Perch added to nest boxes.

I added the perch to the front of the nest boxes today to make it easier to get in and out of the boxes.

The nest boxes are in. Let the egg laying begin.

The chickens will be 16-weeks-old tomorrow, so I figured I better get some nest boxes in before they start laying and get in the habit of laying them on the floor. Although, if they feel like laying on the floor, the boxes won't matter. Chickens have a mind of their own. I think they turned out pretty good, but I just about screwed up and couldn't get the assembled unit into the part of the coop where I installed it. One of those "Oh Sh#&" moments.




It was threatening rain today, so I worked on the covered front porch.


I used 1/2-inch plywood for the bottom, sides and back.


Here's the tight fit. If I hadn't been able to get it in, I could have removed a couple of the strips holding the chicken wire on, and it would have went in for sure.


Adding the partitions to make three separate boxes. I used the same thin plywood for the partitions, the roof and the front lip, that I used on the inside walls of the coop.


Next the roof.


The finished product. Although, I will add some type of perch in front to make it easier for them to get in and out.

A little quality free-range time with the girls and guy.

The family is out of town, so I spent the evening with the chickens after cutting grass. Caught Mr. Cogburn crowing a couple times and a Barred Rock pecking my toes in this video.

Our sales flyer.

I commissioned Isaac to use his artistic ability to come up with some illustrations for a sales flyer that I'll take to the office and give to anyone else interested in purchasing eggs once they start laying. He did Foghorn Leghorn and drew a rendition of our coop. I printed out the sales info and we're ready to start selling.

The girls have started free-ranging.

About all I've done on the coop recently is painting the outside. The red is all finished except the clerestory wall. I've primed all the fascia boards white and need to get white stain on them too. Once I finish painting the trim boards, I'll get the trim pieces on and some hardware cloth over the windows. Meanwhile, here's some recent photos and videos of the girls and guy. Since they're now used to their coop and know where their secure roost area is, I've started letting them out of the run into the fenced portion of the backyard to free-range for a couple of hours in the evenings. Close to 8 p.m., most of them head for the coop and any that don't are easily run in with just a little encouragement.

6/11/11 - Enjoying some leftover watermelon.





6/6/11 - The first evening I let them free-range.



6/9/11 - They're getting a little braver, venturing onto the tree that I still need to cut up.


6/12/11 - Since letting the chickens free-range in the evening, one Brown Leghorn has flown up on the fence around the backyard, but none of them have flown out yet. When she took off from here, she touched the top of the run fence with her feet and then landed inside the run.


6/16/11 - They like eating the walnut leaves. I hope they're not bad for them.




6/6/11 - This was the first time I let the chickens out of the run to
free-range in the evening.



6/18/11 - This is the chicken eating the Dobsonfly.