See the pic above? That's Henny Penny, our 1-year-old Araucana hen, munching on the remains of an apple I've been splitting between her and our bunny. It's one of her favorite treats!
It's time to collect eggs. See our decoys? Green, blue and yellow plastic easter eggs. Last night they were all nestled in hay before I left the barn. During the night (or was it this morning), Hen Pen threw all the hay on to the floor of her coop, and laid the light green egg right where I circled it, in red. It was still warm when I found it. We usually find the egg on the floor, tho. Not broken, just laid there because, probably, she felt like it. Quite the obstinate chicken.
I tried to take a good full picture of the chicken coop Hubby and I built in the garage this weekend, but it didn't turn out great. The pic, not the coop. Hope you can imagine it from looking at the pix. This is the one we built for not only our baby chicks but also, later, when we get a broody hen and want her to sit on eggs. Or if we have to get more day-old chicks next year. It has the waterer on a concrete block (to keep it from getting poopy). The feeder is full and beside the concrete block. And the block also provides 2 hidey-holes for chicks to feel protected in. We made it out of whatever wood we could scrounge, on top of a freebie pallet, and chicken wire. Even made a house (see pic below) and a roost attached to it going across to the front of the coop. Covered the whole thing in an old screen that moves easily, and a few other things. Surrounded the back and side with cardboard boxes to help insulate it (it's in the north side of the garage).
Don't they look happy? A little hay on the floor of the coop (to make cleaning easier) and on top of their little 2-sided house. Also added grass clippings which didn't take long to get packed down. Scattered chick starter feed and chick grit across the floor so they'd scratch and stir things up. Certainly like to scratch! So far, the black australorps and easter eggers are getting along ok. I'm a little concerned, still, about Libby, the easter egger that doesn't seem to be growing. She's the little one on the left. 
Here's a pic of some of the easter eggers eating their chick starter feed. Libby, the small one, is on the left, top. The one to her right is Lola with the "mask" has a brown stripe from her head down her back ... grew like a weed almost overnight. No, we haven't named all of them, mostly because we can't really tell the blackies apart, and because we're waiting to see (1) what sex they are and (2) what their personalities are.
Close up of a couple of blackies (black australorps). Interesting how some of them are developing that orangish-reddish line thingy on the forehead between the eyes.It is sooo interesting watching these chicks. I read somewhere that baby chicks, and chickens in general, can provide hours of entertainment.
Whoever wrote that.... they were right!
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Please plant a nut or fruit tree today.
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