the first

I had every intention of telling you today all about my weekend canning frenzy, but yesterday ended with far too exciting news not to share it with you!!  Stay tuned for our regularly scheduled programming to come later this week on canning and muffins.....

...But for now... 

OUR FIRST EGG HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're sooooooooo excited!!!  (Well, Dan is unfortunately out of town...and is unable to stare at it and hold it, as I've been doing.  So, I'm trying to do enough of that for the both of us!)

The chickens have been making quite the ruckus lately!  So much so, that Dan began to do a bit a research, just to make sure that we didn't have any crazy ladies on our hands.  His research not only confirmed their sanity, but also their nearness to laying.  We have been waiting patiently (mostly) since the end of July, when they turned 4 months old.  We've (I've) been giving them almost daily pep-talks about earning their keep and lecturing them on the cost of their feed.  And, by golly, I think it worked!  As today, after a reported afternoon of significant squawking (by the chickens, not me), I came home to find a little egg nestled safely in one of the nesting boxes!  I just stood there staring at it with my mouth wide open for a little bit.  The first egg has FINALLY arrived!!!

As I held it and admired it's color and shape, I was (and still am) amazed by its perfection!  It's just so pretty and petite! 

I then picked veggies and tucked it neatly into my basket...'cause who wouldn't!??!

It then found a home in my adorable little egg trays that have been waiting even more patiently to hold something other than dust.  

We do believe that the lucky lady was Chicken, the chicken.  While I didn't expect her to be the first, I was happy to be able to give her a congratulatory squeeze this evening, as she's the only one of the five who will willingly let me hold her right now. 

Hooray, Chicken!!!!  You've officially entered hen-hood!!!  On behalf of the rest of the adult female population, I welcome you.

chicken happenings

The chickens have become very fond of their outside home and yard...sometimes a bit too fond of the yard part of that combo...I officially have a couple of trouble makers on my hands, namely Henrietta and Birdie.  They are partners in crime.  Henrietta is super cute and sweet about it--just always curious about what's going on and wanting to be involved.  In the process, she gets into trouble.  Birdie, on the other hand, can usually be found running around my yard and garden boldly smashing and eating my precious plants.  There has been a lot more chicken chasing happening around here as of late.

Mischief aside, though, they are a constant and hilarious source of entertainment in our yard.  Here are a few pictures from moments when I've been able to capture their antics over the past week.   

Happy Friday to you all!  I hope your weekend is filled with wonderful memories and moments of rest!

the ladies' new home

Here it is!!  The long awaited chicken home is here!  The ladies first slept in their coop a few nights ago.  It was a rough start--one that almost ended with bringing them inside the house.  They were fluttering and chirping so loudly, we were afraid they were going to hurt themselves or annoy the neighbors.  However, a compromise was made by bringing their light out to them, which we think made them feel at home and soon got them to quiet down.  They slept their first night all huddled together on their new perch inside their coop.  

Their second night was much better!  A little food enticed them into their run when evening was upon us and then as the sun set, Birdie and Henrietta quickly found their way into the coop and onto their perch for the evening.  Trudy, Chicken, and Pollo were less sure about this whole night-time coop adventure and proceeded to walk up and down the steps, again, and again, poking their heads into the coop, then walking up and down, again, and again.  Birdie eventually coaxed them in with a few adult-like squawks, and before sunset, they were all settled into their new home--and all on their own!  We're happy chicken-keepers, yes, yes, we are!! 

I'd love to invite you on a lil' coop tour with me!  Please do come along! 

The coop is in functional mode right now, but by the end of the summer, it should have some siding and paint to add to the aesthetics.  We decided on a six-foot door and six-plus-foot run for easy cleaning and access.  I'm already really happy that we made that decision.  

It took them a little while to get use to the screen walls.  After flying into them and trying to scale them several times, I think they've come to realize that they can't get out.  We'll see...

The coop door is one of the fanciest features of the coop.  In the picture below, you can see the pulley rope that slides the door up and down.  We were given the recommendation to have a door that slides up and down, rather than side to side, so that the straw doesn't get stuck in it.  

