Teh Chickens!

(4 days old at right)------------------->

There has been much ado made on this blog by our dear sweet chickens. Between the trials and travails of keeping them in a cardboard box warm, happy and fed; to sleepless nights worrying about designing the perfect coop. So without further ado, let us introduce the girls.

On the top left we have Olivia our Speckeld Sussex, on the bottom is Eva ,a Black Australorp, and on the top right there is Regina, a Golden-Laced Wyandotte (they are 2-3 weeks old in this picture).

(1 month old at right)--------------->
I write this sitting outside on our back table watching the chickens decide if food is really worth the cold, so let me say that they are quite a bit bigger now. Two months old in fact with all their real feathers, in fact now they are no longer chicks but pullets (yes chickens have angsty hormonal teenage years too). When we first got them (two from the Urban Farm Store, one from Naomi's) we kept them inside a scavenged carboard box making sure they were plenty warm. Although I see my breath this morning they are big enough to be in their coop without much worry about their comfort. All three breeds were selected for cold-hardiness, good nature, egg-laying, and of course beauty. Their adult colors are showing up, but I would reccomend checking back in a few months to see how beautiful they really are.

These chickens are my pride and joy, and so far some of the best pets I have ever had. As Ms. Fauna and I are concerned with urban self-sufficiency raising chickens was an obvious first step in ensuring a healthy supply of protein. Note however, that just because this is a cool fad right now in PDX, don't get chickens unless you can commit to them for at least 10 years. I would be quite saddened if our fair city becomes overrun in wild chickens just because people realize they are a chore.

But for now *bok bok bok*!
~ Flora

Getting Cooped Up

Flora and I hadn't been working on our garden long when we decided we wanted chickens too. Portland allows up to 3 chickens (no roosters) within city limits without needing a permit. So we talked about what our flock of 3 would look like and how we would house them. I designed a coop:

And then we built it! Here it is almost complete- it needs to be put into its final place on blocks and the wire run needs to be installed around it. Notice the vent on the side (there's another one on the other side to match. The front underneath the window is a full-length door that opens upwards for cleaning. There are 2 roosts, a nesting box (with a small outside hatch for access on the other side), and a trap door to let the chickens out. The feed and water containers will hang underneath the coop. There is a gutter on the back which will be used for rainwater catchment that will feed into the chicken's waterer. This is how it will look, more or less, when its done minus some adornments such as flower baskets and paintings of eggs from around the world.

In building the coop we used mostly scavenged and reclaimed materials. We purchased a couple new 2x4's for framing, but that was it. The final cost was roughly $100.

Although it sits empty currently, we hope to have baby chicks to raise for it in late February. We wanted to build the coop now before the rains start and so that it can sit and weather and the paint can cure before we put our hens in it.

When we do get hens, we'll be getting 3 different kinds: an Australorp, a Sussex, and a Gold-Laced Wyandotte. Each were chosen for their personality traits, laying ability, and weather tolerance. All three are prolific layers (the Australorp is known for laying 5-6 eggs a week). All three are docile, friendly, inquisitive, and good foragers (which is good for us since they'll be allowed to root out bugs in the gardens).

Expect more posts on the ladies when we get them!

-Fauna