Third time’s a charm, right? I hope so! This is our third attempt at raising chickens. The other two tries were highly successful and with each adventure we learn a little more. Nov. 25th, Nora’s Gotcha Day, we bought some new chickies. Darling little fluffy peepers…. soon turned into noisy, smelly growing birds. But we love them. Truly. From that day, I knew I had approximately three weeks to get a coop built. Time got away from me… and I ended up purchasing a bigger plastic storage tub to make my planning/collecting/building time last a tad bit longer.
My sweet supportive husband did not want chickens. At all. He didn’t even care if we would eventually get two dozen eggs a week. Nope. He is scarred from having to clean out maggoty chicken poop a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away. It’s okay. If I were born in a different era, I’m sure I would have fit right in with Little House on the Prairie. Oh to have a free range flock! I dream of wearing fashionable rubber boots and collecting eggs in a hand-woven basket from my huge coop at the back of the grassy property. But no. I’m in Phoenix. In an HOA, nonetheless. But it’s all good.
Being non-supportive, Mr. Wallet didn’t feel the need to “invest” in chicken coop construction. Go figure! The one I would love to build comes in a tidy box with a shiny picture on the front of a two story coop with a run, shutters, metal roof and wood paneling that I admire with ogling eyes. For a mere $249, it could be gracing my backyard! Trying to keep peace on the farmstead, I have been pouring over Craigslist, an online garage sale…. particularly the FREE section. She shoots, she scores! I found a 3’x3’x3′ wooden shipping crate! PERFECT! I did talk my sweet supportive husband into dumpster diving with me in the next neighborhood where new homes are being built. We totally scored some 4×6 treated beams and a bunch of other useful pieces of wood.
Yesterday was spent removing nails, measuring, sawing and praying. Today I called my two nephews and niece over from across the street to help me and three of my kids get the legs on this baby. We should have video taped the whole ordeal. They are ALL sarcastic and funny and loud. I was explaining the procedure, “Two of you need to lift the crate,” before I could breathe my eldest nephew named his sister and cousin for that job. Hardy har har. The four remaining cousins were to hold legs in place while I screwed it all together. They were all in place but talking so loudly I finally pulled the trigger on the drill and yelled something …. nice… like “Please use your inside voices” or some other such nonsense. They all laughed. In my face. Anyway, we did get the coop duty done. Tomorrow is front door construction and heat-lamp hole drilling.
The girls are getting all feathered out already! HURRY!
Tags: chicken coop, chickens, construction, coop, craigslist, dumpster diving, farm, flock, free, hens, HOA, home school, homeschooling, homeshcool, laying eggs. eggs, mama, mom, Mr. Wallet, Phoenix, raising chickens, thrifty
My Sister's Jar 
December 18, 2013 at 3:54 pm |
Sounds exciting to have fresh eggs and your little Columbian Princess overseeing the “girls”. I have a friend that has had three chickens for over a year. I admire her. I am afraid of birds, myself. Must have been a mean canary in my childhood! I love hearing about your life.
August 4, 2017 at 11:13 pm |
[…] a doorbell, but I consider myself quite handy. (Please see previous posts of my success building chicken coops and installing a water filter in the […]