Several weeks ago we rebuilt the Chicken house for my great-nephew Jordan's 4-H project. The chickens were still kind of small so the house gave them plenty of room.
During the last few weeks, those 16 birds have scarfed down over 200 pounds of starter-grower feed. I estimate that Jilda has tossed in a half-ton of basil, lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon rine, and other treats.
They also get a head of cabbage and a cucumber as big as my forearm each time we go to the curb market.
Needless to say, they have grown.
When the County Extension agent came by last Friday he was impressed. The only problem is that now the chickens need more room.
On Sunday, I called our neighbor who is a carpenter and got on his schedule for today. He showed up early with his tool belt on and a cigarette dangling from his lip. He was ready to work.
I ran by the hardware store yesterday and purchased the lumber, wire and other items we'd need today.
We hit the ground running and within four hours, we completed 90 percent of the new pen. I'll have to put netting over the top to keep the owls and hawks out, but once that is done, we'll let the chicks stretch their legs in the new pen.
I've wanted to rebuild the chicken habitat since the storms decimated the area several years ago. I'd patched it up after the storms, but it wasn't secure and as a result, critters killed and ate most of our chickens.
With the new area, that won't be as easy as it was before.
Below is a picture of Jordan filling in low areas in the pen before we stretched the new wire.
During the last few weeks, those 16 birds have scarfed down over 200 pounds of starter-grower feed. I estimate that Jilda has tossed in a half-ton of basil, lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon rine, and other treats.
They also get a head of cabbage and a cucumber as big as my forearm each time we go to the curb market.
Needless to say, they have grown.
When the County Extension agent came by last Friday he was impressed. The only problem is that now the chickens need more room.
On Sunday, I called our neighbor who is a carpenter and got on his schedule for today. He showed up early with his tool belt on and a cigarette dangling from his lip. He was ready to work.
I ran by the hardware store yesterday and purchased the lumber, wire and other items we'd need today.
We hit the ground running and within four hours, we completed 90 percent of the new pen. I'll have to put netting over the top to keep the owls and hawks out, but once that is done, we'll let the chicks stretch their legs in the new pen.
I've wanted to rebuild the chicken habitat since the storms decimated the area several years ago. I'd patched it up after the storms, but it wasn't secure and as a result, critters killed and ate most of our chickens.
With the new area, that won't be as easy as it was before.
Below is a picture of Jordan filling in low areas in the pen before we stretched the new wire.
