The Coop Stoop

Okay, I admit. Hindsight being what it is, the entry stoop to access the front of the coop should have been much bigger. Due to the addition of misters (it gets hot here, you know?), the area Around the original stoop became one big mud pit when the misters were on. This may or may not have led to one of my neighbors busting her arse in the mud (and reportedly being heckled by the chickens). So............  Today was 'expand the stoop
 day'.  Since I am a cheapskate at heart and have plenty of old block and brick lying around, I used what I had.

Midway through. Unhelpful chicken is unhelpful.

The finished product. Mud free.

The Veggie Garden - Update

as bought

Although it has been a prodigious first year for the veggie garden, the spring/summer crops had begun to fade into oblivion (plus, who needs that much eggplant when most of your neighbors hate eggplant?).  So, last weekend I dug out all the fading/non productive stuff and tilled up the beds for replanting with FALL and WINTER veggies!!  I know, I know, it's still 100 degrees and yadda yadda, but seriously, I am jonesing for fall and reviving the veggie garden will help save my sanity. Which is in precious need of saving due to the amount of work I've put in this summer in my *cough* corporate (ugh) job...... Thank goodness for chickens and cherry tomatoes.

prepping the space

 So far the following have been torn out (either because they were unproductive or I was just sick of eating nothing but eggplant for 3 months straight) - eggplant (one lone shrub survived the purge - you are welcome Pat); radishes (fungus and wilt problems lately); cantaloupe (only 1 plant survived), carrots and corn (damn you rodents!).  And now the following are getting an early start on fall......  Spinach, arugula, yellow onions, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, more curled parsley (because I like it in my omelettes), and w more thornless blackberries (because, yum.).  These join the standards that made the cut to stay which include - green beans, orange and green bell peppers, fresno chilies, basil, honeydew, cherry tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries, grape tomatoes, old german heirloom tomatoes, pineapple tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, asparagus and the necatarine and lime trees.

as of today, scraggly

cucmbers

hot hot chilies

beans

previously eggplant, now spinach starts

Lets face it, these girls get more of the goods than I do. Ingrates.

The Payoff.....

That's right. My cute little chirping peeps have turned into floofy, waddling 4-month old chickens. And now my three little redheads have started making me breakfast every morning!

Top: first egg, Bottom: store bought

The golf ball is to help the chicks
learn where to lay

the haul from the first 2 days....

Nothing better......

Coop Zen

Still putting the finishing touches on the run (like doors. those are finishing touches, right?). But life with chickens is good. My girls and I are hangout buddies and they are LOVING poking around the run, looking for bugs and good eats. They are total om-nom-nivores.

The Green Coop Roof.

Is on and almost done.....

prepping to frame

frame done and ready to set

Frame on and ready to start layering.

adding perlite mix

adding plants!

chicken wire for stability and plants installed!

More Chickens.

Because, lets face it, everything else that needs done in the house is on hold until the chickens are completely sorted out. Bathroom? Still gutted.  Living room wall? Still disaster. Front yard? don't want to talk about it.

So. Chickens.

The Girls Move OUT! Woot!

That's right. Despite the fact that the coop is not *totally* finished..... (more paint/finish roof/front door and don't get me started on the run that needs to be built....)..... I could not take having house chickens any longer.  So the coop got secured and the girls are even now busily FREAKING OUT at being outside. in the dark. with no sofa to sleep on.

Baby chickens live in the house. Big chickens live outside in the coop. And the "Big Chicken" line has been crossed...

MOM! Why are my chickens in the box??  Rosie worried about her chickens.

It aint pretty, but it's working.

Coop Frustrations.....

Did I mention I'm not a big fan of painting. or priming. or caulking.  This coop is beating me. Slowly but surely the coop is winning the psychological mind game. I just want the damn thing DONE! AARRGGHHHH.

more done, yet more to do.....

Almost ready to paint.

Interior caulked and primed.

Chicken exit side ready for paint.

The Girls, waiting patiently for me to get it together.

Today we say farewell.

For those of you unaware of the chicken drama here, it turns out that one of the 'girls' I purchased as a chick was.....not a pullet. And that is how Lady Di became Little Dave. Now don't get me wrong, Little Dave is cool as hell. He has been a personable dude and he's even been looking out for his girls when they forage in the yard. However. This is a city. And despite being in a county island, there is a definite 'no rooster' policy. And so.

Tonight Little Dave went to live with his foster family. I was so lucky to find him a home where he can get a chance to be a rooster, instead of immediate dinner. So farewell Dave! and may you spend many more days napping in the sun and learning how to crow. We wish you all the best.

Little Daves last day on the circle

Little Dave hanging with the girls

And tomorrow begins a new day explaining this to the girls.....

Lunch hour coop work

Had an hour (okay, two) today to do a little more work on the coop.....

Installing hardibacker over the plywood floor.

BOTH sides of the roof base on

TCI: Tiny Chicken Inspection Committee wants to see your permits!

Tiny Chicken Inspection Crew naps on their lunch break.

And the Coop played on.....

I want a mulligan on this weekend. Yes, I got a lot done, but not nearly as much as I'd fantasized about. Thanks to my "Big Sis" and the circle drive roofing crew who were sooooo nice in helping give the coop progress a boost right when my "can do" was about to poop out completely. You guys are the best. Progress Report!

The trap door to chicken guantanamo

Big Sis leveling out the pad for the chicken ladder

The Roofing Crew

The patio and finishing the jail

Front siding on! Sis is installing her million hour door.

Nest Boxes nearly done, roof half on

And the little runts get one more week of being house chickens. dammit.

The roof and finishing the siding install are next!!. doh.