Craft project?

Definitely the largest, but not most time consuming, craft project I've ever worked on.

Since we got our first chicks in March of 2013 I've talked about building a coop. We had a small cute prefab coop in the backyard but small is the key word there. When I first saw the dog kennel here, that would never be used as a dog kennel, I new that would become The Coop.

First came security. Done. Roosting done. Next came nest boxes. Done. Clean auto filling water done. Finally, they needed protection from winter weather. Michael built channels to slide stacked fence boards into. These can easily be removed in the sumer to allow for more ventilation or even spaced for partial coverage as seasons change. Of course this was my cue for fun ~ paint! I then kept going back and forth on what I wanted it to look like. Two trips to Home Depot and lots of little sample cans of stain. One and a half days of painting. Rachel and I are done! Well... for now. I dream of an automatic door so the girls don't have to wait on me if I'm out feeding the horses at dawn or in town at dusk and a myriad of other reasons.

You've previously seen photos of the nest boxes, coop, and so forth. Here are a few of our painting. Now, the finished project isn't posted here because it's not cold yet. I only put a few boards up to get an idea of what it's going to look like. You'll get a photo of it when all the boards are up. Promise!

There will be space left at the top for ventilation ~ always need ventilation no matter the weather. There won't be boards on the doors but there will be year round boards above the doors. It's not at all what I've been thinking of for two and a half years but I love what we came up with! Can't wait to put all the boards in and show you!

And, one last cute touch, lanterns:

Now I can concentrate on an enclosure for the turtles. No, I'm not posting a photo of their current habitat because it's just not aesthetically pleasing. Just be assured they are well fed and comfortable :)

Moving day for the guineas

Today was exciting for the itty bitties. The guineas are 6 weeks old and growing faster than weeds! They're already larger than the Bantams that are just over 7 weeks old. They've been in the run from our old coop since we moved here. It was getting a teeny bit crowded in there so it was time to move the guineas on up to their permanent living quarters. There was lots of carrying on during that process! I guess that means they'll make good security birds :)

The three chicks, Lucy, Carol, and Phyllis (think comediennes) will stay in the run until they are close to fully grown, somewhere around 5 - 6 months of age. Bantams are a smaller breed of chicken so it is necessary for them to be fully grown when introduced to the flock. The initial establishing of pecking order can be rather rough. Another reason I like my docile breeds ;) As for now, they are either feeling a little lonely, or relishing the extra wing room! My money is on wing room. 

We converted the old dog kennel to a coop for our girls. It is divided down the middle with a rather large pass through. One side is for night time roosting and the other is for eating, drinking, and nest boxes for laying eggs. I'm sure there will be changes made along the way as we observe and learn what works best for our flock. It's been secured from large critters. Next step is to add removable siding that will provide warmth and protection from the winter weather. We can then remove them to allow good ventilation during the hot summer months.

Guinea fowl roost up high while chickens roost on lower branches. I've arranged various branches found around the yard at different heights to accommodate everybody and keep the bottom girls poop free. The guineas will be confined to the roosting side of the coop until they are about 6 months old. This will help reinforce the coop as their home so they will return every night after foraging in the yard. I placed the guineas on the top branches and they were maneuvering up and down on them in no time. All my girls are brought up on water bottles because it prevents messy water bowls that can also cause health issues. You get a glimpse of our new Chicken Fountain toward the bottom right. It automatically fills and I'll be able to add apple cider vinegar to it also!

Currently the pass through is closed off because my older girls need access to their next boxes during the day so I keep that side open. We then let them in the roost at dusk. 

There are 6 pearl and 2 lavender guineas. They've just been put in their new home and aren't quite sure what to think. They're keeping an eye on the lower one who has decided to check out the food and water I've shown them. They'll all follow her once they figure out what she's found. BTW, she seems to be top guinea. The lavenders also seem to be the smartest. It'll be interesting to see which ones are girls and which are boys as they mature.

And, here's one last silly shot of a guinea :)