Our chicken coop is named the "Coop De Ville." Bruce converted the old pony shed and added a fenced-in yard. We have a couple dozen hens that produce brown and aqua-green eggs as well as several roosters that can't tell the time. We've also added young hen turkeys and Tom turkeys to the group.
Date(s): Updated December 16, 2009. Album by Bruce Strand. Photos by Bruce & Ralph. 1 - 20 of 20 Total. 7021 Visits.
1 Farm fresh eggs by the basket full. My Dr tells me to stay away from store bought eggs because of all the antibiotics and growth hormones used to mass produce store bought version. Everyone who has tried these loves the " real egg " taste.
2 From our first batch of eggs, we decided to hatch some of them. We selected the eggs that were rounded at both ends as we had read these produce females, whereas the very pointed-ended eggs produce males. Yes, eggs ARE shaped differently!
Here is the first little chickie. Chicken eggs hatch in 21 days at a steady 98 degrees and some amount of humidity. This chick looks to be a Buff Orpington.
3 Here Sue holds the same chick three weeks later. This one is very tame and is happy to be picked up and held, and we named her Goldie. There are more photos of Goldie in this album as she matured. "Awwww...." View Comments...
4 This is the start of our chicken coop that we have named the "Coop De Ville." It is made from the old pony shed we had here and all that is original is the four corner posts and the front and rear header boards. We chose this location as it is easy to see the fox when he comes to visit, night or day.
5 Here we see some progress. The roof is on. It looks like the title of this picture should be "Porky's Bar-B-Q."
6 Here we are getting some final closure to this issue. Still working on the "FOX-proofing."
7 More additions : front door, 8 ft chain link for enclosure, chain link door with simple latch, and one African pygmy goat named Beth.
8 A view from a distance, inside still needs tile on floor!
9 Doesn't every chicken coop have a tiled floor? These are industrial-strength tiles, the kind you see in schools. Not sure if they have ever been "hen-pecked" in their product testing, but ours sure will be! "Wow, lucky chickens!" View Comments...
10 The favored nestbox of the day is where most of the chickens go to lay their eggs. It makes collecting the eggs that much easier.
11 Billy the Border Collie has a great show to watch today on the "RFD TV Chicken Channel." Goldie, left, can't believe her eyes as she watches an Americauna hen flap in the water bucket.
12 Inside the chicken run.
13 This variety of chicks includes Buff Orpingtons, Cuckoo Marans, Blue-Laced Red Wyandottes and Americaunas. "Oh my gosh, if Samuel see's them......." View Comments...
14 Bruce with our first rooster to crow...who was supposed to be a laying hen, as we were told by some chicken expert. Actually, we thought "she" was sick when "she" began choking a lot. Roosters have to practice their crowing before they can perfect it, and we heard each and every rehearsal. "Looking good with hair on your chinn..." View Comments...
15 The four turkey chicks are kept apart from the chickens. Facing left are two Red Bourbons, that will mature to mahogany and white feathers. And facing right are two Royal Palms, that will mature to black and white feathers. Not your typical white Thanksgiving turkey or your typical wild brown turkey either.
16 A Cuckoo Maran rooster speeds away with a most desirable prize...a pizza crust. Goldie has her eye on him and more than likely, his possession of the prized treat won't last very long.
17 Our nicest Buff Orpington hen.
18 On the left is Gus, a very stately Rhode Island Red rooster, and nearby is Goldie. We hatched both out and consider them to be special. Our neighbor Jerry has a flock of R.I. Reds and his rooster just wasn't towing the line with the hens, so we brought Gus over to Jerry's henhouse to liven things up a bit. Now Gus really has something to crow about!
19 Our newest addition is this beautiful Tom turkey. Here he is, strutting around and showing off to the hen turkeys.
Those eggs look so good, best they taste great. I though about getting some hens, we have room, but can't convince Jerry. Maybe some time in future. At least they are not like cows that have to be milked twice a day. What about the goats? Though about one of those for Gem after cat passed. - Carol Bowers, Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:50AM
