Our Chicken Coop

Somehow, we finally got around to working on our chicken coop today. Don't get me wrong, it has served our little flock well for over a year now, but it isn't really finished. Mostly, I was eager to clean up a pile of leftover siding from the old place and this was the ideal spot for it.

We got a nice early start while Lincoln took his morning nap. Zeke was happy to run around exploring and it was oddly overcast (perfect!) all morning.




The boys kept themselves entertained all afternoon with a pile of sand and the garden hose. I can't even venture a guess as to how much sand Lincoln may have ingested. It wasn't pretty. And Zeke kept "accidentally" spraying him down, but it really heated up this afternoon, so it was kind of okay.

A little closer to being finished. I need to paint it now!

The Coop, Day 2

So, yesterday was as hot as we feared it might be. But the guys successfully completed the footings and were ready to go again first thing this morning. Zeke loved going out to check the progress and generally get in the way. The rest of us just popped out for a few minutes, here and there. Did I mention that it was HOT!?

Lincoln grins at his good fortune to be in Hailey's arms.

These guys blow me away. By evening (despite the HOT) they had raised the walls, put in the floor (complete with tongue and groove flooring) and roofed the coop. Amazing work. There are going to be some happy chickens living in there soon.

The Coop, Day 1

The work begins. It is a pretty terrific goal to build a chicken coop in only a few days, and given that it is supposed to be blistering hot out today and tomorrow, who knows what will happen. But the guys were out bright and early, digging the foundation.

A little tomato thievery in Nana and Papa's garden.

Zeke keeps it cool with a water hose. He especially enjoyed giving the dogs "drinks".

Around the Campfire

The campfire was a VERY important part of this camping trip. There was a fine, light drizzle as we pulled up to the site, so Robb started by putting up the tent and getting the fire going.

When the Finkbiners and Fackenthalls showed up, we also got a nice tarp awning, but the fire was definitely the focal point.

Jo and Pepper roast a marshmallow.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Gabby is taking great care of the chickies while we're away. They are egg-laying wonders this spring. We usually have four or five dozen eggs in the fridge at any given time, so let us know if you need some!

Eggs!

Finally, the day we've been waiting for! No, I think I oversold that one. We are still awaiting THE due date. But this afternoon when Robb went to check on the chickens, he found these four little treasures.

Daddy's Little Helper

This evening Zeke helped daddy with a variety of outdoor activities. The first was to build this chicken feeder out of PVC pipe. It required using the Skil saw, so Zeke had to learn to cover his ears. (Although I'm pretty sure this is exactly why Grandpa Jim is hard of hearing...)

Chicken Run

Ezekiel enjoying the spectacle.

Robb and Corren threw this little chicken run together this week and today we finally got a chance to test it out. They seemed to enjoy the experience thoroughly and even found some worms to devour.

Chicken Update

Zeke wishes he could keep it for a fort.

Robb and Corren spent the better part of the day making the new chicken coop liveable. They added brood boxes, a window and finished out the door.

There were only a few setbacks (Robb shot Corren's hand with a staple gun). But by tonight the chickies are snug in their new home. And it was just in time. All day long they have been escaping their box and running about the bathroom.

Chicken Coop!

After a morning of working on the tile project, Robb and Corren moved on to tackling the chicken coop. I have to say, they got so much more done today than I would have thought possible. This is only the "house" part of the coop. They are going to put it up on legs and build a run on one side. Good thing too, cause those cute little chicks are now awkward, half-grown chickens that are starting to need more room than their box in the guest bathroom!

More Friday Fun

Testing the swing.

Abigail and Ezekiel enjoy a good story with Papa.

His joy is uncontainable.

It really was a great Friday. Nana and Papa showed up for a weekend visit and even brought along Abigail and Oliver. Zeke was over the moon.

Chickies!

Awaiting their new home.

Enjoying their warm and cozy new home.

We were so excited to head to the ranch supply store and pick up baby chicks this morning. We got some Black Sex Links. We were hoping for a rooster, since Zeke loves them so much. Alas, I think we got some other variety of chick instead. I guess we'll see.