and the roosters and hens look similar.. :)

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  2. He looks like a RI Red. I have one just like him. Wish u still had your flock.

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