Chickie Baby

Waaaaaaaaaay back in 2003, when we were still living on the Compound in Tifton, James asked me what I wanted for a Valentine's Day present. I told him "chickens". So he agreed to build a chicken coop in preparation for little, tiny baby chicks that would be available that spring. He drew up the plans and got as far as getting some 4x4s in place that would be the corners of the coop.

The Valentine's present turned into a Mother's Day present, which then turned into a birthday present, then James started schoool and before we knew it it was May 2005 and we were moving to Albany for his new job and I had never, ever got my chickens.

Last spring, James brought home a bunch of wood and made me a compost bin out of some wood he brought home from the base. I alluded to our next project in that post, and finally SEVEN YEARS after his initial promise, WE HAVE CHICKENS.

My brother David ordered 60 chickens from a mail order company, and they arrived the week of the family reunion. Dave set aside 10 chicks for us, and James (after checking out and reading every book on raising chickens from the library that he could get his hands on) set about building a Biddy Box that we figured they'd stay in for at least a month.

James built the box and set it up on some sawhorses over our garden box (which I had never got around to planting anything in this year, although the rosemary and thyme I planted *last* year are still thriving!)


The idea was that each day when we cleaned out thebox, we'd let the chicks run around in the garden.






I don't know if it's our tender loving care or what, but these chicks are SUPER CHICKS. Less than two weeks after the reunion we had to upgrade their "area" because they are getting HUGE!

James decided to mount the biddy box on the end of the (now) enclosed garden bed, giving the chicks a run. I think it's pretty smart myself.






So for the time being, the chicks have plenty of room, and they are happy and thriving. We still have 8 chicks (we lost two of them to a neighborhood cat who found away into the pen. James has sworn to have his revenge. Our ultimate plan has always been to build a bigger, permanent coop in the back of the yard, with laying boxes and plenty of room.

With it being the Memorial Day weekend and having time off of work, James decided to get to work building the permanent coop last Saturday. He had been outside for about two hours when he came into the house and uttered these immortal words....

"Hey, come see this. I have an idea...."

TO BE CONTINUED