It All Started
Over the winter months, while reading gardening books I came across many gardeners whom incorporated a small backyard flock into their landscape. The thought of it really intrigued me and the more I researched and read the more excited I became. There is loads of information on the internet and one site set you off onto another. I knew if I was to do this I needed to get Bob’s support, build a safe henhouse and run and it had be ascetically pleasing. And so the journey began. In early spring after much debate and research we decided to order the henhouse. It came from a company in Pennsylvania. The mini-coop (henhouse) that we ordered was built by the Amish people and shipped up on a flat bed truck. Delivery day was very exciting. In the meantime I needed to have land cleared to house the coop. So for weeks before the delivery I had Sully the landscaper clearing and preparing for the delivery. It was very scary at times seeing the transformation from a wooded lot to a widely open space. I have a real hard time cutting trees indiscriminately. Sully was able to replant two of the pines, a holly and a rhododendron. In addition I had many new Leyland Cypresses planted on the plot line.
The henhouse was delivered on April 1, 2009. Sully and Bob built the framing around the henhouse for the run. Once the framing was up, Sully continued to finalize the landscaping; adding topsoil, leveling the back lawn area, and seeding. This took about another month. Russ came down in early May to work with Bob on screening the entire coop.
The bottom alone took about a full day because they had to remove the sand, lay the galvanized hardware cloth and replace the sand. We were surprised and pleased when Russ came back the next day to finish the job. Between the three of us we were able to put up the hardware cloth, secure it to the framing and add all the other necessary features to make for a secure and happy coop.
In the meantime, I had been on the search for hens. Thru my research, I knew I wanted three to five hens and wanted to start with Buff Orpingtons. It is a docile, winter hardy, heavy breed. We are not zoned for roosters because of their crow and I have learned that roosters are not only loud but aggressive to the hens. Hens are happier without the rooster and since we aren’t looking for fertile eggs, no need for a rooster.
So where do you find chickens? Again, thru my research on the web you get chickens from hatcheries which have a minimum order of at least 25 chicks. That is because when they ship them in the spring, thru the US mail, they need to keep each other warm. Another way to source chickens is thru the local feed stores which place group orders. I started my search on Craigslist, a local online classified ad listing. The activities in the spring were amazing to me. I had no idea that so many people where interested in chickens. It seemed because of the state of our U.S. economy, people are growing more vegetables and raising chickens for eggs.
I answered an ad on Craigslist but explained to the seller that I was not yet ready to take the hens. She was kind enough to hold them for a few weeks until my henhouse and coop were ready to be occupied. I picked up my four hens on May 17, 2009. The girls (we assumed they are all girls) were 8 weeks old.
We picked them up on a rainy Sunday from Sandwich, Ma. Frances, the seller, lived in a rural section of town. Her henhouse was a converted shed and a recycled dog kennel was used as the run. She had a mixed flock of Buffs, Plymouth Rocks and RI Reds.
When we got the chicks home we immediately put them in the coop. They were wet from the rain and after tentatively investigating for awhile; we secured them in the house for the night. I could hardly sleep, wondering if they were alright. Monday morning I anxiously went out to see them. They were like different birds. They were all dried and fluffed up, they were happy and excited. I let them out into the run and they searched and chased each other. They are so interesting to watch. I didn’t take them long to get acclimated. They are healthy, happy busy little birds.
The daily routine is I let them out at 7am. I bring out a tray of treats that vary day to day. I place the treat tray under the henhouse so they have access to it all day. I also bring out a water bottle and fill a clean bowl of fresh water under the henhouse. There is fresh feed and water in the henhouse at all times, so this is extra in the run area. I have been replenishing the treats in the afternoon and early evening, but it is only a small portion each time. When I let them out in the morning and leave the treat tray, I get my bucket and gloves and clean out the poop from the henhouse and run. It is very manageable and not too messy. About once a month, I freshen up the henhouse with new shavings. At dusk the hens will go into the house on their own to roost for the night. I just sneak into the coop to close the door, remove the left over food from the run, remove the water bowl and lock the coop for the night. The maintenance and routine are very easy.