My Hubby's Chicken Hobby (we call him the chicken whisperer)

[nicky]

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Here's one of the silkies

[Zana]

Cool Nicky....love the range of colour....and especially the Silkies.

[Labradors2]

They are adorable! I wish I could have my own chickies.

Linda

[Worth1]

Sweet babies.

Worth

[nicky]

Been a while since I updated this thread...

The chicken whisperer lost interest in his chickens - but I took over. This fall we built a new coop - bigger, brighter & made from recycled stuff, kijiji finds and a couple of trips to the hardware store. It is fully insulated with soundproofing Roxul (thanks kijiji). The best buy was $5 for the really cool siding in an online auction!
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This is the happy gang:
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And this is the newest fuzzbutt:
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[bower]

Wow, Nicky! That is a chicken palace!
First time seeing this thread, what beautiful birds. Chickens blow my mind!

[Labradors2]

Wow! What a BEAUTIFUL chicken house! Lovely chickens too! What fun

Linda

[MissS]

I'm so glad that you took over the chicken coop! I love the new update on the place. It is beautiful! I'm so glad that you posted because I really enjoy reading this thread even though I know nada about raising chickens.

Your birds are beautiful!

[coronabarb]

Very nice looking coop...love it!

[greyghost]

That's a beautiful house and the chickens are lovely-keep the photos coming!

[nicky]

Thanks for all of the comments guys! I really enjoy hanging out with them.

MoMo, my Ameraucana has personality to burn. She loves to be pet and often jumps up onto my shoulder when I am cleaning out the pen. I have to be careful where I step, as she is always right beside me. She is a lovely bird. Today she laid her first egg! Right in the middle of the coop! It is green!

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Here she is checking out the new baby.
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[MissS]

First egg. Checking out the baby... I think that she is trying to tell you something.

[Worth1]

Nice chickens and clean too.

Worth

[nicky]

Oh no - missS! I hadn't thought of that. I didn't mean to have any baby chicks yet... But the BB the black silkie hid them well. I'll have to keep an eye on MoMo.

Thanks Worth! Yes, it is particularly clean for a hen house. I muck out at least once a day. Everything inside is removeable, so I can clean it outside & let the sunshine do its thing in the spring!

The coop is 16' long and 8' wide. There is a 5' long storage room at the front. Inside the hen house there is a 2'wide 13' long 2 level rabbit hutch for the 2 rabbits that the hubby and nephew conned me into keeping. The other side is all open for the chickens.

Each of the panels on the rabbit hutch are easily removable for cleaning. They have 2 sided lineoleum for flooring (easy to wipe up messes). There are also dividers that can be added or removed, as you like - to house a brooder, a sick bay or just to separate fighters.
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There is a 5'x3' window on the wall that gets the most sunshine, keeping the ladies laying through the winter. The coop is fully Roxul soundproof insulated (both kijiji buys). My husband ran hydro underground to the coop, so it is had great lighting
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Here is the nest box, where MOST of the ladies lay their eggs. I'm afraid that one of the Polish lays in the middle of the floor. Hopefully MoMo will get the hang of the nest box.
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Everyone relaxing! You can see the poop board underneath the perches. I pull it out in the morning & clean it off - that kept the coop very clean, but I got tired of hauling it out the door in the snow. So I made a sandbox underneath the perches (where they sleep & poop at night) and filled it with StallDry. Now I just have to give it a quick sift - like cat litter! They LOVE tomatoes, by the way. White Currant is their favourite variety. They go crazy for the them
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[Worth1]

Our old barn had a loft and a wood ladder to get in the loft from inside the barn.
This loft was where we stored some of our hay.
It is also where some of the chickens nested.
The ladder was attached to the framework of the barn and there was a natural nest there.
Every time I climbed up into the loft to gather eggs I would get pecked by a mean red hen in that nest.
On more than one occasion there would be a black snake in it.
Most of the time in the loft I would get flogged by hens on the nest and would have to stand a fight them off.
Gathering eggs for me as a small child was always an adventure to say the very least.

One time I was in the loft gathering eggs and it was Sunday morning before church.
My mom was in the barn yard doing something but was dressed for church.
I threw a rotten egg out the big loft opening and hit her in the head.
I had no idea she was there, at least that was my story.
One of my favorite things to do was find a black snake and drop it down on someone from the loft.
Another one was to go to the hen house while my parents had company at night.
Get a chicken and turn it loose in the house.
After all these years, just now I realizes why I was the one to gather eggs.
No one else wanted to put up with snakes and mean hens.

Worth