Tweenagers

They're getting pretty big!  Unfortunately, they are still living part time in the house.  Which is becoming a problem.  They've outgrown their box (understatement).  Last week we picked up a little coop for them in Corvallis.  It's pretty flimsy and not secure at all.  Not my best purchase ever, but we were desperate for something to transition them to outside.  So while I'm waiting for Aaron to predator proof the coop, I'm getting them used to the cold, hard world without heat lamps.  They do okay down to 60, but it's getting into the 30s at night still, so they aren't quite ready.  

 

My baby!  Still hoping this is not a rooster.  I am not going to be able to handle that well.

This weather has been great for letting them run around.

Little bit of a photo bomb.

Rooster, you are fine and all, but I'm ready for you to move on.  Counting the days until this one is old enough to give to a friend.

Seriously.  Please be a girl!

My "roost" is barely big enough now.  I love spending so much time with them, but it will be nice to reclaim our living room.

Their new tiny coop!

I went to run some errands and came home to this.  How Buffer?  Why?  I'm not sure how long she was in there, less than an hour, but jeez.  I was all worried the babies were cooking in the sun or something and she was the one that needed to be rescued.

The older hens were spending lots of time around these little ones today.  Camilla was the first to act out in aggression - maybe because they are getting as tall as her?  She was trying to peck them through the fence.  The black one held her ground and pecked right back!  I'm not sure they'll be so brave when there isn't a barrier.

Next project: Expand chicken coop and add privacy fencing to block the view of our yard from the street.  Never mind the half gutted house...

Fence!

We haven't done much work on the yard, but I've been dying for a privacy fence.  We decided first priority was this back fence since it had huge gaps and the neighbor behind us has a (well behaved) dog.  The little ones could easily get themselves into trouble popping through there.  We had 7 different fence styles in our yard.  You can see how ugly it was.  

So we talked to our neighbors - who we really like, I'm sad we can't talk over the fence as easily now - and they said they would split costs with us.  So we ripped that old fence down.  It looked better immediately and it was nice to pretend all those raised beds were part of our yard :)

This was a 10 time to the store project.  I hate that.  It was really difficult to retrofit everything, especially to the pipes set in concrete on the retaining wall.  That area didn't turn out as plumb, but it was our only option.  We also filled in all the gaps at the bottom from the slope with pressure treated lumber.  We got most of our supplies at Parr Lumber and I am in love with that place.  Most of their prices were better than or competitive with the box stores, but the quality on the lumber was much, much better and their customer service is excellent.  We're going to pick up some cedar for raised beds in a few days, they only carry it this time of year and it's crazy how much less it is than everywhere else we looked!

Clearly the work of the person who lived here before us.  He's left us all sorts of surprises.  I thought Aaron was going to put out his back getting that one out.

So nice!  75 feet of beautiful cedar!

Aaron is off camping this weekend, so I decided to surprise him by staining it before he got home.  You can see the difference below.  We wanted something to protect the color, but not alter it.  I used Sherwin Williams Woodscapes, untinted in Semi Transparent.

I love it!  Now we need one facing the street (too many chickens!!) and along the lower end of our property and I'll finally stop feeling like I'm being watched all the time.