Welcoming the hens to their shabby chic chicken coop

The ladies seem to be adjusting to their new home and are happy to be here. They came from a larger group of chickens, and I think they will like their extra space and room to roam.  Ariel appreciates the mirror.

They've been up on their perches too, and even like the chandeliers. I'll have to get a picture of them on one.

Sugarwings tends to think of the coop as her playhouse, but it hasn't been covered in poo yet. 

Soon, it will be much less appealing to hang out in.

Ariel, Small World, Unicorn, and Mator don't use their nesting boxes yet, though. The eggs (yep, we already have egg production starting the first day!) are nested under the table holding the boxes instead of in them.

We started with 4 Rhode Island Reds, and have room for lots more, so will pick up a variety of different kinds of birds later on. We found these on Craigs List for six bucks a piece, and the farmer met us halfway from his place in the country to drop them off.

I'd really like to get some that lay those pretty blue/green eggs.

And I look forward to the time when I can let them have the whole yard to play in and find bugs. For now, they are penned in till they adjust.

The other animals will need some adjustment time too.  Twinkle and the cats have been pacing along the fence trying to find thier way in to properly greet the new arrivals. I have a feeling that Twinks will need to be locked up whenever the ladies are having a promenade around the yard. 

Or the birds won't be surviving very long. I'm not sure about the cats.  Can a cat take out a hen? I know they want to.

We were told that our coop could hold 50 chickens comfortably, but we aren't interested in doing that. Maybe 10-12 at the most.   I don't want so many that I can't get to know them!

Comments

[Sonya]

Wow that has got to be the best hotel for chooks ever!! Beautiful, wouldnt mind camping there myself..

[Lisa]

Oh how fun!

[Jorgelina]

Beautiful!
Fun!

[Lori]

That is pretty much the best chicken coop ever!! Oh my gosh how pretty and fun!

[Linda P.]

Yay for the arrival of the ladies! Have you prepared Sugarwings for the eventual covering of the house with a grand layer of poo? Poor Sugarwings!

Don't you wish there was a way to reason with our animals sometimes? "OK, ladies, See this box right here? This is 'poo corner.' Here and only here. It'll make this place a lot more pleasant for us all. Got it? Great!"

I hope all goes well with the new residents. : ) Looking forward to hearing of their adventures.

[jeanine mayden]

lol! that is what i am afraid of. getting to know them. i feel like i couldn't eat their eggs or heaven forbid bake one. lol. love the pics. i love chickens and roosters. have the theme in my kitchen. french country with hens. looks great at your coop.

[Karla Nathan]

They seem to love it so far. And we are getting lots of eggs

Sent from my iPad

[Tami Hacker]

Adorable CHIC COOP for your hens. Your idea of colorful egg-laying hens would be fun. I've seen blue, green, yellow & brown eggs. Are there any that lay pink eggs?

[Marilyn Parker]

Karla ~ Love seeing your new girls. You will like when they can roam free. NO bugs will be in your yard. Of course the flower beds may suffer. I've put chicken wire down and covered with a thin layer of mulch, that seems to be working for now. We also put golf balls in their nest boxes to get them started laying there. Enjoy!!
Marilyn in Missouri

[Francy]

New Chickens!! How exciting and they have such a fancy coop, not country chicks at all!

[Laurie]

Too much fun, Karla! 'Love the photos! I'm not sure about the cats either -- but I wouldn't want to take any chances!

[YokkoBears Bears with a HEART]

Love the photo of Ariel looking in the mirror, great.

The "girls" will love it at your house,
it all looks so nice.
They have a nice home.
It will be great if they can be free in your garden (later).

[Debra Ganas]

Cutest pictures or your "chicks". Love the one where Sugarwings and the chicken are looking in the mirror. And those overalls are perfect!
Debra

[jeanie]

It's nice to be back. Between three weeks of travel and two weeks of Gypsy-hospice and work re-entry, life's been pretty rugged. It's good to be back posting travel (and goodbye Gypsy) posts. This one makes me smile.

[Jill]

Happy Days are Here Again!!

Wish I had a chicken or two. I gave the last eggs to Ted and my son for breakfast this morning as I ate peanut butter toast!

Jill

[suzeeez]

Love your coop Karla....... I think the chickens will be fin with the cats. The chickens can defend themselves pretty well. I laughed out loud when you said Sugarwings thinks of it as a playhouse now but it hasn't been pooped in much yet. It won't smell too inviting either on a hot summer day. Too cute ...all of it. Good luck with your hens !

[Jane]

Love your chic coop, chandeliers and all! My mother loved Rhode Island Reds. We had a fenced "chicken yard" for them to roam around outside their coop. I believe they clipped the wing feathers some to keep them from flying out :) If you get a rooster, he'll guard his girls from the cats & probably scare little Twinkle away. Also good as alarm clock!
What fun you'll all have with your new pals!

[Elaine L.]

Karla, I love having hens. Make sure that sugarwings washes her hands and keeps them away from her face. When My daughter was her age, she got salmonella from being in the coop and touching the eggs.
~elaine

[Kathy B.]

I love this! So open and airy too.

[Nancy clementi]

Wow I love this place I’m sure all your little ladies are so very happy.
I can’t wait to move to Virginia to set all my girls up there new place.

[Karla Nathan]

Chickens can be wonderful to have around! Good luck to your ladies in their new home.

[Hayley]

I absolutely love looking at your chicken pen it is just the most wonderful thing ever and I would like to create this as I have just bought a cottage in France in the country with a swimming pool and want to get started with the chicken run if this virus eventually goes from the world. Would you mind me asking what color white paint that is what shade of white and what make it is please

[Karla]

Planning a coop is a happy way of getting through this! My walls actually are a pale pink. It was leftover colors mixed together and applied with a spray gun to get into the cracks easily.