Sunday, May 1, 2016

Coming Home to Roost

Today we finished enough of the chicken coop that we could move the birds from their brood box to their chicken house.

reclaimed wood coop

While there's still siding and painting to do on the coop, I'm quite please with how it came out. It is made from about 95% reclaimed materials. We only had to spend around $150 on the whole deal. I'll do another post on how it was done once it's finished.


Once we had the birds settled into their new digs we needed to show Jack his new friends. I had Ann bring him over to the open door. This was his face:

orange tabby
Kitty mind blown

My ballsy little Black Copper Maran rooster stood in the doorway and stared him down.

young copper maran

Jack is not pleased.

This cat food sucks
Why did you put tiny dinosaurs in my cat fort?

So, without further ado, here are some photos of our feathered minions.

Welsummer

Welsummers are a breed that can be sexed right after they hatch, so I have just one Welsummer girl. She has lovely warm brown plumage coming in and is sweet but rather shy.

wellsummer pullet

wellsummer pullet

Black Copper Marans

First, look at the feathered feet! These guys are going to need hobbit names.

copper maran feet
Of the four Marans, were're almost certain that two are hens and two are roos.

young maran rooster
Rooster
maran eight weeks
Hen

Ameraucana

Two of the Ameraucana chicks are definitely hens. They are very good natured birds and their muffs and beards give their faces this soft sweet look.

Black Ameraucana pullet

Ameraucana muff

Chicken Combo Number One

This guy was supposed to be our third Black Ameraucana, but he doesn't look quite up to spec. He has a single comb instead of a rose comb and he's quite clearly not solid black. I suspect that a Welsummer cockerel was sneaking into the Ameraucana pen and was having his way with the hens.

I guess you could say that he had a... side chick.

*sunglasses*

Anyway, I was planning on cross breeding to get some olive eggers, so this guy is totally welcome in our flock. He's so far the only one we've named. Since he's our first cross-breed, he is chicken combo number one (comes with fries and a drink). Since he's number one, his name is clearly First Officer Welsummer Riker.

Just look at that face.

Ameraucana welsummer cross

They haven't ventured out into the run yet, but after they get settled in maybe they'll get bold and venture out (where no chicken has gone before).

The hens should start laying sometime in August. I'm really looking forward to blue, brown, and speckled eggs.

More posts as things happen.