What's a nesting box?

This view shows part of our coop.  The nesting box sticks out on the right side.

This is what it looks like when it is opened.  This was what I saw this afternoon.

Open the little door for inside ... and surprise!

Yep, three beautiful eggs there this afternoon

Why use a nesting box?  :)

Winterizing

Since we had one night of predicted frost, I decided to put some plastic around the base of the coop (the run portion).  It does not go all the way around... they like being able to look out.  I also added a lamp.  It is not a heat lamp, but it is set on a timer to come on in the morning to extend the 'daylight' hours for the birds.

Our 3-year-old neighbor, Brooklyn, stand next to the coop.
You can see the plastic around the bottom, and the lamp just behind her.
(The birds are already up in the top, nestled in for the night.)

Getting Used To The New Girl

Well, Amelia is not giving Rosie much relief.  We had to move the bar that the water hangs on because Rosie was making it a mess.  Amelia spent much of the past two days making sure Rosie stays up in the top part of the coop.  It is so interesting to watch... Amelia chases Rosie; Martha makes sure Amelia knows that she is boss; Donna lets Rosie know that she is the big sister, but does not get mean about it.  I think on occasion Donna will get Amelia to let up on Rosie.  While we have been putting small amounts of food and water in the top part of the pen for Rosie, she will come down the ramp after the others have gone up to roost, and eat and drink at the bottom part of the coop.

This evening, our friend, Roy, put up some new perches for Rosie to hang out on, and we relocated the water.

Thanks to Roy... two new perches for Rosie and hanging water again!

We are grateful that it seems like the girls have permitted Rosie to roost in the upper part of the coop... especially glad since it is getting colder at night.

Settling in for the night (Inside the coop at dusk)...
you can't see her but Rosie is in the nesting box behind Martha (speckled).

Peaking in the door at Donna and Amelia

Peaking through the nesting box door... you can just make out Rosie in the lower left of this picture.
Amelia is facing us at the upper left, Donna has her back to us, and, well, Martha makes sure everyone knows how significant she is in this group.

Rosie's First Day

OK, so I know that they need to establish a pecking order... but can I just say I don't like it!
The one draw back to having a smaller coop, rather than an open yard, is that there are limited places for the lower in the pecking order to go.

Rosie, you are so pretty!

Rosie has established that the rebar which holds the water off the ground is her 'safe place.'

Rosie hanging on to the thin bar.

You can see Rosie in the background.  Of course,now she is pooping in the water,
which was the reason to hang it... to prevent that from happening so much.

Two top girls!  Though you can just make out Donna in the background.

I have been hoping that Donna lets her 'mothering' instincts set in with Rosie, and she 'takes her under her wing.'  That is why this morning I let Donna in the coop with Rosie and the other two are in the pen just outside.  I know later today, I will need to let everyone share space again...

Growing Girls!!

Growing Girls!!!  Enjoy all kinds of things thrown in their pen.

Where are you running off to Rose?  What are you looking at Martha?

Scratch and peck the ground.  The ramp to the top part of the coop was a bit of challenge for them to navigate and understand at first.  But now they are pros!

Extending the Pen

We have been using a portable dog pen to help give our bunny some time outside of her hutch, and thought perhaps we could set up something to give the chickens a bit more room to roam.

When we first set it up, we did not have the doors as connectors, and simply place the birds over that we caught.  "Rose" was not interested in being caught, so she stayed in the coop.  Well,"Donna" had a fit!  She did not want to be separated, and she tried flying out of the pen and back into the coop.  We ended up put her back in the coop with the Buff.  They both settled down, and we figured out how to have the doors work as a connecting bridge.

The Chickens Have Arrived!!

YES, WE HAVE BIRDS!!
We ended up not getting hens that are already laying, nor ones that are all the same breed.  Once we got there, we saw a pen of various pullets, and decided that we wanted birds that could grow with us.  They are three-months-old and should begin laying around six-months-old.  We have a lot to learn and these young ladies will help us.

"Martha" (speckled) - Barred Rock

"Amelia," Cherry Egger, demonstrating how the waterer works;
"Rose" - Buff Orpington (background)

"Donna" - Australorp

Trying to capture moving birds in a still mode is difficult.

A better view of the Buff Orpington (right)

The coop next to our shed.
Note the frame on the bottom, on which is rests.
The birds love being able to scratch in the compost!

It's the Little Things

OK, so we now have wood shavings, a waterer, and a feeder.  Thank you Tractor Supply!
We've waterproofed the entire coop with Thompson's sealer.
And, we've built a base frame that wraps chicken wire under the bottom.
We've received a great suggestion from a friend to put compost in the bottom base frame for the chickens to scratch around in.  That's the next step.

Coop Together -- DONE!!

One fully assembled coop!

Whoop, Whoop!  Give us a night and an electric screwdriver and one chicken coop is together!

There were a lot of pieces, but the instructions were great.  Overall, very happy with the coop.  Some places feel not as sturdy as we'd like, but overall it is nice.

The tray at the bottom of the roosting area has a metal, reflecting bottom.  Seems odd, though I guess it is more for easy cleaning than for the birds to look at themselves in the mirror.
The frame to that tray cracked when the pen wasn't square.  :(
Because it is mainly two boxes held together with a couple of screws it is best to not try and move it by yourself.

We want to somehow wire the bottom so no predators can dig under it.
We also want to waterproof it before getting birds in it.

Cindy demonstrating that the coop top opens fully

Rain, Rain Go Away!!

So, our coop is stored in an area that has not flood or had water issues, until tonight!!
Hopefully, it did not sustain too much damage.  The water from a major storm, not only seeped into our basement, but also into the storage area under our kitchen.  The coop boxes got damp.
UGH!!
Get out the shop vac!

Coop Arrived!!

We received our coop today in two huge boxes.
Our kids helped to carry them around back until we could get to them.
Full month... so it is not being put together this week!
But, it is here! It is happening!

No Coop Yet

Well, we thought we might have a coop by the end of June, but we heard from GreenGardenChicken.com today after inquiring about the status of our order.

This is what the email said: "You pre-ordered Pawhut Deluxe wood Chicken Coop has arrived as scheduled and on time, but is being held by Department of Homeland Security. Every time shipments come in from overseas, Department of Homeland Security randomly checks containers. Once The Department of Homeland Security complete the check it will arrive at our warehouse and once it arrives it only takes week or two to have it ship out to your home."

So evidently, it was coming from China?? and a threat??
Strange.

Purchase coop -- CHECK!

This was Patty's post on Facebook!
We decided we wanted to give our idea for having our own egg-laying chickens to life.
So, step one: have a place for the chickens to live safely.

We wanted something that would house 4-6 chickens, provide nesting boxes, and a bit of a run.
This one seemed to fit the bill.

Now we wait for the coop. (Hopefully, arriving by the end of the month.)

The egg-laying adventure begins!