h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK, as threatened in the NaJoPoMo sign-up thread, and actually requested in the comments on the journal before last, it's time for --though all of ours were bought as adults, or nearly.

Back in July, when Tom and I were on our anniversary trip (can you believe we've been married for 16 years now?) driving around, we got talking about food-raising (for those that don't know, we bought the house we're in a year and a half ago--it's on just .15 acres, which is (uses converter) just over 607m^2, so not a huge amount of land). We started a little bit of gardening, and there's a cherry tree already here. One of the outbuildings is what we'd thought was an odd greenhouse but turned out to be a hot tub surround with translucent walls and ceiling (which explained the "shelves" less than a foot above the floor). Long story short, we decided to see if we could put chickens in there. I decided it was going to be *my* project, and mine alone, though I did allow Tom to do a few cuts for me, especially the bigger plywood pieces, since I would not touch the circular saw. Yes, the vast majority of the cuts were made with a hand saw we'd gotten for cutting tree limbs. Long version of the story can be found at http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/811612/converting-a-not-a-greenhouse-to-a-chicken-coop as can lots and lots of pictures. I'll be adding some more pictures later today, actually--I just painted the exterior, but my phone's battery was too low to take all the photos I wanted to.

After 2 months of tearing out old wood, cutting off the rotten bits, putting old wood back up, scrounging other wood to make up for the unusable bits--as well as unseasonable rain, sickness, practice and games (PaperKid, not me, though of course I was there), the school year starting up again which means going back to w*rk, and so on and so forth, I bought 3 chickens from a local lady 2 weeks ago yesterday, which I (with help from salonistas--OK, from Ti, since she gave me a whole big list of possibilities) have named Omelette (a white rock), Fritatta (a silver laced wyandotte) and Curry (a gold-laced wyandotte). Hm, I seem to have listed the girls in pecking order I decided to go with food names because *theoretically* they'll eventually be going to "freezer camp". I know, I know, don't name what you're going to eat--but names are such handy labels.

We bought 2 more from the same lady yesterday, so no quarantine needed (not set up for quarantine yet) though I did put up a barrier so that the chickens can see each other without being able to get to each other--although they were flockmates, 2 weeks is too long a separation for the trio and duo to remember each other. They're both red sex links, with different enough coloring that it's easy to tell them apart.

Before anyone asks, no, no eggs yet--for one thing, chickens hate change, and it takes a week or 2 after moving for them to start laying again. Also, Fritatta and Curry are young--just at point-of-lay, so they hadn't started yet. Their combs are getting bigger and redder, though, which is a sign of impending sexual maturity. Omelette and the 2 new girls are finishing up molting, so they weren't laying when I got them, either (W has a couple dozen birds, and no one is laying right now). Feathers take a lot of protein to replace, y'see, so using the resources to do the equivalent of giving birth every day has to stop for a while (yes, that many resources whether the eggs are fertile or not--a blastocyst isn't exactly all that big). This property's not zoned for roosters, so I'll have to get my pretty colors another way--with a colorful egg basket (though everyone I currently have will be laying eggs in the light-to-medium brown range).

The chickens sound like fun. I love the name Omelette!

Those hens will keep you biddy -- er, busy -- for a while.

What with butter, bodies in bins, Blemnox, High teas, High fashion, and now chickens, NaJoPoMo is undoubtedly the gift that keeps on giving.

Can I suggest quiche and pie as names for the newbies.

Deb

"Road-crosser" might also be considered.

Ha! Quiche! Definitely.

Does one look like a Sunnysideup?

I had a nice long rummage through the photos this morning. I admire your DIY. I hope the chickens really appreciate it and lay you lots of eggs.

I am so jealous.

Happy I could help with the naming of *bows*

Oh?