When we returned from Nantucket, we started an important project right away: dismantling our old coop (which had bad joojoo because of all the raccoon-induced chicken deaths that had happened in it) and building a new one. We did the math and realized that in order to never buy eggs again, we needed 10 hens. And if we were to get 10 laying hens, we also wanted two soft sweet silkie hens. Silkies are not hearty layers so they would be the pets. And then there was a delivery mix-up and we got an extra bird. So now we have 13. Auspicious number? Hope so.
And we wanted to be able to stand up in it and to be able to get light in it since it's in a shady part of the yard. Our friend Mark put the whole roof on in just a few hours.
Off in another part of the yard, Avery built a wooden fort.
The chickens were delivered from Santa Barbara county 10 days after Chris dismantled the coop, and we weren't quite ready for them. The boys entertained the chickens in the puppy pen all afternoon until the coop was ready.
The straw will never be this clean again.
Astrid came over to help acclimate the chickens to humans.
Tiny silkie of love
Big silkie regards little silkie approvingly. Little silkie came a week later (delivery mix-up) so she needed some protection from the others who were pecking her. Interestingly, the two silkies are now bonded and roost together, away from the others. Their names are Henrietta and Henners, respectively.
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