After finding Nellie and Rockefeller in the neighbor's yard one too many times it was time for action. And that action involved power tools. Clayton has built a top-notch, secret hideaway, chicken palace in our back yard. Okay, maybe it's not that grand, but I do like that you can't even see it when you walk into the back yard; it's in that unused space between the back of our garage and the back neighbor's garage. And it has a lovely roof with shingles and some pretty lattice to keep the chickies in and other critters out.
Good thing Clay knows how to build things, because I would have had no idea how to even start. The chickens would probably be huddled under a blue tarp if it had been left up to me!
All day long he was hammering, measuring, sawing, and slowly, but surely the frame, then the roof, then the shingles and then, a wonderful chicken house! He thoughtfully put their nesting boxes on the back wall and made them a nice long roosting bar to march up and down.
Sam, of course, was eager to help. He followed his dad around trying to do all the things he was doing. And I followed them both around trying to removed all the sharp tools from Sam's path and pull him down from the ladder. He's quite the fearless climber.
Nellie and Rockefeller didn't seem to mind waiting in the side yard. There were plenty of bugs to eat and tender plants to nibble. They do love their house though; as soon as I open the door, especially if I'm carrying a bowl of fresh kitchen scraps, they come running.
Because of the strategic behind-the-garage-placement it's kind of hard to get a really good shot to show you how it looks. But, just imagine a long coop, walled in on three sides (two by garages), with a chicken wire door, and a slanting roof with gutters to redirect the rain. It's quite charming, I think. The only thing missing is a sign with Nellie and Rockefeller's names. Maybe that will be my next project.
And here are the girls, Queens of the Coop. Nellie is really the queen, even though she's smaller. Rockefeller follows her everywhere and frets terribly if she can't find her. They are the best of buds and real sweethearts, so patient with Sam, gentle and friendly. They are truly the easiest of pets, we fill their waterer every few days and their grain bowl. Usually at least once a day I take them kitchen scraps, though only because it tickles me to give them treats because they love it so much. Other than that they're happen to just peck around for bugs and hopefully in the fall provide us with pretty brown and blue eggs every morning.