The nesting boxes are another favorite feature of mine.  The outside nesting boxes door opens so you can easily grab eggs and run!  

We also decided on double back doors that open wide so that the bedding can be shoveled right out into the compost bin, which is just to the right of the back of the coop.  The coop floor will also eventually be lined with linoleum, so cleaning and disinfecting will be slick! 

I love this final little touch that my love added...a hanging straw bale!  It's tucked nicely under the eaves to keep it dry and mostly critter-free! 

We are all happy and feeling at home here on our little city-plot of land!  Thank you for joining me on my lil' coop tour!  I hope you have enjoyed it!

the coop

Construction has begun!  Whoohooo!!  One more week and these ladies will be able to move into their new digs.  We're all excited.  (Well...they have no idea...but Dan and I are excited!)  The plans for our coop started developing last summer.  They was a model coop at our state fair that we made a point to see, take pictures of, ask questions about, and thoroughly inspect.  Then at the end of the summer, we went on the Twin Cities Chicken Coop Tour sponsored by Egg|Plant Supply in St. Paul.  It was a lovely event where people around the city opened their backyards for people to stop by, meet their chickens, and see their coops.  After gathering lots of information from books, people, and the internet, we came up with the following design.  I'll post more once it's complete and give a full tour and explain all of the exciting features.  (The chimney in the picture below was just a fun sketching addition...I don't think that will really be apart of the finished product...)

The ladies seem to be really enjoying the new coop!  They hang out on it, under it, and around it quite a bit.  I think they will adjust rather quickly to their new home once it's complete.  

Happy Friday from us to you!  I hope your backyards, be they urban farms, suburban flower beds, or rural spawning lawns, are beginning to burst with life and summer projects!  Here's to a beautiful, restful, and productive weekend!

the ladies - week five

It's been a busy, rainy week around here!  The ladies haven't ventured much beyond their green rubbermaid, which is still in our sewing area out of convenience (it's just getting cleaned more!).  They are a now a bit too ambitious and curious about their worlds to take them all out in the house like we used to.  When we do, we end up chasing chickens around the kitchen saying, "Come back, lady!" and "Please don't poop!!"  We live an exciting life....

So with that...there haven't been many pictures this week since it's hard to take pics while chasing chickens!  I was able to snag a few, though, so please enjoy!

Happy Friday to you all!

the ladies - week four

Happy Friday to you all!  If you saw my ridiculous Easter post, then you probably assumed that my chickens participated in an equally ridiculous photo shoot to produce that picture!  It's true!  I admit it.  We had a photo shoot.  And one of the other fabulously ridiculous outcomes was the gem below.  If you enjoy it even a fraction of the amount that I continue to enjoy it, I'll be a happy lady. 

On that note...It's been another full week with the ladies and the one word I have to describe that week is "pee-eeww!!"  These ladies stink!!!!  With that being said, we are still enjoying them immensely...we're just anxiously awaiting the middle of May when they can lovingly be pushed outside...for good!  

This past weekend included a few long afternoons outside.  While I cleaned up the yard, they pecked at anything and everything and even discovered the taste and excitement of worms!  By the end of both afternoons they were spent and ready for a good nap!

This is my cuddle-dud Pollo.  All of the other ladies were off snoozing in the sun on their own, but she wanted to be on my blanket by my side.  She's sweet.

Birdie enjoying some Easter sunshine with my love.  She has some beautiful orange and brown feathers coming in on her chest.  Her breed (Ameraucana) can look quite different from one another, so it's fun watching her colors develop.  

Chicken practicing her acrobatics. 

Henrietta, just being large and in-charge.

Trudy, slowly catching up to the others in feather growth and wing development.  She's mellowed a little this week and has been ok with sitting on my hand for a more extended period of time.  I think she may be warming to me...maybe

This next week will hopefully include some initial construction on a coop for the ladies!  I'm so excited to see what my handy husband has in store for them!  I think they will also be moving from the sewing area to the basement, due to their smelliness and the dust that is either coming from their food or bedding, or both!  My goodness, my sewing machine and piano are not happy about that dust!

Here's to another week of growth and warmer weather for us all!